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Karen Zila Hayes is a Life Coach, Sensory Wellness Specialist and the Creator of S.A.M. (Sensory Alignment Method). She is also one of Canada’s leading experts on Knitting Therapy.

Karen has a very unique focus in the world of knitting. Unlike conventional teaching methods that focus on expanding one’s roster of knitting skills and becoming a more accomplished designer, she specializes in Postural Alignment and ‘Safe Knitting’.

Just as a golf pro’s job is to assess a client’s swing and make that swing both more efficient and also safe for the body, Karens special skills allow her to analyze and correct postural and mechanical flaws in a person’s knitting technique.

 

For some knitters these flaws lead to serious issues such as repetitive strain injury and chronic pain. For many, however, the flaws don’t cause physical pain yet still cause unnecessary physical tension and strain on their bodies.

 

Unlike many knitters who learn in childhood, Karen came to knitting as an adult and completely by accident (read the story here). Fascinated by the addictive bliss this activity was producing in her, she began researching knitting’s therapeutic power and the ever-mounting body of evidence supporting knitting’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits. She immersed herself in the study of this unusual topic.

In her work as a coach, Karen had always promoted the value of creative expression. However, it was only when she started teaching knitting that she began to see a different type of transformation occurring in her clients and students.  Intrigued by these results, and by the addictive bliss this activity was producing in her, she began researching knitting’s therapeutic power.

Fascinated by the ever-mounting body of evidence supporting knitting’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits, Karen was inspired to put a new spin on her own therapeutic work. The result is an innovative approach to healing, wellness and spiritual growth, all facilitated by the powerfully grounding effects of this amazing super-craft.

As Karen began to speak on the subject of Therapeutic Knitting, she was shocked at the number of people she met whose knitting practice was causing them pain. After studying the very real addictive qualities of this craft she was saddened, yet not surprised, that these people were continuing to knit through significant pain. She decided to do something about it and devised the ground-breaking ‘Safe Knitting’ Program for knitters and knitting teachers.

In addition to spearheading the ‘Safe Knitting’ movement, Knit Magic offers ground-breaking techniques in the areas of creative empowerment, personal growth, stress-reduction, illness recovery, charity outreach, and smoking cessation.

 

 

\"\"Karen Zila Hayes is a Life Coach, Sensory Wellness Specialist and the Creator of S.A.M. (Sensory Alignment Method). She is also one of Canada\’s leading experts on Knitting Therapy. Karen has a very unique focus in the world of knitting. Unlike conventional teaching methods that focus on expanding one’s roster of knitting skills and becoming a more accomplished designer, she specializes in Postural Alignment and \’Safe Knitting’.

 

Just as a golf pro’s job is to assess a client’s swing and make that swing both more efficient and also safe for the body, Karens special skills allow her to analyze and correct postural and mechanical flaws in a person’s knitting technique.

 

For some knitters these flaws lead to serious issues such as repetitive strain injury and chronic pain. For many, however, the flaws don’t cause physical pain yet still cause unnecessary physical tension and strain on their bodies.

 

Unlike many knitters who learn in childhood, Karen came to knitting as an adult and completely by accident (read the story here). Fascinated by the addictive bliss this activity was producing in her, she began researching knitting’s therapeutic power and the ever-mounting body of evidence supporting knitting’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits. She immersed herself in the study of this unusual topic.

In her work as a coach, Karen had always promoted the value of creative expression. However, it was only when she started teaching knitting that she began to see a different type of transformation occurring in her clients and students.  Intrigued by these results, and by the addictive bliss this activity was producing in her, she began researching knitting\’s therapeutic power.

Fascinated by the ever-mounting body of evidence supporting knitting\’s cognitive, social, emotional, and physical benefits, Karen was inspired to put a new spin on her own therapeutic work. The result is an innovative approach to healing, wellness and spiritual growth, all facilitated by the powerfully grounding effects of this amazing super-craft.

As Karen began to speak on the subject of Therapeutic Knitting, she was shocked at the number of people she met whose knitting practice was causing them pain. After studying the very real addictive qualities of this craft she was saddened, yet not surprised, that these people were continuing to knit through significant pain. She decided to do something about it and devised the ground-breaking \’Safe Knitting\’ Program for knitters and knitting teachers.

In addition to spearheading the \’Safe Knitting\’ movement, Knit Magic offers ground-breaking techniques in the areas of creative empowerment, personal growth, stress-reduction, illness recovery, charity outreach, and smoking cessation.