Knitting- the new yoga

I read somewhere that knitting has been found to lower blood pressure and is as relaxing as a meditative yoga session. With that in mind, I took two knitting projects to the hospital yesterday. I haven't finished either of them, but I made progress on both and sparked some conversations with other people in the waiting room (including the receptionist, who called me to the desk for what I thought was going to be an update of Hubby's status for being released to a room, but was actually a question regarding whether it was hard to learn to knit.)

What is it about knitting that acts as a calming agent? It might be the rhythm of the rows of stitches, or the simple action of the hands which allows stress to be fidgeted away. Perhaps it is the feeling of being constructive, of having something to show for my time.

In any case, I will try to remember to post a picture of the purse (pre- and post-felting) and/or the vest when finished, both of which will be a piece of the day that gave my brother-in-law another chance at life. That in and off itself is kind of a calming thought, I suppose...