‘Pedagogic bodies’: embodied teaching-learning in the field of well-being

Abstract

ABSTRACT Globally, modern contemplative practices like yoga and mindfulness are being widely adopted for the purposes of well-being. This paper begins to explore a possible pedagogy of well-being by taking the example of modern yoga in Los Angeles. Embodiment represents an important aspect of both well-being and cultural pedagogy. While there are rich insights around embodied learning, teaching bodies, in whose presence we learn, remain marginal. I unpack the forging and communication of embodied teaching knowledge in a pedagogy of well-being. Drawing on Herbart’s notion of pedagogical tact and Bourdieu’s interpretation of habitus, I propose the idea of pedagogic bodies that represents a conscious intent and concern for others within one’s own body, unpacking relational, pedagogical labor of teaching bodies. This paper shows how conscious intent and corporeal competence connect to human practice for the purposes of well-being and notes implications for education and pedagogy in general.