Movement-based embodied contemplative practices: Definitions and paradigms
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience May 22, 2014 Laura eSchmalzl, Mardi A Crane-Godreau, Peter ePayne
Cognitive neuroscience has moved from viewing the mind as disembodied and computational toward understanding mental functions through the physical body and environment. In contemplative science, attention to bodily sensations has mostly been studied in seated meditation, but movement-based practices like Yoga, Qigong, and Tai Chi also cultivate interoceptive, proprioceptive, and kinesthetic awareness. These practices likely underlie modern somatic therapies such as the Feldenkrais Method and Alexander Technique. This paper examines how these practices are grounded in embodiment, movement, and contemplation through an enactive approach to cognition, highlighting challenges Western scientists face when studying practices based on a non-dualistic view of mind and body.