Movement-based embodied contemplative practices: Definitions and paradigms
Laura eSchmalzl, Mardi A Crane-Godreau, Peter ePayne
Frontiers in Human Neuroscience May 22, 2014 DOI: 10.3389/fnhum.2014.00205 (opens in new tab)
Study at a glance
AI-extracted from the abstract| Characteristics | Theoretical or philosophical paper Peer reviewed |
|---|---|
| Topics | Meditation |
| Keywords | Movement Yoga Embodiment Qigong |
| Key points | Argues that movement-based contemplative practices and somatic therapeutic techniques are grounded in an enactive approach to cognition, and that studying them poses challenges for Western science due to their non-dualistic view of mind and body. |
Abstract
Over the past decades, cognitive neuroscience has witnessed a shift from predominantly disembodied and computational views of the mind, to more embodied and situated views of the mind. These postulate that mental functions cannot be fully understood without reference to the physical body and the environment in which they are experienced. Within the field of contemplative science, the directing of attention to bodily sensations has so far mainly been studied in the context of seated meditation and mindfulness practices. However, the cultivation of interoceptive, proprioceptive and kinesthetic awareness is also said to lie at the core of many movement-based contemplative practices such as Yoga, Qigong and Tai Chi. In addition, it likely plays a key role in the efficacy of modern somatic therapeutic techniques such as the Feldenkrais Method and the Alexander Technique. In the current paper we examine how these practices are grounded in the concepts of embodiment, movement and contemplation, as we look at them primarily through the lens of an enactive approach to cognition. Throughout, we point to a series of challenges that arise when Western scientists study practices that are based on a non-dualistic view of mind and body.
Comparable studies
Other theoretical and historical papers on meditation, most cited first.
| Study | Year | Design | Participants |
|---|---|---|---|
| Mindfulness: A proposed operational definition. | 2004 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mechanisms of mindfulness | 2005 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective | 2011 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Mindfulness-based cognitive therapy for depression | 2006 | Theoretical or philosophical paper | |
| Self-awareness, self-regulation, and self-transcendence (S-ART): a framework for understanding the neurobiological mechanisms of mindfulness | 2012 | Theoretical or philosophical paper |
Citations in the library
Cited by 31
- Interoceptive Interaction: An Embodied Metaphor Inspired Approach to Designing for Meditation May 6, 2021
- EEG Brain Activity in Dynamic Health Qigong Training: Same Effects for Mental Practice and Physical Training? Frontiers in Psychology February 7, 2017
- Interoceptive Ability and Emotion Regulation in Mind-Body Interventions: An Integrative Review. Behavioral Sciences November 18, 2024
- Exploring Anima: a brain–computer interface for peripheral materialization of mindfulness states during mandala coloring Human-Computer Interaction November 16, 2021
- Mapping the Current Research on Mindfulness Interventions for Individuals with Cerebral Palsy: A Scoping Review. Neuropediatrics April 1, 2024
and 26 more in the library
Cites 9
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- How Does Mindfulness Meditation Work? Proposing Mechanisms of Action From a Conceptual and Neural Perspective Perspectives on Psychological Science October 14, 2011
- Meditation experience is associated with differences in default mode network activity and connectivity Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences November 23, 2011
- The Experimental Induction of Out-of-Body Experiences Science August 23, 2007
- Mindfulness starts with the body: somatosensory attention and top-down modulation of cortical alpha rhythms in mindfulness meditation Frontiers in Human Neuroscience 2013
and 4 more in the library