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Somatic Movement and Embodiment Are Terms That Are Used to Describe the Phenomena of Movement As Experienced from Within

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Somatic Movement and Embodiment Are Terms That Are Used to Describe the Phenomena of Movement As Experienced from Within Somatic Movement and Education: a phenomenological study of young children's perceptions, expressions and reflections of embodiment through movement Jennifer Leigh A thesis submitted to the University of Birmingham for the degree of DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY School of Education University of Birmingham September 2011 University of Birmingham Research Archive e-theses repository This unpublished thesis/dissertation is copyright of the author and/or third parties. The intellectual property rights of the author or third parties in respect of this work are as defined by The Copyright Designs and Patents Act 1988 or as modified by any successor legislation. Any use made of information contained in this thesis/dissertation must be in accordance with that legislation and must be properly acknowledged. Further distribution or reproduction in any format is prohibited without the permission of the copyright holder. ABSTRACT This reflexive account is of a phenomenological study that took place over two years. It explores how a group of primary-aged children perceive, express and reflect on their embodiment through movement. Children aged between four and eleven years took part in sessions of yoga, somatic movement and developmental play during the school day. The data include field notes, observations, a reflexive journal, photographs of and by the children, their drawings, mark-makings, writing and posters. Children were also interviewed at the end of the study, when they had an opportunity to reflect on all their work and experiences. All the children were capable of expressing and reflecting on their experiences, and the oldest children in particular appeared to enjoy and seemed to benefit from the reflective process. By linking together a sense of self-awareness and reflection, the children appeared able to gain insight into their embodied experience and reflect on emotions, feelings and events. Embodiment is a process as much of a state of being, and as such has implications for perceptions of mind and body, learning, and reflective practice. This approach to embodied reflective practice thus has potential for educators and teacher trainers, as well as direct work with children. DEDICATION For Summer, Kira, and my parents. Thank you. ACKNOWLEDGMENTS Thank you to Professor Richard Bailey, without whom I could not (would not) have done this at all. You have been there for me in so many ways over the past few years. I must owe you a drink or something. Thank you to Dr Symeon Dagkas, my supervisor. Thank you to all my family and friends for their support, and to those at work for their encouragement. Thanks also to the staff, pupils and parents at the school for their willingness to participate, explore and share their experiences with me. CONTENTS CHAPTER 1 INTRODUCTION ............................................................................................................ 1 CHAPTER 2 RESEARCH CONTEXT, YOGA AND SOMATIC MOVEMENT PRACTICES .......... 8 2.1 OVERVIEW OF RESEARCH ...................................................................................................... 8 2.2 PRINCIPLES OF SOMATIC MOVEMENT ............................................................................. 13 2.3 EASTERN PHILOSOPHY AND YOGA PHILOSOPHY ......................................................... 14 2.4 WESTERN SOMATIC MOVEMENT PRACTICES ................................................................ 19 2.4.1 THE IMPORTANCE OF TOUCH ...................................................................................... 20 2. 5 INTEGRATIVE BODYWORK AND MOVEMENT THERAPY (IBMT) AND BODY-MIND- CENTERING® (BMC®) .................................................................................................................... 22 2.6 AUTHENTIC MOVEMENT ...................................................................................................... 27 2.7 SUMMARY ................................................................................................................................ 31 CHAPTER 3 METHODOLOGICAL APPROACH ............................................................................. 33 3.1 RESEARCH QUESTIONS AND METHODS ........................................................................... 33 3.2 PHENOMENOLOGICAL APPROACHES ............................................................................... 37 3.3 PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH WITHIN THIS STUDY ........................................................ 42 3.4 DATA ANALYSIS ..................................................................................................................... 47 3.5 WORKING WITH CHILDREN ................................................................................................. 50 3.6 ETHICAL CONSIDERATIONS ................................................................................................ 55 3.7 OVERVIEW OF THE STUDY .................................................................................................. 60 3.8 THE SETTING ........................................................................................................................... 62 3.9 PHASES OF THE STUDY ......................................................................................................... 65 3.9.1 FIRST PHASE ..................................................................................................................... 67 3.9.2 SECOND PHASE ................................................................................................................ 73 3.9.3 SCIENCE WEEK ................................................................................................................. 80 3.9.4 THIRD PHASE .................................................................................................................... 81 3.10 CONSIDERATIONS NEEDED IN PARTICIPATORY RESEARCH .................................... 84 3.11 SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................. 88 3.12 FINDINGS AND DISCUSSION .............................................................................................. 90 CHAPTER 4 EMBODIMENT OF CHILDREN .................................................................................. 91 4.1. BODYMIND .............................................................................................................................. 91 4.2 MINDFULNESS AND MINDLESSNESS ................................................................................ 94 4.3 LEARNING MINDFULLY ........................................................................................................ 96 4.4 BECOMING MINDFUL .......................................................................................................... 101 4.5 CHILDREN’S SOMATIC MOVEMENT AND BODYMIND................................................ 104 4.6 THE BODY ............................................................................................................................... 109 4.6.1 PERCEPTIONS OF BODIES AND MOVEMENT .......................................................... 111 4.6.2 EXPRESSING AND RECOGNISING EMOTION ........................................................... 131 4.6.3 EXPERIENCING ‘STRETCH’ AND ‘PAIN’ ................................................................... 143 4.6.4 MOVEMENT AS FUN ...................................................................................................... 149 4.6.5 BEING STILL .................................................................................................................... 155 4.6.6 FINDING BALANCE ........................................................................................................ 165 4.6.7 PERCEPTIONS OF INNER STRUCTURE ...................................................................... 177 4.7 MOVEMENT WITHIN EDUCATION .................................................................................... 188 4.8 SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................. 199 CHAPTER 5 EMBODIMENT AND LEARNING: SOMATIC MOVEMENT THERAPY AND EDUCATION ..................................................................................................................................... 202 5.1 THERAPEUTIC TREATMENT TO INCREASE EMBODIED SELF-AWARENESS .......... 202 5.2 FORMING RELATIONSHIPS IN SOMATIC MOVEMENT EDUCATION/THERAPY ..... 204 5.3 CASE STUDIES ILLUSTRATING THERAPEUTIC ASPECTS ........................................... 223 5.3.1 CHILD A. ........................................................................................................................... 224 5.3.2 CHILD M. .......................................................................................................................... 229 5.4 SUMMARY .............................................................................................................................. 243 CHAPTER 6 EMBODIMENT AND REFLECTION ......................................................................... 245 6.1 THE NEED FOR REFLEXIVITY AND A REFLECTIVE APPROACH ............................... 245 6.2 MINDFULNESS AND REFLECTIVE PRACTICE ................................................................ 251 6.3 EMBODIMENT AND REFLECTIVE PRACTICE ................................................................. 254 6.4 REFLECTION AND MOVEMENT ........................................................................................
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