Body and Spirit of Learning

The Spirit in Learning

As an adult, I can attest that I have to be mentally comfortable when I am in a learning mode.  At one time I did not understood that I had to eliminate all distractions before comprehending what I was attempting to learn.  I learned that I had to settle down and clear my mind. Being an adult pursuing a higher education I recognize that I learn differently than when I was younger.

Until recently a rational perspective on adult learning dictated both practice and research.  Other than recognizing that adult learners were different from children, and that adults needed a psychologically comfortable environment to learn in, little was written about nonrational ways of knowing (Merriam, S., & Bierema, L. 2014).  

Source:  http://pixabay.com/en/brain-think-human-idea-20424/

Embodied Learning

We need to move from worrying about how our outer body looks and return to the lived body:  “The lived body is the felt body where we make connections to the multiple sensations around and within us.  The feel of the wind on the skin, fingers typing at the computer, the pain in the lower back, the joy of one torso swimming, and the tears in the belly all connect us to the lived body” (Lawrence, 2012).

Leadership and Spirituality

Leadership, which cuts across organizations and areas of adult education practice, has also been studied with regard to spirituality.  Leaders “must give up the old dogma of planning, organizing and controlling and realize the almost sacredness of their responsibility for the lives of so many people.  A manager’s fundamental task… is providing the enabling conditions for people to lead the most enriching lives they can”  (Senge, 1990).

References

Embodied Learning. (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=nDDMx0eb6s8

Jody Fry: Spiritual leadership model and organizational commitment. (n.d.). Retrieved March 4, 2015, from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0oLXrx4paoM

Lawrence, R. (2012). New Directions for Adult and Continuing Education. In Bodies of knowledge embodied learning in adult education (Vol. 134, pp. 53-60). San Francisco: Jossey-Bass.

Merriam, S., & Bierema, L. (2014). Body and Spirit in Learning. In Adult learning: Linking Theory and Practice (1st ed., pp. 127-145). San Franciso, CA: Jossey-Bass.

Senge, P. (1990). The fifth discipline: The art and practice of the learning organization. New York: Doubleday/Currency.