Body of Work

I was all excited to post this afternoon, but I can't find the camera...which means I can't download the photos that were pertinent to the post!  Sigh.  Thankfully, I have plenty to say about other topics.  :-)

I had a great conversation with a student this morning about "the body".  Those of us who do not identify our "Selves" as our bodies often refer to this fabulous physical vehicle as "the body", rather than "me".  We are, I believe, in the minority, at least if one may make such a supposition based upon popular media, the rate of low-self esteem/body image issues, etc.  Our culture places a great deal of value on the body, and yet teaches us to bemoan its so-called inadequacies at every turn.  The body is equated with the overall value of a person, as if we can be no more or less than our physical aspect.  We are taught to view the body as separate from us and yet completely us, all the while treating it as if it were the least important gift we have, distancing ourselves from its true needs, its language, its abilities.

Anyway, this student and I were talking about the modern educational system, and how we train children to be less in their bodies and more in their minds.  Teaching them rote memorization skills (think of the 3-year old who "knows" their ABCs) and discouraging imagination, fantasy, and now in many schools even physical play time (used to be called recess, remember it?).  It used to be that children learned to read later, and nobody worried about it.  It used to be that children played - with sticks, with animals, with other children, with (gasp!) bugs and mud and sand and goo.  They interacted with other children on children's terms, rather than in adult-organized classes or "events".  All of this physical interaction with the world helped them understand it through their bodies, learning to trust the body, trust their senses, their balance, their ability to fall down, get scratched, and watch the scrapes heal.  Their bodies were great tools, taking them through the ups and downs of childhood.

I do not yet have children of my own, but I do a lot of research into child development, as it helps me better understand the adults who walk in my studio door.  Many of them identify a great deal with the mind, and feel disconnected from their bodies.  It shows in how they speak of their bodies, how they move and the kinds of physical challenges/complaints they have.  As the concept of "the mind/body connection" grows, I see more and more people come to try yoga, and re-introduce themselves to their bodies.  It is beautiful to see them befriend the body, re-learning its needs, its signals, how to move it and use it and generally care for it better so that it may carry them along their paths with more grace and dignity.

Indeed, it is my observation that we are embarking upon a new level of awareness, and many people are waking up to the realization that their body is not the enemy!  Learning to love this vehicle, which gives us so much ability to interact with the world, is a valuable and life-changing undertaking.  If we want our children to become adults who understand and respect their bodies, we must heal our own relationships with our bodies and model healthy behavior.  In our interactions with children, encouraging them to play (and I don't mean on a soccer team), to explore, to tell stories, make finger puppets, play make-believe, draw, etc., etc. are all great steps on the road to healthy body-image.  In order to fully "own" this body, we must accept it unconditionally.  Helping children understand the value of the body, and how to care for it, may just be the best way to set them up for happier and healthier adulthoods.

Comments

[Katie]

I completely agree with your view of the educational system and that's why I'm a huge fan of raising kids in Sub-Saharan Africa and home schooling them there. At least until they are in high school. :) I want to give my kids a chance to be kids, which in our society, is nearly impossible.