Exercising the mind-body unity : an educational model = Esercitare l’unità mente-corpo : un modello educativo

This essay moves from the actualization of a professional training workshop (3cf) structured on corporeal-meditative practices - from the a.y. 2010 to date, at the University of Bologna. The research activity within which it is situated explores the transformative reach of an education through gesture, in consideration of the mind-body unity. From the perspective of a holistic and ecological viewpoint, the research activity aims to revitalise paradigms and models of the Western philosophical-pedagogical tradition in comparison with the Far Eastern philosophical-pedagogical-experiential tradition. Dialoguing with different “scientific latitudes” allows for an expansion of the fields of meaning, sense and action, encouraging research towards a commitment to innovation and transformation. Method, principles and techniques come from Far Eastern philosophical-experiential disciplines - Qi Gong and Meditation - in close consideration of a strict adherence to pedagogical models designed to promote transformative and effective educational processes, with regard to current challenges as also stated in the Unesco 2030 Agenda. Method involves the person in his/her entirety, contributing significantly to psycho-physical wellbeing, facilitating access to internal resources, in terms of motivation and decision-making. The joint exercise of body and mind refines the field of perception and quality of attention - such as awareness and meta-awareness - promoting transversal skills of decoding and managing the emotional-affective dimension, which are crucial within life skills, such as relationship and self-actualization.