Embodied Education: A Convergence of Phenomenological Pedagogy and Embodiment

In this article we argue for the necessity of a new double alliance be- tween phenomenology and cognitive sciences (through embodied theory) on the one hand, and between phenomenological pedagogy and the embodiment paradigm on the other. We strongly believe that phenomenological pedagogy should enter into dialogue with the cognitive sciences movement called “Em- bodiment” in order to renew its educational theories and practices. Indeed, the new suggestions about the mind that come from the embodiment paradigm can already have a huge impact on learning and education, but a relatively structured “pedagogy of consciousness” is still missing. This topic will be dis- cussed with a special focus on body and embodied consciousness, which nicely brings together these different traditions. Finally, an actual example of how the embodiment paradigm and phenomenological pedagogy can converge will be presented through the practice of meditative experience.