Eastern Movement Disciplines (EMDs) and Mindfulness: A New Path to Subjective Knowledge in Western Physical Education

Linda Bain (1995) argues that subjective knowledge is of central importance to her life, both personally and professionally, and that a purely objective approach to physical education should be complemented with subjective knowledge, the key to which is “mindfulness.” Following her lead, we argue that the traditional model of physical education and health, absent of mindfulness, falls into contradictions that are destructive to the person and urge instead for a holistic approach. We contend that Eastern Movement Disciplines (EMDs) are ideally suited to integrating mindfulness into Western physical education since they are, by their very nature, mindful activities, never understanding the person as “object” but always as body-mind. We discuss the historical and holistic background of mindfulness and EMDs, relate this to certain Western philosophical schools of thought, and bring out implications for physical education and health. Finally, in the spirit of holism, we touch briefly on the social significance of this East-West merger.