CHAPTER 3: THE MINDFUL AND YOGIC LEARNER: 12 EMBODIED PRACTICES FOR SCHOOLS • 53mindful awareness to be associated with a variety of positive outcomes, including a sense of
well-being and increased self-knowledge (Brown & Ryan, 2003).
Principle 4: Presence: “I work toward presence in my own body”
Like breath, the physical experience must also be honored as critical to healing and pre-
venting struggle (Cook-Cottone, 2015; McCown, Reibel, & Micozzi, 2010). The experience
of the physiological self is as relevant to mental health as are the cognitive and emotional
aspects of self (Cook-Cottone, 2006; 2015). Embodied approaches to self-regulation view
the role of physical practice as key to well-being and emotional growth (Cook-Cottone,
2015). Experiencing body sensations as they arise and pass away, without judgment, helps
us to untangle, or defuse, our immediate experience from our stories about the experience
(McCown et al., 2010). This happens in two steps (Baptiste, 2016). First, students practice
bringing their focus to the physical experience of a pose. They can notice the sensations of
their feet or hands on the mat, the work being done by their muscles and lungs, and their
heartbeats. The goal here is to focus only on the physical sensations. Next, students notice
their reactions to the physical sensations. Do they think the sensations are good or bad?
Do they think the pose is hard or easy (Baptiste, 2016)? As students practice, the teacher
helps them discern between their physical sensations and their reactions to them or stories
about them.
Over time, a practice of bringing awareness to the body and away from the “privileged
cognitive domain” helps lead us to new possibilities unencumbered by limited beliefs and
past impressions (McCown et al., 2010, p. 145). This practice is believed to help facilitate cre-
ativity and a sense of freedom in learning (Baptiste, 2016). Emphasis on embodiment brings
awareness to internal sensation (i.e., interoception) and can deepen a sense of resonance
with others (Cook-Cottone, 2015; McCown et al., 2010). Without embodied practice, there
can be no real change or growth (Cook-Cottone, 2015).
Principle 5: Feeling: “I feel my emotions in order to grow and learn”
Emotions are a composite of cognitive and physiological experiences. They live in the mind
and body. Emotional memories are seated both in the brain and remembered in the body
(Cook-Cottone, 2015). To access and process emotions, the body must be part of the focus
and practice. Anchoring feelings where they reside within the physical self enhances self-
awareness, leading to the greater likelihood of effective self-regulation (Cook-Cottone,
2015). That is, the body is key to effectively processing and regulating emotional experience
(Bennett, 2002; Siegel, 2010). Together, steady, physical practice and awareness, and active
processing of the physiological aspects of emotional experience create a physical foundation
for self-regulation (Cook-Cottone, 2015). When a student knows that he or she can fully feel,
process, and withstand any emotion, he or she is empowered. There is no need for emo-
tional avoidance or control.
To illustrate, Zuri, a 13-year-old girl, sometimes struggles to be present to her feelings.
Her mom is an alcoholic, and Zuri worries about her constantly. Her counselor at school,
Mrs. Markham, has helped her to understand alcoholism and has encouraged her to go to
support meetings to learn more about the disease. Mrs. Markham also helped Zuri sign up
for the afterschool yoga program with Miss Amanda. Zuri often tells Mrs. Markham that
she thinks that her mom’s drinking is her fault. She comes to this thought as a result of her
lived experience. She explains that her mom often tells her that, if she and her brothers were