Mindful Movement vs. Physical Education

Both mindful movement and physical education encourage lifelong health habits, decrease chances of unhealthy adult lifestyles, teach safe and correct techniques, promote nutrition and understanding of the body. Both mindful movement and physical education are structured practices, including a warm-up and cool down, that helps students to improve social skills and problem-solving skills.

And both enhance academic performance. But in different ways.

While mindful movement can certainly be a part of the physical education curriculum, and the two share similarities, there is a distinct difference between them: The PURPOSES of the two are not the same, so they should not be treated the same.

Mindful Movement includes using movements to focus and clear your mind and body to the point of stillness.

Movement is a type of mindfulness that uses rhythmic physical movements to focus the mind.

Examples include dance, yoga, TaiChi, walking/running, and any other type of movement where you are using rhythmic movements to focus your mind.

Movement mindfulness includes using movements to focus and clear your mind and body to the point of stillness.

For example, at the end of a yoga class, where you are moving rhythmically for between 60 and 90 minutes, there is a “quiet time” known as Savasana, where you lie in perfect stillness and contentment to allow the mind and body to absorb the comfort and fulfillment of the practice. Savasana helps to reenergize the mind and body, improving positive mood and affect.

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Physical education, although structured within the educational curriculum, includes a lot of physical activity that can include mindful movement, but is a much broader educational topic.

Physical education is the instruction of the development and care of the body.

While this includes movement and physical activity, when we’re talking about physical education, we are also talking about understanding your body and how it changes as you grow, taking care of your body, personal hygiene, food and drink, knowing your body on an intuitive level, knowing how your body moves and grows including muscle development, and more.

Physical education, although structured within the educational curriculum, includes a lot of physical activity that can include mindful movement, but is a much broader educational topic.

Physical activity helps students to expel extra energy, helping students to respond to cognitive tasks more quickly. Physical activity also increases oxygen to the brain, stimulating brain growth, helping students to better think, learn, and retain information.

Mindful movement helps to improve academic performance by teaching students how to understand themselves, how to use their minds, bodies, and breath to recognize their thoughts and emotions- what they are feeling and why they are feeling that way- thus helping them to self-regulate and “come back” to schoolwork. Practicing mindful movement in the classroom improves focus and concentration, self-control, self-esteem, self-regulation, and emotional regulation, as well as reduces stress, anxiety, and anger. Practicing mindful movement in the classroom helps to improve cognitive growth and teaches students how to maintain a state of alpha-wave entry- when the mind is quiet and relaxed. Alpha-wave entry is the optimal state for the brain to learn and retain new information.

Another difference between mindful movement and physical education is the availability of practice. Physical education has a reserved time slot within the educational curriculum. Mindful movement doesn’t. But it doesn’t need one. It can be practiced anytime, anywhere, for however long you need. It can even be practiced at students’ chairs and desks and with the hands, wrists, and eyes!

Mindful movement in the education system is still an “up and coming” thing and, when it is incorporated, it is usually during the physical education time slot. This is totally fine!

Time is a sensitive topic in education. And, as an advocate for mindful movement in the classroom, I’ll take whatever time slot you have to practice.

However, I always stress the importance of making the distinction between mindful movement and physical education. They are not the same and mindful movement should not be treated as a form of physical education. Why? Because physical education focuses on the body with perks for the mind while mindful movement focuses on the mind with perks for the body.

Physical education keeps us healthy from the outside-in.
Mindful movement keeps us healthy from the inside-out.

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