Embodied cognition: dance, body, and mind

Abstract

Embodied cognition is the concept that our intellectual abilities such as gaining knowledge, comprehending concepts, remembering, judging, and problem solving are not confined to our brain alone. It is the idea that the body influences the mind. As children, our bodily experiences are linked to abstract concepts, which lead to an embodiment of knowledge as our motor functions develop first leading to an implicit understanding of situations that are difficult to comprehend. Certain studies claim to show that embodied cognition helps in understanding the cognitive work load and supporting more efficient encoding and consolidation and the mind and body connect at a sensory level which allows the body to regenerate through enactive sensor receptive connections and encourages multi-scale embodied anticipation. A sample of 6 classical dancers was randomly selected from the city for Bangalore for the study. The results suggest that embodiment of learning, embodiment of movement, spirituality and wellness can be facilitated by dance.