When mind-body-spirit is built in: Holistic Movement Practices as an emerging category of physical activity

Oral Presentation B14.7

Authors

  • Ineke Vergeer University of Southern Queensland

DOI:

https://doi.org/10.14288/hfjc.v14i3.589

Keywords:

Mind-Body-Spirit, Holistic Wellbeing, Yoga, Tai Chi, Conscious Dance

Abstract

Background: The landscape of physical activities in Western countries increasingly includes physical practices that are embedded in holistic philosophies of well-being. As such, they go beyond what is typically offered in physical activity contexts to deliberately include mental, social and/or spiritual elements. Yoga, t'ai chi and qigong are prime examples; however, there also exist a range of other, lesser known, practices that would fit this description (e.g., 5Rhythms®, Biodanza). Such holistic movement practices (HMPs) are complex and multicomponent practices whose position within the field of physical activity has thus far received limited research attention, in particular with respect to their potential contributions to mind-body-spirit well-being. Purpose: To introduce the notion of HMPs as a category of practices that deserve attention in the field of physical activity and health. Methods: A conceptualization of HMPs as a category of physical activity will be presented, along with considerations for research and policy. Results: Considerations include potential additional effects due to the holistic components, the challenge of the multicomponent nature of these practices for outcome research, the difficulty of capturing the smaller HMPs in surveillance research, issues around teacher training, accreditation and consequences for provision and spread, possible genderedness of these practices, and relationship with healthcare systems. Conclusions: Because of their deliberate inclusion of holistic elements beyond the physical, HMPs may play unique roles in addressing mind-body-spirit well-being. They deserve increased attention in the field of physical activity research and policy. Funding: n/a

Published

2021-09-30

How to Cite

Vergeer, I. (2021). When mind-body-spirit is built in: Holistic Movement Practices as an emerging category of physical activity: Oral Presentation B14.7. The Health & Fitness Journal of Canada, 14(3). https://doi.org/10.14288/hfjc.v14i3.589