Date of Award
Spring 3-25-2025
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy
Major
Educational Studies
First Advisor
Dr. Frank Trocco
Second Advisor
Dr. Judith Cohen
Third Advisor
Dr. Laura Douglass
Abstract
Embodied learning happens when thoughts and actions are informed by sensing and noticing inner bodily states. Yoga is commonly cited as a mind-body practice that enhances embodied learning, yet there is a gap in yoga teacher education literature pertaining to this competency. A qualitative phenomenological study was used to understand how embodied learning was exhibited amongst alumni of a residential yoga teacher training. Data was examined using interpretative phenomenological analysis (IPA) to determine in what ways, if any, the yoga teacher training altered trainees’ relationships with their bodies. The findings showed a process of embodied learning readiness: students pursued yoga teacher training to solve a dilemma; they were supported by a curriculum that fostered safety, acceptance, and belonging; students’ underlying issues surfaced; and a curriculum with non-judgmental body awareness, self-reflective activities, and role models provided a counternarrative. Embodied learning readiness is relevant to yoga teacher educators, organizations such as the Yoga Alliance that determines yoga teacher education standards, and those who wish to include the body in education.
Creative Commons License
This work is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution-Noncommercial-No Derivative Works 4.0 License.
Recommended Citation
Usry, Janel, "“Listen to Your Body First and Me Second,” Embodied Learning Readiness in Yoga Teacher Education" (2025). Educational Studies Dissertations. 2.
https://digitalcommons.lesley.edu/educational_studies_dissertations/2
