While our health is often associated with our physical wellbeing, it is inextricably connected to our mental health as well. With the mutual relationship between our physical and mental wellbeing, teaching mental health must involve physical learning experiences as well. In fact, it is through these physical health practices where students will learn that they are concurrently caring for their mental health alongside their physical. Understanding this connection alone illustrates the holistic element of our existence--one that our mind is not separate from our physical being (MILLER, 2014). Hence, delivering a robust mental health curriculum can not be purely content, but also holistically experiential (MILLER, 2007).
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Thus, learning through the body means engaging in physical, experiential learning opportunities. By exploring their senses, students are engaged in a learning experience grounded in their physical presence (MILLER, 2000). These learning opportunities remind students that they have an interconnected relationship with their environment (Yukon First Nations Curriculum Working Group, 2017). While they build a relationship with their earth, they are reminded that they impact the world just as much as the world impacts them. Fostering this mindset is key as students embody a sense of presence and connection with their environment. As Miller explains, when physically engaging with nature, we can experience a sense of “awe and wonder” (MILLER, 2014, p.73). As we begin to develop a connection with our earth, we holistically begin to channel our whole being into our surroundings. Therefore, as we use our bodies as vehicles to learn and grow, we holistically capture the essence of living and being fully alive!
