The Principle and Process of Somatic Learning: a Comaparative Study of Bodywork Systems in the U.S. and Japan

2014 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 24650372
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Challenging Exploratory Research
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Research Field: Physical education
• Research Institution: University of Toyama
• Principal Investigator: FUKUMOTO MAAYA 富山大学, 芸術文化学部, 准教授 (10464033)
• Project Period (FY): 2012-04-01 – 2015-03-31
• Keywords: ソマティック学習 / ボディワーク / T.ハナ / 気づき / 共同運動 / 自己調整

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Somatics, the science of first-person perception, is one of the underlying concepts of Karada-Hogushi, exercises for releasing the body and mind, in PE in Japan. The main purpose of this study is extracting the principle and the process of somatic learning explained by T. Hanna by examining his terminology. I also consider four bodywork systems in the U.S. and Japan from the viewpoints extracted from Hanna’s theory. It is clarified that the learning process is triggered by focusing one’s awareness on an area and proceeds according to the sensation of synergy of feeling of comfortableness from within, and the principles are awareness and synergy of sensory-motor system. The term, awareness, is also found in Karada- Hogushi, but as the meaning of self-reflection. To trigger somatic learning, focusing one’s awareness is considered as the key for self-regulation.

Free Research Field

身体性哲学