Education Commons^™

When Mind & Body Meet: Lifelong Learning For Flourishing, Rachel Blair

Journal of Educational Leadership in Action

Flourishing is a modern term which, when used in the field of Positive Psychology, communicates positive growth both in oneself and in one’s interactions with the world. Flourishing is the goal of lifelong learning in terms of Positive Psychology. Though there are established models of flourishing, including Martin Seligman’s PERMA theory, none of these theories account for the role of the body in wellbeing. In this paper, the author will explain the reciprocal relationship between the body and the mind, bringing in evidence from multiple disciplines which suggests that full, optimal functioning/flourishing extends beyond mental health and must include physical …