Bodies of Learning: How Embodiment Science Transforms Education

Bodies of Learning is a bold reimagining of education through the lens of embodiment science. Claxton and Poel challenge outdated assumptions that separate mind and body, revealing the interconnectedness of the ‘bodymind’. Drawing on cutting-edge research in embodied cognition, this book offers a transformative vision for education that integrates heart, gut, brain, feeling and action into the learning process, reshaping how we think about intelligence, learning and teaching.

For decades, educational reform has stalled due to fixed beliefs that prioritise intellectual understanding over physical and emotional intelligence. Bodies of Learning dismantles these barriers, showing how learning is deeply intuitive, emotional and physical. The authors present practical strategies to create classrooms that work with, rather than against, human nature, while advocating for structural changes to reimagine schools as spaces for mastering the crafts of thinking, problem-solving and real-world learning.

This accessible and inspiring book goes beyond advocating for better nutrition and exercise in schools. It calls for a fundamental shift in how we teach, recognising intelligence as a dynamic blend of memory, bodily awareness, intuition and emotion. Packed with actionable ideas and reflective exercises, Bodies of Learning is essential reading for educators, as well as anyone passionate about creating a truly holistic and effective education system for the future.

Guy Claxton is Emeritus Professor of the Learning Sciences at the University of Winchester Centre for Real-World Learning, UK, and author of The Future of Teaching and Intelligence in the Flesh: Why Your Mind Needs Your Body Much More Than It Thinks.

Emily Poel is a Berlin-based embodiment practitioner and trainer with a background in somatic practices, contemporary dance and history. She develops approaches that show how movement and physical awareness shape learning, thinking and creativity, and has taught internationally for over 15 years.