Embodiment as Pedagogy: Reclaiming Educator Well-Being Through the Koshas

Authors

  • Daya Alderfer University of Toronto

Keywords:

embodiment; educator well-being; teacher burnout; koshas; phenomenology; yoga; relational pedagogy; interoception; compassion

Abstract

Addressing widespread teacher burnout and the historical neglect of the body in education, this study explores the effects of yoga on educators’ well-being and pedagogy. Using hermeneutic phenomenology and Interpretative Phenomenological Analysis, the research integrates van Manen’s lived existentials with the Vedantic kosha framework as conceptual, analytic, and methodological lenses. Data from interviews, kosha-guided journaling, and body mapping with international school educators reveal awareness as a mediating force across dimensions of well-being. Findings reframe teacher well-being as an embodied process of professional becoming that directly shapes relational pedagogy.

Keywords: embodiment; educator well-being; teacher burnout; koshas; phenomenology; yoga; relational pedagogy; interoception; compassion

Author Biography

Daya Alderfer, University of Toronto

Daya Alderfer, PhD, is an educator, researcher, and curriculum scholar whose work focuses on embodied pedagogy, teacher well-being, and holistic education. Grounded in hermeneutic phenomenology, yoga philosophy, and international teaching experience, her research examines how somatic and contemplative practices shape pedagogical presence, relationality, and professional becoming. She has worked across K–12 and higher education contexts globally and is committed to advancing teacher education that centers embodiment, inner life, and the fullness of human experience.

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Published

2026-05-27

How to Cite

Alderfer, D. (2026). Embodiment as Pedagogy: Reclaiming Educator Well-Being Through the Koshas. Holistic Education Review, 6(1). Retrieved from https://her.journals.publicknowledgeproject.org/index.php/her/article/view/3619

Issue

Vol. 6 No. 1 (2026): Spring 2026

Section

Peer-Reviewed Submissions