Pupils’ reflections on experiences and feelings in meditation in nature: an intercultural ecopedagogical praxis in outdoor education

Abstract

Educational praxis incorporating intercultural wisdom, transdisciplinary cooperation, and nature-culture dialogues can arguably contribute to the UN’s education for sustainable development (ESD) and ameliorate current social-ecological challenges. This article elucidates how 14 Norwegian pupils aged 11–13 reflect on their experiences and feelings in meditation in nature (MiN) – an intercultural ecopedagogical praxis grounded on two corresponding philosophical ecopedagogies: Daoism and Arne Naess’ ecosophy. The pupils participated in MiN as part of outdoor education in a local environment and provided reflections through semi-structured focus group interviews. By engaging in MiN and embracing the concept of active nonaction, the pupils’ reflections on experiences and feelings reveal meaningful human-nature interactions and aesthetic embodiments in/with nature. MiN is proposed as one ontological-epistemologically holistic, ecocentric, and aesthetic-affective ecopedagogical praxis that can potentially complement (post)critical and posthuman ecopedagogies and contribute to the reconfiguration of outdoor education and physical education for teaching and learning social-ecological, all-inclusive sustainable development.