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.