CHAPTER 3: Exploring Unconscious Embodied Ethical Transformation: Perspectives from Daoist Body-Mind Contemplative Practices

We all experience the influence of the body on the mind. For example, when we are physically tired, it is more difficult to concentrate or when we are rested we able to complete work more quickly and apparently with less mental effort. Similarly when we are emotionally calm and content it is easier to perform mental tasks. These everyday experiences suggest that the body and emotions support and influence our ability to function mentally. What if the body, emotions, and the unconscious play a much more significant role in our mental lives? What if these elements are critical foundations of our knowledge and ability to learn? What if given the right conditions they can transform our way of being and behavior in the world?