One Apple A Day #760 - body presence
"Since the pioneering philosophical approach of Merleau-Ponty (1945), it has been acknowledged that the senses are embodied. The implication of this approach is that the senses can only be understood by acknowledging the attributes of the body in which they are necessarily situated."
Last week a dear friend made me realise that we perceive the world through our body. From the perspective of the mind, the body is part of the environment. Or at least, it is the space between our inner and private world and the outer and shared one.
Our shape, proportion, posture, and movement, they all inform our perception of the world and ourselves.
This could explain some of the differences I've noticed in online workshops. When we are in a video-call, we don't put much attention on things like how everyone is seated, or their distance from the screen. It is as if the screen remove the physical substance from the participants.
However, the body is very much present, and it has a substantial impact on how everyone will perceive and experience what is going on.
It may also explain why walking during an online meeting make me way more creative.
I'll definitely pay more attention to my body presence in virtual settings.