Haiti Reflection

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Prior to my education at Temple University, a service trip to Haiti changed my life. Among the hundreds of personalities I interacted with in Haiti, almost all were malnourished, homeless, or family deprived, all living on less than one dollar per day. I was perplexed by the simplistic, yet satisfying lifestyles the Haitians lived. I helped organize movement workshops for different communities using a variety of physical activities. On the first day, the students responded well as I demonstrated different calisthenics, having the students mirror my movements. Subsequently, movement became my primary source of communication throughout the remainder of the trip. After the trip, I reflected on my experience, gaining a new understanding of the …show more content…
To begin, Descartes’ claim that movement of body parts originated from the body, while thoughts came from the soul is baseless (1995, p. 1). Descartes viewed body movement separate from the mind. However, recent evidence concluded a contending belief. Khazaee-pool et al. determined that physical activity improves positive mood, life satisfaction, self-efficacy and self-esteem (2015, p. 55). Additionally, the study determined that physical activity improves happiness and decreases symptoms of depression (2015, p. 56). In conjunction, Fox argued that physical activity reduces the risk for diseases of the mind by 30% ("Exercise and Health," 2012, p. 303). If the body initiates movement, exercise would not improve qualities of mental and emotional health. Additionally, Erickson asserted that there is evidence associating physical activity with cognitive and brain function throughout a person’s lifespan (Erickson, 2013, p. 2038). If exercising the body influences the mind, then they simply cannot be viewed as separate entities. Next, Descartes’ assumption that a person has the ability to conceive that his body does not exist is speculative. Descartes argued, “A can conceive that his body does not exist; A cannot conceive that he does not exist; hence A is not identical to his body” (Double, 1982, p. 231). I think the basis for Descartes argument is invalid. In support, Levin refused to accept Descartes’ initial premise since …show more content…
Children need to be healthy in order to learn (Ratey, 2008, pp. 21). Physical Education and physical activity are linked to on-task behavior, enhanced memory, and reduced stress (Ratey, 2008, pp. 21, 25, 26). In order for students to reach their full academic potential, they need to be healthy. Students forced to sit in a chair all day without time to exercise or play will not do as well in school as active children. Additionally, students who do not feel safe are at risk for poor academic performance. A major goal in health education is to teach safe health practices in all areas of life, including but not limited to, injury safety, emergency situations, personal safety, violence, and transportation safety. Students must perceive a safe physical education environment in order to succeed. I want to make physical education a safe environment for urban students to participate in physical activity. Since mind and body are connected, the way a student recognizes the safety of an atmosphere defines his desire to participate. A Kansas State study concluded that having a safe environment for physical activity increases an individual’s desire to exercise ("Research Data," 2013, p. 3143). Moreover, the study presented an inverse relationship between a safe environment for physical activity and crime rates
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