As many of us know, the West has a strange mind/body dichotomy—we’ve come to believe that the mind is superior to the physical world. We’ve inherited many diverse philosophies/ideas through the centuries (i.e. Greek dualism, the Enlightenment, etc.) that have taught us to value cognitive abilities above anything material. What this means in practical terms is that we highly regard critical thinking, but are embarrassed by the fact that we are embodied creatures. As a culture, we’ve whipsawed from Victorian squeamishness to Postmodern fetishism that sexualizes everything physical. We don’t know how to live in the middle of these two extremes and be (wholesomely) comfortable in our skin. We heavily regulate (through stigma and embarrassment) what type of physical movement is appropriate, and where. Exercise nowadays has its place, but only certain forms in certain places.
I’ve only come to realize the depth of this Western imbalance the past few months as I’ve observed the Chinese in leisure. In general, Middle Kingdom denizens seem incredibly comfortable with their bodies and moving in them. They are happy to engage in physical activities in the public realm, and encourage many types of hobbies that Western adults for some reason are mortified to attempt in front of others. For example, in addition to the occasional runners and basketball players, China also has the leisurely badminton partners (net not necessary), tai chi practitioners (slapping, clapping, and rocking encouraged), ballroom dancers (pick a street corner), and adult playground participants (see saw, swing, monkey bars and more!).
Brian and I also encountered the Chinese comfort with their bodies on a China Eastern flight a few months ago. The “Bon Voyage” video featured flight attendants dancing with ribbons. At the time, the video seemed incredibly odd. I can’t imagine Delta or United Airlines agents twirling and spinning to some flute-heavy tune (or at least not in earnest). Yet now I see that the China Eastern agents' lack of embarrassment is because this country doesn’t have the particular stigma that Westerners have regarding embodiment.
I’ll conclude my ruminations for now with a video that the English artist Imogen Heap recently filmed here in Hangzhou called "XiZi She Knows." While I’m sure some of it was staged, I can assure you the group dancing en masse was likely authentic. For all the moments I’m utterly flabbergasted in this land, words aren’t necessary to comprehend the emotion captured here.