Abstract:

Active and experiential learning through somatic practices integrates movement, embodied awareness, and emotional growth, positioning recreational dance education as a prime example of somatic experiential learning. This approach offers adult students opportunities to foster psychological wellbeing through creative leisure activities that combine artistic expression with mindful movement. Mindfulness, self-compassion, and life satisfaction represent an interconnected triad of outcomes central to somatic experiential learning in dance education. However, the specific interrelationships between these constructs and their profile-based patterns remain an active area of research. This study addressed two main questions: i) What is the relationship between mindfulness, self-compassion, and life satisfaction as outcomes of somatic experiential learning in recreational dance education? and ii) Do adult dance learners grouped by different mindfulness levels exhibit corresponding variations in self-compassion and life satisfaction? A secondary aim of the study was to suggest pedagogical methods for somatic education in dance teaching. A cross-sectional study was conducted from May to September 2025. The sample consisted of 416 adult recreational dancers (332 female, 84 male) recruited from various educational dance settings across Greece. Participants completed validated Greek versions of the Mindfulness Attention Awareness Scale (MAAS), the Self-Compassion Scale (SCS), and the Satisfaction with Life Scale (SWLS). Data collection was conducted both in person and electronically to ensure reach across geographically remote areas. All scales demonstrated satisfactory internal consistency. Correlation analysis confirmed significant positive interrelationships between mindfulness, self-compassion, and life satisfaction. A K-means cluster analysis revealed three distinct mindfulness profiles based on participants' MAAS scores: high (105 participants), medium (243 participants), and low (68 participants). One-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by Scheffé post-hoc tests revealed significant differences across these profiles. Specifically, self-compassion exhibited a clear, stepwise graded pattern, with the high mindfulness group scoring significantly higher than the medium and low groups. Regarding life satisfaction, the high mindfulness profile was associated with significantly higher scores compared to both other groups, highlighting high mindfulness as an important correlate of more favorable psychological outcomes. The findings suggest mindfulness as a foundational element of somatic experiential learning, predicting higher self-compassion and life satisfaction. Pedagogical techniques for somatic experiential learning in creative leisure may include experiential instruction cues emphasizing sensory experience and creative flow over technical precision. Additionally, pedagogical approaches may incorporate somatic reflective exercises, such as movement journaling and embodied reflection. Dance educators can implement tiered curricula that progressively build mindfulness capacity through somatic practices, creating structured pathways from embodied awareness to psychological wellbeing benefits. These approaches advance educational trends in active experiential learning by demonstrating how recreational dance education can deliver measurable somatic learning outcomes through creative leisure engagement.

Keywords:

Somatic awareness, experiential learning, dance pedagogy, embodied cognition, kinesthetic awareness, sensory instruction, dance curricula.