Bodily-Kinesthetic intelligence ("body smart")

“We are all able to know the world through different intelligences” Howard Gardner

According to Howard Gardner, this type of intelligence coincides with “One’s bodily motions, the capacity to handle objects skillfully, sense of timing, a clear sense of the goal of physical action, and the ability to train responses”. We have exhibited and developed this intelligence in many different activities in Lavigerie house, ranging from sports which are very vivid, to making things. Sometimes we are unaware of the fact that we are developing our intellectual capacities. This could be because we sometimes execute our duties to fulfill obligations or perhaps for sake of leisure, which is as well important. It is profoundly important to be aware and to bring to consciousness the possibilities that enhance our holistic human development, and to engage in them seriously and meaningfully as training for life. 

Take examples of our sports like football, basketball and volleyball; we submit ourselves to bodily discipline. We develop the capacity to focus, to control our emotions when there is a bust of energy, to persevere when there is a loss, and not to be over concern of wining to but develop a sense of interaction in love and compassion with the opponents; which actually is one of the aims of sports in our context. We accept our mistakes and amend to correction (a sense of humility). We develop the skill to manipulate objects like the ball with kin attention. We also develop the ability to time, for instance when planning for the game (when to play), when making substitutions, and as well when shooting a ball, etc. 

Sports are not the only disciplines through which we have developed kinesthetic intelligence as students in formation. Some of the other examples include:

• Cobbling shoes; moving the cobbling needle around the shoe or the ball is not just an obvious action. One needs to train for and give his time doing it, and above all it demands care so as make something nice. Another example is:
• Art and design: one cannot wake up from sleep one day and beginning drawing a nice picture like that of a pelican feeding its young with its own blood, or design a sign post like that you notice as you enter Lavigerie house.

• Cooking: in Lavigerie house we students cook on Sunday evening, and we also have barbeques in which the entire community is involved. There are people who are experts in organizing, they know which type of food goes with the other, and there are those who roast for the community, make a cake and so on. All these require an aesthetic eye which may not be in everyone.

• Entertainment: During occasions we entertain ourselves in so many ways, for instance by dancing; it so amazing to see the way someone twists himself when inducing a style. In acting and singing it is interesting to experience extraordinary imaginations and mimicry in our minds. These are all works which the body registers and masters.

Every single touch in sport involves not only the body but also the mind. We train both faculties; the mind and body to be a well-coordinated entity and to switch flexibly and be efficient as one. We continue to crave for what enables us to develop a sound sense of judgment, and keep us healthy in heart, and body. For no one can genuinely say, “I have arrived” as Sr. Chinyeaka Ezeani, MSHR says.

                                                                                                           Nicholas Iwuala