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Technology is evolving at a pace that can feel dizzying. Artificial intelligence is writing, speaking, composing, analyzing, predicting. For some, it’s exciting. For others, it’s unsettling. And for many of us, it’s both.
In this deeply human conversation, we explore what it means to stay grounded and connected during rapid technological change — through the voice of a 75-year-old mindfulness practitioner who transforms doubt into devotion to practice and community.
Rather than resisting change or blindly embracing it, we’re invited into something steadier: presence.
This episode gently reminds us that mindfulness isn’t about escaping modern life — it’s about staying human within it.
Sponsored by our Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Certification Program
MindfulnessExercises.com/Certify
Episode Overview:
In This Episode We Explore:
- Analog wisdom meeting digital anxiety
- Community as the cure for isolation
- Humility and lineage informing practice
- ADHD-friendly mindfulness techniques
- Sensory anchors and open awareness
- Resources and teachings from Mark Coleman and Loch Kelly
- Podcasting as a bridge for connection
- Closing with tenderness and intention
Key Takeaways:
- Fear of AI often reflects deeper fears about connection and meaning.
- Mindfulness helps us stay grounded during rapid change.
- Community practice reduces isolation.
- ADHD-friendly techniques make meditation more accessible.
- Awareness itself remains unchanged — even when technology evolves.
Show Notes:
Analog Wisdom Meets Digital Anxiety
There’s something powerful about hearing reflections on AI and technology from someone who has lived through decades of cultural transformation.
A 75-year-old practitioner carries analog wisdom — handwritten letters, face-to-face conversation, slow reading, long silences. That embodied experience offers perspective when digital change feels overwhelming.
Fear of AI often masks something deeper:
- Fear of becoming obsolete
- Fear of losing creativity
- Fear of isolation
- Fear of losing our humanity
Mindfulness doesn’t dismiss these fears. It allows us to sit with them.
When we pause and breathe, we discover that what we truly long for isn’t technological certainty — it’s connection.
Community as the Cure for Isolation
One of the most moving themes in this conversation is the reminder that community dissolves isolation.
Technology can connect us globally — yet many people feel more alone than ever. Ironically, even conversations about AI often happen in isolation, behind screens.
Mindfulness shifts that dynamic.
Practice becomes relational.
Whether through group meditation, shared podcasts, online sanghas, or local circles, presence deepens when practiced together.
Community:
- Normalizes our anxieties
- Softens our self-judgment
- Reminds us we are not alone
- Grounds abstract fears in shared humanity
Even podcasting itself becomes a bridge — a way to create meaningful connection across distance.
The real antidote to fear of AI may not be more information about AI. It may be more embodied connection with each other.
Humility, Lineage, and Staying Rooted
Another thread woven through this episode is humility.
In times of rapid innovation, it can feel like everything is new. But contemplative traditions have navigated massive social upheavals for centuries.
Lineage matters.
Teachers like Mark Coleman and Loch Kelly remind us that awareness itself is timeless. Practices of open awareness, embodied presence, and natural mindfulness existed long before modern technology.
Humility helps us remember:
We are not the first generation to face massive change.And we are not alone in navigating it.
Practice doesn’t require reinventing wisdom — it requires returning to it.
ADHD-Friendly Mindfulness Techniques That Actually Work
For many listeners, especially those with ADHD or restless minds, traditional meditation instructions can feel inaccessible.
“Just sit still and watch your breath” doesn’t always land.
This conversation highlights ADHD-friendly mindfulness approaches that make presence feel doable:
1. Sensory Anchors
Instead of narrowing attention only to the breath, expand into the senses.
- Notice sounds in the room
- Feel your feet on the floor
- Observe light and shadow
- Sense temperature on your skin
Sensory anchoring gives the mind something tangible to engage with, reducing frustration.
2. Open Awareness Practice
Loch Kelly’s teachings on effortless mindfulness emphasize recognizing awareness itself — rather than forcing concentration.
Instead of focusing harder, gently ask:
- What is already aware?
- Can I rest as the space that notices?
This shift reduces performance pressure and allows spaciousness.
3. Micro-Practices
ADHD brains often benefit from shorter intervals.
Try:
- Three conscious breaths before opening a new tab
- Feeling your hands while waiting for a page to load
- Pausing before responding to a message
Mindfulness doesn’t need to be 30 minutes on a cushion. It can be 30 seconds of remembering.
Staying Human in the Age of AI
Fear of AI and mindfulness may seem like unrelated topics. But they meet in one essential question:
What does it mean to be human?
Human experience includes:
- Uncertainty
- Creativity
- Emotional nuance
- Relationship
- Embodied presence
AI can simulate language. It cannot replicate lived awareness.
Mindfulness helps us inhabit what cannot be automated — compassion, tenderness, shared silence.
Rather than competing with technology, we deepen into qualities uniquely human.
Podcasting as a Bridge
Interestingly, the medium itself — podcasting — becomes part of the solution.
Hearing someone’s voice.
Pausing together.
Reflecting collectively.
Audio creates intimacy.
In a world dominated by fast visuals and scrolling feeds, listening slows us down. It invites receptivity.
And in that slowing, fear softens.
Practical Reflection Questions
If fear of AI or rapid change resonates with you, consider journaling on:
- What specifically worries me about technology right now?
- What human qualities do I most want to protect or cultivate?
- Where can I find community in my mindfulness practice?
- What small, doable practice could support me this week?
Often, clarity emerges not from solving the future — but from meeting the present.
Closing With Tenderness and Intention
This conversation ends not with answers about AI — but with intention.
To practice.
To stay connected.
To remain curious instead of reactive.
To meet fear with presence.
The invitation is simple:
Stay human.
Stay together.
Stay aware.
Even in a rapidly changing world, awareness remains steady.
And from that steadiness, community grows.
