For many of us, it begins first thing in the morning. Before our feet touch the floor, we reach for our phones. What once felt novel has quietly become routine – so familiar that we barely notice it. And yet, beneath this habit, many of us sense something else as well: how easily our attention is pulled away from being fully present in our own lives.
In an increasingly connected world, mindfulness has become less of a luxury and more of a necessity. Information is constant. Our attention is fragmented. There is an unspoken expectation to always be available, always responsive, always “on.” At times, it can feel as though life is happening through our devices rather than from within us. And the pace of the digital age shows no signs of slowing.
So the question becomes: How do we maintain – and reclaim – our presence?
How do we engage with technology consciously, rather than reactively?
These are questions I return to often, both personally and professionally. As a director of an institute dedicated to exploring what I sometimes call the inner technology of humanity, I am deeply interested in how attention, awareness, and consciousness shape our lives. And like most of us, I continue to navigate the challenge of finding balance in a world designed to capture our focus.
Mindfulness, as I understand it, doesn’t mean rejecting technology. It means using it with intention. It is the simple, and often radical, act of pausing before reacting. Of choosing to be present. Of recognizing that our attention is valuable—and deciding, again and again, where to place it.
There are practical ways to begin cultivating this balance. Setting gentle boundaries—such as designated screen-free times, limiting notifications, or creating tech-free spaces—can restore a sense of spaciousness. Engaging in activities that don’t involve screens, like walking in nature, journaling, or sharing uninterrupted conversations, reminds us of the richness of direct experience.
Beyond these everyday practices, there is also a wide spectrum of mindfulness traditions. In our work, we have found that incorporating Ritual Postures offers a powerful bridge between mindfulness and deeper states of awareness. For me personally, this embodied practice provides a grounding that modern distractions simply cannot. It opens a doorway into presence that extends beyond the ordinary flow of daily life.
Ritual Postures offer a different approach than seated meditation alone. Rather than being passive, they actively engage the body, breath, and mind, fostering a heightened awareness of the present moment—often experienced as a trance state. During a posture session, a profound sense of connection can emerge: to the body, to inner awareness, and to something larger than the self. While Ritual Postures are not intended to replace meditation, we see them as a complementary practice—one that deepens and enriches meditative awareness.
The digital world is not going away, nor is our desire for connection. But true connection begins with presence—with showing up fully for ourselves and for those around us. I’ve found that weaving mindfulness and Ritual Postures into my daily life helps me navigate the digital age with greater clarity, balance, and intention.
And perhaps, in doing so—together—we can continue discovering the depth of life that exists beyond the screen.
“Mindfulness is not rejecting technology but reclaiming our attention as a sacred resource.”
