Written by Jen Liu

For many people, everyday life has been irrevocably shaped by speed and convenience. The popular use of artificial intelligence and the term itself indicate a societal interest in shifting away from organic, process-based learning. In the midst of these changes, where do the merits of an analog practice like meditation fit in? What's the appeal in a pursuit for which there is no shortcut, and gradual personal discovery is the only way forward?

Much like cooking, singing, or dancing, the ancient tradition of meditation is arguably more important now than ever — not just for its well-known benefits, but as a testament to the irreplaceable value of truly human technologies. The same demands that make practices of embodied learning seem, at times, old-fashioned or cumbersome are also what imbue them with the power to connect us with our deepest shared values across time and space.

At a time when so much information lays instantaneously at our fingertips and portable devices serve as our external memory banks, we often don't feel the need to integrate what we learn into our own bodies. We get used to recalling and immediately forgetting even simple things; if you've ever used GPS to direct you somewhere you've already been to dozens of times, then you know how that goes.

Ancient technologies like meditation are not so different from tools like GPS: the way we use them impacts our individual behavior, as well as our collective behaviors, often defining the direction that we as a society move toward. But whereas physical directions are something that can be outsourced from an app, there is no technology that will ever be able to meditate or cultivate inner wisdom for us. Like other analog practices, there is no shortcut — and far from this being a bug that needs to be streamlined, it's what makes the path infinitely long and deep.

There are devices that can aid us in our journey, but the process of transforming information into knowledge and knowledge into wisdom is ultimately one that manifests solely in our embodied existence. Feeling impatient, frustrated, or disappointed by the arc of your progress? Embrace it as a sign that the process is working, not glitching out.

While certain technologies will continue to move in a direction of prioritizing acceleration and ease, analog practices like meditation and art will always reflect the patient workings of nature. Like plants, the seeds of compassion, discernment, and diligence have to spread their roots in our bodies over time and receive nourishment from our minds and hearts to survive.

The process of growth is inseparable from the messy, worthwhile experience of searching, getting lost, making mistakes, doing better, and starting the cycle all over again. It’s the dance between all those important stages — and not the bypassing of them — where we can find ourselves as lineage holders, keeping the tradition of being human alive.