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May 5th, 2010 
levis25 
Image by Wisdom 2.0
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How do you reconcile your quest for inner peace with your Facebook habit? Can you stay mindful while dealing with the 200 e-mails in your in-box? These questions–and others like them–were pursued in lively conversation this past weekend at Wisdom 2.0, a conference in Silicon Valley hosted by Soren Gordhamer.
A former technology junkie, Gordhamer believes technology and wisdom practices can work together for the well-being of humanity. “What does it mean to live wisely and also stay connected with technology?” he asked a series of panelists and speakers, including executives from Google and Twitter, as well as spiritual thinkers such as Zen Abbot Roshi Joan Halifax, and Yoga Journal’s Editor-in-Chief Kaitlin Quistgaard.
No one at the conference claimed to have the ultimate answers, but it was inspiring to see leaders in the technology industry deeply considering how the tools they create impact mind and soul.
Should we Unplug?
Attention is a finite–and invaluable–asset according to Bradley Horowitz, who manages Google’s communication products, including Gmail, and who speaks openly of his own 25-year spiritual practice. “You may not be able to turn Gmail off,” he said (although, he joked “in my case I can turn all of Gmail off!”) “But you can step away from the computer and create space for yourself.”
Consciously managed technology offers positive opportunities for connection, says Chris Sacca, a venture capitalist and strategic advisor at Twitter. But, Sacca, who has 1.3 million followers on Twitter, chooses the time and manner in which he wants to be available online. Rather than responding to every message, he asks himself: “How am I going to be most useful in a macro sense?”
Stay Connected, Stay Flexible
Meditative practices are making their way into the offices of many of these companies. Twitter’s Chief Technology Officer Greg Pass leads a class at Twitter that he calls “Twittiokinetics,” where employees participate in a form of qigong. And at Google, Gopi Kallayil leads a weekly yoga class for a group of students he calls the “Yoglers.”
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