18/11/2022
Tech and “embodiment”:
(Not a popular conversation. Far below for a definition of embodiment)
This is one of the subjects that continues to intrigue / fascinate / terrify / amaze me. Specifically, the often unspoken dialogue at the intersection between my two main fields of expertise.
It is a critical conversation, but not one that sparks much interest in either group.
There are exceptions to this, but in general:
My high tech friends and colleagues are either quite dismissive of “body based awareness” unless it’s fitness based (in some cases they can entertain facets they have embraced, like mindfulness) or they don’t really “get it” or relate. Not on a deep level which is where systemic change happens.
My embodiment, nature loving friends who teach deeper mind-body connection, lead retreats and advocate slower and more gentle rhythms are generally repulsed / overwhelmed by the tide of tech that threatens to engulf everything they hold sacred.
Take for example the area of R&D in AI/ML + data science and the practical application of that in real life. Vivienne Ming speaks a lot about this, providing examples of how skewed things get when we have a lack of and inclusion. If your development team are a bunch of middle aged, white male engineers you simply don’t have the intrinsic programming - literally - required to achieve proper representation.
She gives lots of examples of how and where this goes wrong, and what the impacts are. She notes just how much better team and organisational performance is when you have diversity present.
Here are some questions I ponder (in no particular order). What are some of yours? And any thoughts or answers you may have?
1 - What are the good and bad impacts of tech to our own embodiment, health and well-being? To how we parent? To our children? To workplace performance especially around mental health or physical well-being?
2 - What do we need to do as tech leaders and well-being and embodiment practitioners to “stay ahead of the curve” (and do we even need to?). How do we generate change or impact in our organisation?
3 - What are the things we need to “fight” against and how can we do that? What does it look like?
4 - What do we need to embrace and what opportunities are presenting themselves at this intersection? How can we make use of them?
5 - What do people and society at large want and need? What do our customers want and need? What do they think they need? How are these things different? Why do we think we are “right”?
6 - What does a good, well balanced tech & embodiment future look like?
*Embodiment is the study, teaching & practice of deep somatic awareness.
