Wackfulness

 AI-generated Audio Overview

By Mo Edjlali (with AI help), Mindful Leader Founder & CEO

Remember when mentioning AI in mindfulness circles felt like bringing a smartphone to a silent retreat? Yet here we are, watching a technological revolution unfold at breakneck speed - Deep Seek R1 pushing boundaries, Tesla's FSD v13 making our sci-fi dreams real, and countless breakthroughs reshaping our world weekly. As someone who's spent years with both feet planted in mindfulness and technology, I can'…

By Mo Edjlali, Mindful Leader Founder & CEO

The mindfulness landscape is transforming. Technology, social change, and evolving human needs are creating new possibilities—and challenges—for practitioners, teachers, and organizational leaders. Understanding these shifts isn't just about staying current; it's about adapting our practice to meet the deepening needs of a world in transition.

1. AI's Dual Impact: Existential Anxiety and Personalized Practice

2025 marks a pivotal moment in our relat…

By Mo Edjlali, Mindful Leader Founder & CEO

Five years ago, I started a simple experiment: What if we examined the unexamined - and yes, sometimes downright silly - side of mindfulness? While everyone else was pursuing enlightenment with furrowed brows, we decided to peek behind the meditation cushion and ask the awkward questions.

Twenty-eight articles later, what began as playful provocation has revealed something unexpected. Through our willingness to poke fun and probe sacred cows, we've u…

By Mo Edjlali, Mindful Leader Founder & CEO

Picture this: You're walking down a hallway, and suddenly you're surrounded by pastel-colored posters screaming "BE KIND!" at you from every angle. Are you in a kindergarten? A psychiatric ward? Or perhaps some Orwellian nightmare where Big Brother has been replaced by a giant smiley face?

Okay, okay, I admit it - that title is a bit click-baity. We're not actually advocating for the death of kindness here (put down those pitchforks, please). But sti…

By Mo Edjlali, Mindful Leader Founder & CEO 

As I sit here, just outside the political pressure cooker of Washington D.C., I can't help but reflect on the state of our nation. The polarization in American politics has reached a fever pitch, and it's hard to ignore the tension in the air. It reminds me of a pivotal conversation I had years ago - one that challenged my thinking and led me to a profound realization about mindfulness in our politically charged world.

Back in 2017, fresh off a cont…

By Mo Edjlali, Mindful Leader Founder and CEO

As we reflect on freedom and self-determination, we must examine the state of mindfulness in our society. Our field is experiencing a concerning decline and facing growing criticism. Something is fundamentally off, and this article aims to explore one of the potential reasons contributing to this blowback.

Since 2009, when I became involved in this field, the mindfulness industry has experienced significant growth, benefiting millions while blurrin…

By Mo Edjlali, Mindful Leader Founder & CEO

The episode "Belief" from the series Mind Field explores the profound impact of belief and suggestion on human perception and experience. The central experiment of the episode, described as a "reverse exorcism," is designed not to expel a spirit from an individual but rather to induce the sensation of a spirit entering them. This concept, while fabricated for the purpose of the experiment, serves as a vehicle to investigate the power of belief and the…

By Dr. Gus Castellanos, Guest Contributor

Earlier this year, I wrote about my concerns regarding the future of mindfulness. These centered around the decline in participation in MBPs, partly due to competition from tele-mental health services (covered by insurance) and psychedelics (quick fix) as alternatives; the emergence of inadequately trained teachers; the plethora of apps and asynchronous digital programs; the continued overpromotion and commodification; and the influence of AI.

What Com…

By Mo Edjlali, Mindful Leader Founder and CEO

If you have ever taken Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) or are familiar with the work of Jon Kabat-Zinn, you probably have heard of the nine attitudes of mindfulness. Initially, Jon Kabat-Zinn described these attitudes in his book Full Catastrophe Living. They are foundational attitudes essential for cultivating mindfulness: non-judging, patience, beginner's mind, trust, non-striving, acceptance, letting go, gratitude, and generosity. These…

By Mo Edjlali

Mindfulness meditation, with its deep roots in ancient traditions, stands as a beacon of self-awareness and present-mindedness. The essence of mindfulness is to embrace the present moment in all its raw authenticity. Yet, as mindfulness has grown more and more popular, a slew of techniques have been brought into this timeless practice, with visualization standing out as one of the most debated. 

Today, the allure of visualization is omnipresent—from spiritual sanctuaries to compe…