Mindfulness and Technology Half-Day Retreat: Utilizing Ancient Technologies to Help Build Resilience in the Digital Age – In-Person
This half-day, in-person retreat led by USC Gould Lecturer in Law Elizabeth Rothman, offers space to put down our screens, pause, and reset at the beautiful University Religious Center.
Together, we will explore what you already possess: ancient technologies of breath, body awareness, presence, and discernment. These practices are tools for reclaiming freedom of mind and body.
Technology is transforming society faster than humans can adapt. It is restructuring work, education, and creativity while delivering constant notifications, information overload, and decision fatigue. In times of uncertainty and heightened political tension, these challenges intensify. You may feel your attention is hijacked, your body stays tense, and you have lost choice in how you engage.
The session moves between seated meditation, teachings from the perspective of someone working in technology and law, collective dialogue, and small-group reflection. There will be time to think, speak, listen, and practice in community.
During this retreat, we will:
- Begin with guided meditation to settle the nervous system and stabilize attention
- Explore how attention is being engineered in the current technological landscape
- Reflect on the implications of AI for human agency and creative work
- Consider where regulation exists — and where it does not
- Engage in small group dialogue about lived experience and agency
- Practice distinguishing reaction from response
- Learn concrete tools for reclaiming attention in daily life
You will leave with:
- Practical strategies for managing attention and information overload
- A clearer understanding of how technology shapes your behavior
- Greater steadiness in the body
- A sense of shared inquiry and connection with other participants
You can think clearly, choose freely, and maintain your humanity. From that ground, it becomes easier to engage with what actually matters to you.
The main session will run from 9am-12pm. Please feel free to bring lunch or a snack if you would like to spend some time together with others until 1pm.