Everybody is talking about AI. Whether it’s about learning all the new technologies, worrying about losing your job to it, or fighting to keep data centers out of your neighborhood, there is no shortage of conversations.
I just attended the Adobe Max creative conference online and I couldn’t count the number of times they addressed the elephant in the room. Humans. Adobe professed its commitment to the creative community repeatedly, as well as the safety of the tools.
I’m willing to take a chance on Adobe’s promises and I plan on jumping in. I’m excited to change the focus of my work from computer time to brain time.
Because the use of AI is growing, what happens to our brain power as we become more reliant on machines for our knowledge, our writing, and our problem-solving? As a yogi, I believe we still need to be responsible for strengthening our mind and exercising with plenty of mental gymnastics.
I think we can supplement the AI by enjoying human activities. For example, if we are using AI to write while at work, perhaps we can take time to do some creative writing after hours.
We can also have human practices. Perhaps painting, drawing or calligraphy. Or practicing speaking in another language. Or playing music or singing. Or reading fine literature. Or meeting new people. If you’re a small business owner, that last one will pay off exponentially because it’ll help build your network.
And of course the best way to keep the brain young and healthy is by learning. There is an abundance of courses online, but my advice is to find one that is live and not based on recordings. I like to study Sanskrit. That keeps the light on upstairs but it also reveals answers to the big questions. So intriguing!
As humans, we need to strive to always be better. As humans. Without a strong mind we can fall into tamas (a Sanskrit word for a dull, inert mind that can drive us towards pleasure seeking and selfishness) or rajas (another Sanskrit word, for a mind that actively moves). All mental disease in ayurveda is a form of a weak mind. The mind swings like a pendulum between various states, but it should always be able to return to it’s natural clear state called sattva (a Sanskrit word used to describe the pure balanced state).
Some practices we do in ayurveda to strengthen the mind are: meditate, controlled breathing practices, eat pure foods, pray, chant, study scriptures and fine topics and practice gratitude.
I was listening to a podcast (several times, actually because I love it so much) and through my ayurvedic lens heard the following statement about tamasic people:
“And instead, we’ve lost even that want to become better and better people, that there could even be a human excellence that we should strive for. Instead, we’ve kind of settled for the very smallest things in our life, just having pleasure, just being entertained. This becomes a huge problem if you look at history, because throughout the world, the people who are easy to control are those who only want pleasure and entertainment and political figures have been able to control those people.”
What Are the Humanities Good for Anyway? (RadioWest podcast 09/02/25)
The podcast was about a new trend of the loss of humanities at universities and what this means for students and humanity. Again…coming back to what it means to be human. Please listen to it. I think you’ll really enjoy it! And it’s loaded with plenty of yoga philosophy in a mainstream sort of way.
In ayurveda, did you know that we assess the strength of the client’s mind before offering balancing recommendations? If somebody doesn’t have the mental strength to stick to suggested routines, cook new foods, or take on new practices, we have to find ways to help them heal through gentler techniques. So healing progress can be limited by a weak mind.
Sometimes I wonder what the ancient sages would think about AI. Would they warn us of its mental poison or would they encourage us to use it as a tool, as long as we could continue to stand in our humanness?
As in ayurveda, too much or too little can become an imbalance, leading to disease and death. The world is moving quickly into the future, and to not use AI could bring harm to one’s ability to function in this new world. I think as long as we use AI with mental strength, discernment and responsibility, it can be a glorious tool that empowers our creativity and efficiency.
I would love to hear your thoughts on AI and how you are tackling this new technology. And how has it affected your work and daily life? Contact me to share!
Photo generated by Adobe Firefly.
Blog title written by ChatGPT.
Article written by Maria Radloff, human.