A new practice
Work Alive is an experiment at the edge of what work can be — transforming the daily act of working into a living meditation, a source of aliveness, and a path of inner growth.
"Most of us live with a secret split: we meditate before work, then return to the stress and the grind. What if that split could end?"
Work Alive begins with a simple but radical idea: that the act of working — thinking, creating, researching, building — can itself become a profound meditation. Not a pause from work, but work as the practice.
This is the ancient promise of karma yoga: that engaged action, done with full presence and without clinging to outcomes, becomes a path to liberation. We are learning to make this real.
We believe the fruits of our work will always resemble the energy with which we do it. To create a more joyous world, we must first learn to find joy in the making of it.
Work Alive draws from contemplative traditions and modern science to build a framework for turning work into a living practice.
Karma yoga distinguishes karma — action driven by attachment to outcomes — from kriya — action as pure expression, work as a child at play. Noticing which mode we are in lets us reframe resistance as shadow work, and return to the natural state of flow.
In tantric understanding, all experience arises from the union of structure (Shiva — task, deadline) and flow (Shakti — aliveness, breath). Our practice re-invites Shakti into the work session: the inhale structures, the exhale flows.
Complexity science shows that living systems thrive when they dissipate energy effectively — when entropy flows through them rather than accumulating as stress. Work done with presence is literally more efficient than work done with resistance.
Work Alive sessions are built from interchangeable modules — facilitators and participants compose them like instruments in a score, tuning each session to the group's needs.
Grounding practices that bring attention into the body before and during work — breath, movement, somatic awareness, subtle energy.
Techniques to kindle aliveness and motivation: connection rituals, excitement spirals, visualizing your muse.
Interpersonal practices that anchor the session in community: pair-shares, authentic relating exercises, circles.
Pomodoro-style work blocks with micro-breaks, intention-setting, intrusive-thought offloading, and concentration music.
Meta-practices that make the session a self-inquiry: noticing circles, Karma vs. Kriya check-ins, reflection rounds.
Sample 3-hour session
Two ways to taste the practice — in the mountains, or from your own desk.
LIVE · Pyrenees, France1–2 weeks
An immersive experience combining a research monastery with an eco-village and meditation retreat — nestled in the mountains. Morning practices, guided co-working, evening reflection. Optional second-week silent retreat.
Hosted at INTP Institute, French Pyrenees
Next edition: September 2026
PILOT · Online1.5 hours · Online pilot
We're trying out a 1.5-hour online co-working session this coming Friday — two deep-work blocks with intention-setting, pair-shares, and gentle guidance throughout. A reminder to be present with whatever arises in the work: the joys and the shadows, the friction and the flow.
Consider it a taster for the Work Alive retreat in September, and for the broader vision we're building toward — a kind of research monastery where deep work and contemplative practice aren't separate things.
Bring whatever you're working on — preferably something creative or exploratory. We'd love your feedback afterward, and if there's interest we'll run more of these.
Friday, May 22
10:00am – 11:30am EDT
A glimpse into the week-long immersive retreat in the French Pyrenees.
Experience a complete Work Alive co-working session — embodiment, connection, and deep work. Bring your project and follow along.
Work Alive is designed to be taught. We're building a modular facilitator framework so experienced practitioners can bring this practice to their communities — co-working spaces, research institutes, companies, yoga studios, anywhere people work together.
"Facilitator resources in active development. Reach out to join the early cohort."
"The fruits of our work will always reflect the energy with which we do it. To create a more joyous world, we must first learn to enjoy the making of it."
We believe we are at an inflection point. The culture of overwork, performance anxiety, and disconnected productivity is producing both personal suffering and global problems. Work Alive is a small answer to a large question:
What becomes possible when we stop treating work as separate from life — and start letting it be life itself?
We are a growing community of researchers, practitioners, artists, and builders exploring this question together. This work is early-stage, experimental, and co-created. We welcome your presence, your curiosity, and your work.
Whether you want to join a session, apply for the retreat, explore facilitating, or just follow along — reach out.