Programming is NOT meditative even the old way. Yes you can get into a flow state but that's not really meditation. In fact you're really just disassociating in a way and is easy to end stuck in your head too much. In fact, without balance, long periods of coding can leave some people feeling mentally over-identified with abstract thinking and less connected to their body or immediate experience.

It is also worth saying that you don't need to sit still to meditate. You can do yoga or go for a walk. Walking meditation is very underrated IMHO.