This meditation.
Is to help those who struggle with a fear of flying in airplanes.
This can be listened to before or during the flight.
Whenever you're ready to begin.
Just get into the most comfortable position that you can.
Check that you are warm enough.
And you can close your eyes now if you like.
Or as we move further into the session.
So I am aware that we are surrounded by lots of different noises right now.
If you notice your mind wandering away with these distractions.
There's no need to berate yourself.
But just try to pull your attention back towards the sound of my voice.
You'll hear what you need.
And the rest will slip away.
I'd like you to register.
That we have a perfect little excuse right now.
To spend some time just on ourselves today.
There's nothing to do.
Or say.
Or complete right now.
You just get to sit there.
Relax.
And take a little journey with me.
As we explore your confidence around flying.
So I would like to bring you out of your head for a moment.
You're going to focus on your body.
And what it's doing right now.
Sitting there,
I'm sure it's easy to dismiss that it can't be doing very much.
But your heart is beating.
Beating a rhythm as it moves millions of little cells around your entire being.
I wonder if maybe you can feel that beating sensation?
Or hear it amongst all of the din.
Maybe.
Maybe not.
The point isn't to succeed.
But just to notice what's happening for you.
We aren't trying to stop or change your experience right now.
We are just recognizing different sensations.
Let's switch our focus to a more obvious one.
Your breath.
Keeping the pace.
Not trying to perfect or alter it in any way.
But noticing the speed.
If your shoulders have released any tension on your exhales.
Or if your hands and arms have softened.
Try and notice the quiet little sounds as your chest rises and falls.
A sense of peacefulness.
Of calm is all around you.
You just have to let it in.
As you breathe.
I would like you to feel the temperature of the air.
Cool against your nostrils on the inhale and then how your nose is blanketed with warmth on the exhale.
I'd like you to really focus on that sensation.
But just in your left nostril.
Cool on the way in.
Warm on the way out.
Now try your right.
Breathing in.
And breathing out.
Just noticing if there was a difference.
And where that difference was.
If there was any difference at all.
You are resting almost perfectly still right now.
Your breath is one of the only things moving your body.
Pushing your back into the chair so minorly.
And shifting your shoulders up.
And down.
Maybe you can feel tiny little movements in your throat.
Or behind your heavy eyelids.
Just notice them.
Paying attention to the movements.
To the rise and fall of your chest.
Your breath acting as a wave returning to the ocean.
Calm.
And smooth.
Increasing your feelings of peacefulness and safety.
Letting yourself sing.
And melt into serenity.
I'd like you to think of a beautiful place to match these feelings.
A beautiful beach scene.
Imagine yourself stood at the top of a sandy dune.
Large gray rocks either side of you with a stark against the white-gold sun.
You can feel a light breeze playing with strands of your hair.
Ruffling your clothes.
And sending grains of sand bouncing off your bare skin.
You can smell that clean,
Fresh air found only at the sea.
And maybe almost taste the salt in the air.
And there's that steady sound.
Waves.
Breaking against the beachfront as they are moved by the tides.
A steady crash.
And pull.
Perfectly in sync with your breath.
Can make your way down that dune whenever you like.
Walking down lower to the beach,
One step at a time.
Can you imagine the sky?
The time of day that it might be.
Think of where the sun would be in the sky.
And think of how many colors there are.
Imagine how they blend into each other.
Maybe blue into purple.
Purple into pink.
And the sun contrasting vividly against it all.
The space's specialty.
You can do whatever or be whoever here.
You can settle down somewhere or keep walking.
Wherever you choose.
Or you can see in front of you.
Is the vast expanse of the sea.
It's stretching so far out in front of you that it seems to meet the sky.
It must feel so relaxing.
Be in such a beautiful place.
Surrounded by warmth.
And watching the ocean breathe with you.
Know that you can come to this place whenever you need a little peace.
A little security.
Or a little touch of beauty.
As you observe the scene in front of you,
I'd like you to notice the birds.
Dancing and twirling on the wind.
Way after seeing.
Watch them rise,
Their wings outstretched.
Watch them glide.
Their bodies strong against the air currents.
And watch them dive as they make their descent back towards solid ground.
And across.
And down.
Over and over again in solid movements.
Using their body shapes to bring themselves up.
And across.
As you watch them,
Notice how you feel.
Their movements are fluid and purposeful.
They do not need to resist every change in the air.
Maybe there's some tension in you as you imagine their flight.
If there is or if there isn't.
I'd like you to locate where that feeling would sit.
And know that you are safe right now.
Safe and supported in this moment,
In this room.
That feeling.
One that appears when you're ready to descend or take off in your own flight.
I don't want you to try and change it.
Or push it down to pretend it's not there.
You can have these feelings of discomfort.
And still know where you are.
Sometimes.
Those anxious feelings can make us believe there's a need to speed up.
But as you sit here.
On your peach.
You know this doesn't have to be true.
Your breath can still match the slow,
Rhythmic patterns of the sea.
The waves spilling in.
And the sea.
Pulling them back out.
You can keep watching the birds flying up and across and down.
And come back to the tide whenever you feel the need to slow down.
And hair.
On your warm and safe beach.
You can let go.
Because your body knows what to do.
It is full of familiar sensations.
Your heartbeat.
Your breath that you know can stay calm.
When those aeroplane noises get louder.
Your breath that you know will ground you to your seat as you speed upwards to the air.
You are safe when that lightness and that way that your stomach moves as it adjusts to going back down towards solid ground.
You can sit here on the beach,
On a plane,
Or in that very chair.
Knowing that you can trust your body.
You trust your body.
To recognize familiar feelings.
To show you these feelings.
And your body trusts you to recognize them.
To notice them and move on.
Maybe by taking a slow,
Controlled breath,
Or by listening to your heart,
Or by grounding into the surface that's supporting you.
There will always be something like this in your body to support you.
Bring to mind the moment you usually begin to feel twitchy or anxious during a flight.
Recognize that familiar feeling in your chest Notice your warm palms.
And pause.
Feel the support beneath you Allow your fingers to loosen.
Maybe let your shoulders settle and breathe comfortably.
You can notice the feeling without fighting it and be in the present moment without ignoring it.
Every time you practice this it becomes more familiar.
Every time you're learning,
It's not about being perfectly calm.
I'd like you to sit with these notions on your own for a few moments.
Whenever you are ready.
Slowly bring your attention back towards my voice.
My voice calling to you from over the crashing of the waves or the buzz of your thoughts.
If you are still on that beach,
Please take a long look around.
Drink the scenery in.
And come back whenever you need.
This place will wait for you.
And turn.
Start making your way up the sand dune.
Every step reverberating the messages in your mind.
My body knows how to respond to familiar sensations.
My breath can be calm when the plane gets loud.
I trust my body to talk to me,
And my body trusts me to listen.
My body trusts me to notice and move on.
Take a deep breath in now as we start to awaken your senses.
And let that breath out.
As we return to the present moment.
Just keeping our breath steady.
We are taking our time but slowly coming back to the moment.
Feeling safe and relaxed.
And slightly more awake.
Maybe moving your fingers and toes,
Bringing some sensation into your body.
Notice if your breath has started to quicken as you've awakened even more.
Let the noises of the room start coming back into focus.
You're feeling warm and relaxed and confident.
Finally,
I'd like you to take a deep breath in.
And sigh it all out.
Now you can open your eyes and come fully back into the moment.
Take as much time as you need to adjust.
And thank you so much for choosing to spend this time with me.
I really appreciate it.
Namaste.
