Flying certainly seems scary right now. The recent Germanwings crash has passengers on edge, and why not? It's frightening to board a plane when instances like this happen.
And if you feel this way, you're not alone. Roughly 25 million Americans have a fear of flying, making it the second biggest fear after public speaking. According to two 2013 reports, a traveler could take a flight every single day for 123,000 years without incident (a more modest number, as reported by MSN, claims a flight a day for 14,000 years). Either way, that's enough to make even the biggest scaredy-cat feel a bit better.
But we're here to ease your worries about flying, which is, in reality, a very safe every day occurrence. Here are 6 things to keep in mind while you're flying (or on the ground) which will make you feel a whole lot better about getting on your next flight.
1. The odds are ever in your favor: 11 million to 1 that you'll die in a plane crash.
6. Download apps to calm your mind while flying, including Valk and Turbcast.
The Goal Is Space, Not Silence
The late Swami Satchidananda, renowned for opening the Woodstock festival with his chanting, encouraged meditators to look within themselves. "Become a witness ... be still and watch what is happening in your mind and in your body." Note that he didn't say, "shut your crazy mind up"-- because that's impossible. Meditation is about observing your thoughts, not about making them stop (although it's possible to slow them). When you can view those thoughts as separate from yourself (in your sitting meditation and, ultimately, throughout your day), you will inevitably be less storm-tossed by them.
Adore Sounds That Aren't Silent
After floundering during the start of that wobbly meditation, I finally got grounded by focusing on the noise and smells around me. Meditation teachers typically suggest finding a quiet place to sit, but the reality is even an-out-of-the-way corner is a whirlwind of ticking clocks, purring refrigerators, noisy neighbors, and yes, honking cars. Rather than try to fight them, it may be better to use these sounds to focus. The key is to hone in on the tones and vibrations -- in other words, to experience listening -- rather than to mentally ponder their source or meaning.
Showing Up Is Half The Victory
A meditation teacher once told me never to stop before my pre-determined schedule. "If you were planning to meditate 20 minutes, don't get up after 10," she admonished. You're trying to teach your mind that it doesn't always run the show. Letting it run your meditation time-clock is not a good way to impart this lesson. Nonetheless, if those 20 minutes prove agonizing, it's okay to plan for 10 the next time around.
You Won't Always Linger In The 'Gap'
Deepak Chopra uses this term to describe the space of bliss and stillness that we think of as meditation. But you can have a wonderful session without staying there. Consider your practice a success if you notice even once that there is space between your thoughts or mantra; this is the place where pure consciousness resides, and just seeing that it's there is sufficient.
Treasure Your Effort
If you judge yourself because your meditation isn't going the way you had planned, you are separating yourself from the higher, spiritual self that adores you. This is ironic, since connecting with that essence is the reason you're meditating in the first place. In its description of meditation, the University of Rochester Counseling Center recommends bringing "as much patience into the process as possible." Your higher self agrees, no doubt.
Watch For Spillover Into Your Life
Ultimately, the goal of a successful practice is not what happens on the cushion (or chair -- no law says that just because the ancient Hindus sat on the floor, you have to). The real purpose of meditation is to influence that other parts of our life, allowing -- through the increasing ability to separate ourselves from our rambling thoughts -- a flow of serenity and connection. If you notice that peace filtering into any part of your day, consider your meditation a triumph.
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