3-minute softening meditation for contentment, at the airport

About this practice

For the times at the airport when contentment takes up more room than you would like — 3 minutes, softening. A guided session of about 3 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: contentment

Contentment is the absence of the next want, not the presence of everything. It lasts only as long as the wanting pauses.

It tends to show up as:

• Arriving without enjoying the arrival
• Immediately wanting the next thing
• Rest feeling unearned

Not wanting more for a few minutes is a trainable state, and it is available without acquiring anything.

Doing this on a plane

• Use headphones, and keep the seatbelt on
• Bring a layer — being cold works against settling
• Skip alcohol; it makes the alertness worse

Cabin noise is constant and will mask the audio more than you expect. Try the headphones before you settle in.

How softening works

Softening is the practice of releasing held tension degree by degree rather than all at once. It targets the physical grip — shoulders, jaw, gut — that persists long after the stressor has passed.

• Soften one place per exhale rather than everything at once
• Let warmth and gravity do the work instead of muscular effort
• If a place will not soften, leave it and go somewhere that will

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Let your tongue rest down, away from the roof of your mouth.
2. 0:13Find the tightest place and simply breathe near it. Warmth does the softening, not effort.
3. 0:27We're going to let the body lead and the mind follow for a while.
4. 0:41Follow the breath down into your belly and feel it come back up.
5. 0:54Let the out-breath be a little longer than the in-breath, without forcing it.
6. 1:07Feel the outline of yourself, from the top of your head to your heels.
7. 1:21Remind yourself, slowly: I am safe in this moment, even while the calm of not wanting more this minute is here. Safety and difficulty can share a room.
8. 1:41There is a part of you that has handled hard moments before. That part is here now, even if it is quiet.
9. 1:59Feel the air move past your upper lip. It's the coolest spot on the way in.
10. 2:14If the enough-ness of right now has been with you all day, it is probably tired too. Let it rest alongside you.
11. 2:32Notice the tone of your own inner voice. Is it kind?
12. 2:44Unclenching is not the same as relaxing. Just stop adding the tension back.
13. 2:57Take a moment to notice you did this for yourself. That's not nothing.

Questions people ask

Meditation is a practice, not a treatment. If you are dealing with ongoing distress, please also reach out to a professional.