Fear of flying: 5-minute letting go meditation, on a plane

About this practice

Slow, spoken guidance for fear of flying. A letting go session you can do on a plane. A guided session of about 5 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: fear of flying

The fear is mostly about containment — being unable to leave. The body stays on alert for the whole flight, monitoring every change in engine pitch and every bump.

It tends to show up as:

• Tensing at each change in engine sound
• Watching the crew for signs of alarm
• Unable to sleep even on a long flight

Vigilance is exhausting but it is also optional. Giving attention a different task — feet on the floor, breath counted — lets the alertness stand down.

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 letting go works

Letting go is about loosening grip rather than dropping things. It works on the effort attached to a problem — the holding, rehearsing and bracing — which is separable from the problem itself.

• Pick one thing you are gripping and loosen a single finger
• Release the effort with the exhale, not the issue
• Set down temporarily; you can pick it up again after

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Let your forehead smooth out. Most of us hold a small frown there all day.
2. 0:14With each exhale, let a little of the effort go. Not the problem — just the effort.
3. 0:29We'll be quiet for a bit longer than usual. Stay with whatever shows up.
4. 0:43You can let your eyes close now if they weren't already.
5. 0:55Feel the last part of the exhale, where it turns into nothing.
6. 1:08Let the breath be slow enough that you can hear it, just barely.
7. 1:21Notice the weight of your thighs, all the way down.
8. 1:33Notice your heels making contact with the floor or the bed.
9. 1:45Feel your face. It's probably softer than it was five minutes ago.
10. 1:58A few seconds more.
11. 2:07We are not solving anything in the next few minutes. We are setting it down, temporarily.
12. 2:22Notice the difference between a thought and the space around it.
13. 2:34When the clench when the engines change note presses in, put a hand on your chest or your belly. Warmth and pressure are anchors your body already trusts.
14. 2:54If the fear of being trapped up there is loud right now, make your attention smaller. Just the next breath. Nothing beyond it.
15. 3:12Feel the air move past your upper lip. It's the coolest spot on the way in.
16. 3:27Imagine the alertness that will not switch off as a room you can walk out of for a minute. The room will still be there.
17. 3:46Notice any urge to check something. You can wait two more minutes.
18. 3:59I'll stop for a moment. Take the pause at your own speed.
19. 4:12Setting something down is not the same as giving up. You can pick it up again after.
20. 4:27Come back to your body first, and the rest of the day second.
21. 4:40Let it be this simple.

Questions people ask

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