Self-compassion meditation for being present (3 min), at the airport

About this practice

Slow, spoken guidance for being present. A self-compassion session you can do at the airport. A guided session of about 3 minutes, suited to all levels. Nothing is recorded and no account is needed.

What this works on: being present

Life happens in the present while attention is busy elsewhere. Nothing is missing except the noticing.

It tends to show up as:

• Days blurring together
• Feeling absent from your own week
• Only registering moments in photographs

Sensory attention is the shortest route back. Sound, contact and breath are always in the present.

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 self-compassion works

Self-compassion practice changes the tone of the inner voice rather than the content of the thoughts. It uses the same warmth and steadiness you would offer a friend, applied without requiring you to have earned it.

• Use the words you would actually say to someone you love
• Ask what you need, not what you deserve
• A hand on the chest or belly gives warmth and pressure a place to land

What happens, minute by minute

1. 0:00Let your next exhale be a sigh, if a sigh is what's waiting there.
2. 0:14Whatever you are about to say to yourself, imagine saying it to someone you love. Use those words.
3. 0:30Notice the weight of your arms without moving them.
4. 0:41Let the out-breath be a little longer than the in-breath, without forcing it.
5. 0:54Breathe in for four, out for six, if you'd like something to count.
6. 1:07Notice your hands again. Check whether they've loosened on their own.
7. 1:19If the life happening while you worry starts telling you a story, let the story finish without you adding to it.
8. 1:36If the texture of this exact moment shows up, let it be there without arguing with it. You are not trying to remove it, just to sit beside it.
9. 1:57Notice the small gap after each exhale. Rest there for half a second.
10. 2:10If you catch yourself fighting the wandering back to now, that is worth noticing. The fight usually costs more than the feeling.
11. 2:28If a worry shows up, name it quietly and let it sit beside you.
12. 2:42You are allowed to have a hard time without earning it first.
13. 2:55Let your breathing be completely ordinary again.

Questions people ask

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