Get Sleepy: A Meditation for In-Flight Relaxation (Bonus)

Hosted by Slumber Studios | Meditation by Anne, Read by Elizabeth
Release Date: January 30, 2026

Episode Overview

In this special bonus episode, Get Sleepy presents a gentle, guided meditation specifically crafted for relaxation during air travel. Host Thomas introduces the meditation, which is written by Anne and delivered by Elizabeth. The session focuses on soothing pre-flight and in-flight anxiety, offering practical mindfulness techniques, grounding exercises, and breathing methods to foster calm and presence—even amidst the stresses of flying.

Key Discussion Points and Insights

1. Introduction & Purpose (02:31)

• Host (Thomas) welcomes listeners and outlines the episode’s purpose: to help ease the innate anxiety of air travel by achieving a state of calm and presence.
• Quote:

  "I know that flying can be stressful … But even in situations like these, it is possible to achieve a state of calm. And this meditation will help you do just that." (Thomas, 03:19)

2. Settling In and Comfort (04:17)

• Elizabeth encourages listeners to first get physically comfortable in their airplane seat, suggesting using items like a pillow or blanket for support or warmth.
• Advice to adjust elements in the immediate environment (window shade, airflow) to personalize comfort.
• Quote:

  "Do anything that will help you feel as comfortable as possible." (Elizabeth, 04:28)

3. Grounding Through Color Awareness (05:00 - 08:00)

• Guided exercise to ground the mind by visually identifying objects of various colors (red, orange, yellow, green, blue, and purple) within the plane.
• Designed as a simple mindfulness practice—bringing attention to what is tangibly present.
• Quote:

  "Sometimes when the mind is in an agitated state, it can be helpful to give it a task to do—something tangible to bring the mind into the present moment." (Elizabeth, 04:49)

• Empathy for those who might struggle to spot each color, inviting a flexible definition.

4. Transition Inward – Noticing Mental Shift & Closing the Eyes (09:00)

• Elizabeth prompts listeners to gently close their eyes and check in on their mental state after engaging with their physical surroundings.

5. Introducing the Three-Part Breath (09:30 - 15:00)

• Elizabeth teaches a "three-part breath" technique:
  • Step 1: Breathe into the low belly (hip bones to belly button)
  • Step 2: Notice ribcage movement (side to side)
  • Step 3: Feel the chest rise and fall
• Listeners are invited to place hands on these areas if comfortable.
• The technique is explained, then repeated with encouragement and gentleness.
• Quote:

  "You shouldn't ever feel uncomfortable. This is your breath and your meditation." (Elizabeth, 12:29)

• Emphasizes listening to one's own pace, making the meditation adaptable to individual needs.

6. Deepening Calm and Building the Mind-Body Message (15:00 - 20:00)

• Emphasizes how slow, intentional breathing signals safety to the body.
• Quote:

  “When you breathe deeply in this way, you’re telling the body, ‘I’m safe. Right now, everything is okay.’” (Elizabeth, 15:55)

• Encourages ongoing deep breathing, or a return to natural breath that is likely now slower and deeper.

7. Present-Moment Awareness on the Plane (20:11)

• Attention is brought to the unique sensory experiences of being in flight: sounds, sensations, the feeling of being seated, contact with surroundings.
• Encourages returning the attention repeatedly to the present, practicing kindness toward wandering thoughts or worries.
• Quote:

  “The mind may want to take you over there to a worry, a fear, tension or an annoyance. We’ll practice kindly opposing it by coming back here…” (Elizabeth, 21:11)

8. Breathing Out Stress & Visual Metaphor of Distance (22:00)

• A visualization where stressors, worries, or discomforts are named and then exhaled—imagining them drifting far below the plane.
• Quote:

  “Imagine that the stressor is literally going far away. You’re up here in this plane, and that stressor is way down there, outside of the plane, somewhere far, far away.” (Elizabeth, 22:52)

9. Permission to Let Go Temporarily (23:30)

• Listeners are reassured that worries can be picked back up after the flight—but for now, there is full permission for presence and release.

10. Power of Attention and Mindfulness (24:30)

• A gentle reminder that listeners have agency over their focus, much like flight grants physical freedom.
• Quote:

  “An airplane gives us the amazing ability to go anywhere in the world. In the same way, you have the power to move your attention wherever you’d like.” (Elizabeth, 24:48)

11. Closing Encouragement (25:00)

• Listeners are wished a restful continuation of their flight, with the invitation to remain calm and present.
• Quote:

  “So for the rest of your flight, breathe and relax and continue choosing to place your attention here on this beautiful, simple moment and all that it’s made up of. Thanks for listening and have a good flight.” (Elizabeth, 25:20)

Memorable Quotes

• “This is your breath and your meditation.” (Elizabeth, 12:29)
• “When you breathe deeply in this way, you’re telling the body, ‘I’m safe. Right now, everything is okay.’” (Elizabeth, 15:55)
• “Imagine that the stressor is literally going far away. You’re up here in this plane, and that stressor is way down there…” (Elizabeth, 22:52)
• “An airplane gives us the amazing ability to go anywhere in the world. In the same way, you have the power to move your attention wherever you’d like.” (Elizabeth, 24:48)

Notable Timestamps

• 02:31 – Episode purpose and intention, host Thomas’s introduction
• 04:17 – Getting comfortable; grounding in physical surroundings
• 05:00-08:00 – Color-spotting mindfulness exercise
• 09:30-15:00 – Three-part breath technique with detailed guidance
• 20:11 – Returning attention to present-moment sounds and bodily sensations
• 22:00 – Visualization: breathing out stress, seeing it drift far from the plane
• 24:30 – Mindfulness metaphor: attention as personal agency

Summary & Tone

This calming meditation episode maintains a gentle, reassuring, and empathetic tone throughout, characteristic of the Get Sleepy style. Guided with care by Elizabeth, listeners are walked through a progressive series of sensory mindfulness, deep breathing, and stress-release visualizations. The meditation prioritizes adaptability, validation of common flight stressors, and the restoration of agency over attention—leaving listeners both soothed and empowered for the remainder of their journey.