United Airlines Star Wars themed plane, 2019
Musical selections: Leaving on a Jet Plane by Peter, Paul and Mary, 1967, on Spotify or YouTube
Also, a version by John Denver, 1969, on Spotify or YouTube
And just for fun, a version with a reggae twist, by Slightly Stoopid, 2003, on Spotify or YouTube
I heard it reported that Sunday would be the busiest travel day in recent history - not just this year! Since many of you will be traveling this month, today’s “art” and music selections are travel inspired, specifically air travel. Hopefully you’ll have a pleasant and uneventful experience, but in case that’s not how it goes, I’ve got a few ideas to help get you through it. More on that in a bit.
No doubt if you’ve been to an airport, you’ve seen planes that do more than just sport their airlines’ logos. There are cute animals, cartoon figures, beautiful scenes, and even movie-themed designs like the one above. United created this design in 2019 to celebrate The Rise of Skywalker. One side of the tail has a red light saber, while the other side has a blue one, representing two side of The Force. Inside, the headrests have logos of the Resistance on one side and the First Order on the other.
Or how about this one from Alaska Airlines, depicting swimming orcas that migrate from Alaska to the Baja Peninsula, one of the places the airline flies.
As for the music - multiple versions of a very well-known jet plane song. Be sure to check out the Slightly Stoopid version - hopefully PP&M approve😉
OK, now on to some ideas to alleviate any frustration or anxiety you may be feeling as you make your way home:
Here’s a nice 10-minute guided meditation from Calm. If you’ve got headphones or earbuds, put them on, close your eyes, and just listen.
There are a variety of breathing techniques to help you relax:
Equal or box breathing - breathe in and out of your nose, making your inhales and exhales equal with a pause before each - for example…breath in for 4 counts, hold for 4, exhale for 4, pause for 4 before inhaling again
4-7-8 - breathe in for 4, hold for 7, exhale for 8 - you can change up the counts - the idea is just to make the exhale longer. This can also help you get to sleep.
Alternate nostril breathing can help you achieve balance between your sympathetic (fight or flight) and parasympathetic (rest and digest) nervous systems. Here’s a short video that demonstrates the technique.
Wishing you well whether you’re “leaving on a jet plane” or recovering from the holiday weekend - meditation and breathing work nicely for both!