11 Ways Airlines and Airports Are Bringing Yoga and Wellness to the Sky

4. Guided breathing and short meditations for takeoff and jet lag

A three- to five-minute breathing practice can lower heart rate and quiet anxiety during takeoff or turbulence. Try box breathing: inhale for four counts, hold four, exhale four, hold four. Repeat for several cycles and notice calmer breathing. For jet lag, short timed meditations help shift sleep windows; use an app to cue a light meditation that aligns with the destination’s bedtime. These practices require no equipment and scale to any seat class. Apps and airline partnerships can make these routines easier to follow during flight, but passengers can do them privately with headphones. For travelers crossing multiple time zones, pairing breathing practice with light exposure—brief walks to daylight at the destination or using a soft-eye mask for darkness—helps the circadian system adjust. These tools are low-effort and offer meaningful reductions in travel stress when used consistently.