Using Ancient Practices Today

It’s 4:15 on a Friday afternoon at JFK International. The gate attendant picks up the speaker and announces to the anxious crowd that the 5:30 flight to San Francisco has been delayed until 9PM due to weather and an air traffic slowdown. There is a collective moan among the crowd. Some passengers begin vetting; others become confrontational. Within minutes, there is resignation in the air and an exodus down the corridor towards the nearest pub. I choose a different path in dealing with this unexpected, yet not atypical, business travel disruption.

First, I rescheduled the car pickup for a midnight arrival. I then carved myself away from the remaining passengers and found an open seat in a quiet corner. I stacked my bag and briefcase off to one side, took my shoes off, closed my eyes and took three deep cleansing breadths. This quiet time became the most refreshing part of an already long and hectic day. But while I enjoyed the solitude, the time also very productive. I "surfaced" a potential solution to a resource deployment issue at work, a possible birthday gift idea for a friend and a prospective location for a team recognition dinner. I closed the meditation session feeling organized, focused and “present”. I picked up a light dinner and drank a bottle of water. Prior to the 8:30 boarding time, I performed several chi kung exercises to loosen up my muscles and stretch my arms and legs. During this layover period, the other SF-bound passengers had been enjoying cocktails and pub grub. When our flight finally arrived in San Francisco, while I felt relaxed, balanced and alert, the demeanor of the rest of the cabin was markedly tired and dour.