Find Calm in the Clouds

In the midst of turbulent skies and time-pressed journeys, peace can feel like a luxury. Yet for some, calm is only a breath away. As air travel grows ever faster and noisier, THAI introduces a quiet revolution: meditation above the clouds. Guiding passengers on this mindful journey is Phra Anil Sakya – a revered Buddhist monk, scholar, and humanitarian – whose new in-flight video series transforms every flight into an opportunity for reflection and renewal.

Born in Nepal, Phra Anil Sakya is an internationally respected Buddhist monk who hails from an ancient lineage of Nepalese Buddhists known as the Sakya clan. In 1972, when only 15 years old, he came to Thailand to study Theravada Buddhism under the country’s late Supreme Patriarch, and he has lived there ever since. Over fifty years later, his many responsibilities as a prominent member of the Thai Buddhist clergy include serving as Deputy Abbot of an historic temple in the heart of Bangkok’s old town, Wat Bowonniwet Vihara.

His influence, however, transcends borders or religion. Beyond Thai society, he is also a world citizen who regularly consults with businesses, universities, charities, and intergovernmental organizations like the United Nations. From offering his input to thinktanks tasked with implementing the Sustainable Development Goals to coaching prisoners so that they don’t reoffend, Phra Anil – who has a Master of Philosophy degree from the UK’s Cambridge University and a PhD in Social Anthropology from the UK’s Brunel University – uses his wisdom and way with words to enact positive and lasting change, and to get people thinking about their place in the world.

Now he is doing the same on THAI aircraft, all thanks to a new series of in-flight videos. Ranging from 5 to 15 minutes in length, these videos guide the listener through a number of easy to follow “mindful awareness” exercises. As he reveals in the following interview, Phra Anil – a frequent flyer himself – believes that time spent in a plane cabin, with its lack of interruptions or distractions, offers a unique opportunity for self-reflection. So put your headphones on, shut your eyes, and let him guide you to a higher realm – a destination full of calm and free of anxiety.

Q: WHAT’S THE BASIC PREMISE BEHIND THE VIDEO SERIES YOU HAVE CREATED FOR THAI?

A: The idea behind the series is mindful awareness, or what you might call secular mindfulness. The videos are each between 5 to 15 minutes in length and designed to relieve anxiety or daily stress. Instead of working on your computer, watching a movie, or trying to sleep, you can now put on your headphones and do a bit of meditation.

Q: WHAT IS MINDFUL AWARENESS EXACTLY?

A: Imagine you are driving a car. You want to reach your destination quickly, so you drive fast, but in doing so you forget to look at the scenery, at all the events rushing past the car. You may reach your destination quickly but that is not a true journey. You forgot to observe all the things going on around you in the moment. Mindful awareness is about being mindful and being aware of such moments. It grounds you in the here and now so that you really know what is going on and can respond accordingly.

Q: WHAT MAKES A FLIGHT A GOOD TIME TO PURSUE MINDFUL AWARENESS?

A: A flight is one of the best times to practice mindful awareness, I believe, because there are few interruptions. It is one of the only times in modern life when we have time to ourselves, so why not use that time to our own benefit? Why not use that time to be attentive to your breathing, attentive to your sitting, attentive to your feelings, and so on? Being more present in the here and now can give us a more powerful way of looking at our surroundings, and with that knowledge we can adjust ourselves.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE MEDITATION EXERCISES PASSENGERS CAN DO WITH YOU?

A: The videos concentrate on each of the five senses. Some focus on breathing, some focus on other sensations. One is about mindful eating, for example. It encourages you to savor every bite of your in-flight meal, the tingle of the senses when you eat your food, so that you enjoy it in the fullest sense. Other videos are about anxiety or stress management, and all are, of course, applicable not only in-flight but also to your daily life back down on the ground. So in-flight learning becomes a kind of life coaching.

Q: YOUR WORK BRINGS YOU INTO CONTACT WITH A CROSS-SECTION OF SOCIETY, FROM CEOS TO CHARITIES, FROM JUDGES TO PRISONERS. DO YOU TEACH THEM MINDFUL AWARENESS TOO?

A: Mindful awareness is one concept, yes, but it depends on my audience. When I meet with CEOs, for example, it is usually to talk about sustainable business, while with judges I discuss the meaning of justice from a philosophical standpoint rather than the legal one. Then when it comes to my work with prisoners, I practice something called ‘cognitive transformation therapy’. This has been very, very successful, with around 85% to 90% of the prisoners I work with not reoffending when they return to society.

Q: ULTIMATELY, WHAT DO YOU HOPE THAI PASSENGERS GAIN FROM YOUR VIDEOS?

A: I want them to utilize their time in flight for their own benefit by calming their minds. Once you are calm, once your mind is mindful and alert, your capacity to do whatever you are currently doing in your life is enabled and boosted. To put it simply, I hope these videos bring them more happiness and more control over their lives, as well as their journey.

Learn more on the calmness of life through Buddhism. Fly to Bangkok in the world with Thai Airways!