Season 2 Episode 2

In this episode we welcome our first repeat guest, Jeffrey “JJ” Madison. A Harvard-educated flight instructor, mentor, airline pilot, aviation advocate, and author, JJ has accomplished something few pilots ever do—returning to the airlines at age 60 after a 14-year hiatus. His story, and the discipline behind it, underscores that personal accountability for our lifestyle choices is not optional in aviation—it’s a safety imperative. 

The discussion connects fitness, sleep, nutrition, and mental health to real-world safety outcomes. Cardiovascular conditioning supports oxygen utilization and brain performance, while strength training and intentional recovery reduce fatigue-related errors over long duty days. Hydration and stable nutrition help prevent cognitive fog and energy crashes that degrade judgment, and unmanaged personal stress is identified as a leading human factors risk. By addressing physical and mental health proactively—before they manifest as distraction or impairment—pilots reduce operational risk, protect their medical longevity, and strengthen the safety margin for their crews and passengers.

Links:

YIKES! 100 Smart Pilots and the Dumb Things They Did Yet Lived to Tell About ‘Em   A Great Book for a Great Cause! Fueling the Next Generation of Aerospace Professionals.

Season 2 Episode 1

Aviation demands precision, resilience, and flawless execution—but what happens when the pressure to perform leaves no room to be human?

In this episode we explore the deep mission that motivated us to create this podcast: addressing a long-standing gap in aviation culture around mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing. Our conversation examines why stress, anxiety, fatigue, and fear are so prevalent among pilots—and why traditional “push through it” thinking no longer serves safety or performance.

To help us, we invited podcaster and guest expert Avi Gordon to guide the discussion. Along with his podcast skills, Avi is a mind-body coach, meditation teacher, and Director of the Integral Yoga Teachers Association. 

Avi helps us dig into the core paradox of pilot life: that the profound love of flying is inseparable from the fear of losing one’s career and identity. This fear drives perfectionism, discourages vulnerability, and often prevents pilots from seeking help—medical or otherwise. From training events to line flying, the pressure to appear flawless creates a constant “performance self,” leaving little space for authentic wellbeing.

You’ll hear why most mistakes aren’t caused by lack of skill, but by lack of presence—being stuck in future worry or past self-judgment. The episode reframes self-care not as a personal indulgence, but as a practical, safety-oriented performance tool that directly supports focus, decision-making, and consistency in the cockpit.

To put the discussion into action, Avi shares a simple, actionable framework pilots can actually use—without needing hours of meditation or lifestyle overhauls. His 8 Practical Tools for Pilot Wellbeing can be put into action immediately and yet provide profound results. 

This episode is an invitation to rethink what strength, professionalism, and peak performance really look like. It’s time to embrace the core concepts of self-care as part of aviation culture, turning pilot wellbeing into a prerequisite for every training and flight.

Helpful Links:

Avi's Coaching: Mind Body Coaching for Peak Performance 

Avi's Book: A Light in the Tunnel Audiobook and Paperback

Integral Yoga Podcast: Hosted by Avi. Discussions on yoga, spirituality, and conscious evolution

Avi's Newsletter Sign-Up

In this bonus episode join Yoga Therapist Lisa Danahy for a short mental wellness reset.

Create Calm: resources and more information about Yoga Therapist Lisa Danahy

Episode 25

In this episode Yoga Therapist Lisa Danahy explores the physiology of resilience and why true calm is not a personality trait, but rather a trainable skill. Drawing clear parallels between yoga, neuroscience, and aviation, Lisa explains how pilots can regulate stress responses in both acute emergencies and the cumulative pressure of long-term training.

Resilience is the body’s ability to move out of fear-based survival responses and return to clear, executive functioning—a capacity governed by the vagus nerve, the HPA axis, and the parasympathetic nervous system. The key is learning how to practice regulation during ordinary moments so calm becomes instinctive when it matters most.

We also discuss the limits of a perfectionist mindset and how to reframe our rigid thinking into a growth-mindset that prioritizes curiosity and learning.

Links:

The Schiff Show: Aviation Education Variety Show with legendary aviator Brian Schiff "Final Approach to Tragedy; Checklist and Discipline Gone Wrong" December 11 episode with John Niehaus. WINGS credit available!

Create Calm: Workshops, classes, and professional training that empowers children, educators, parents, and professionals with practical, evidence-based tools that support the well-being of the whole person—mentally, emotionally, and physically.

Creating Calm in Your Classroom: A Mindfulness-Based Movement Program for Social-emotional Learning in Early Childhood Education

What separates a calm cockpit from catastrophe? A recent study out of Griffith University in Australia is shedding new light on why some pilots handle in-flight emergencies better than others.

Episode 24

When you’re on duty while the rest of the world slows down, the emotional load can hit hard. Loneliness, fomo (fear of missing out), and the quiet ache of missing rituals that anchor you are common experiences to many pilots. 

In this episode we’ll share five counter-intuitive, highly practical strategies for navigating holiday duty with clarity and compassion. From acknowledging the “suck,” to scheduling a worry appointment, building small mission-based rituals, unhooking from old emotional stories, and finding connection through service, this conversation reframes holiday work as something you can approach with intention—not avoidance. 

Whether you’re in the cockpit, the cabin, or supporting others behind the scenes, these tools help you stay grounded, human, and connected—even from miles away.

Episode 23

In this episode of The Calm Cockpit, Dr. Beth Wagner—Doctor of Physical Therapy and vestibular specialist—shares science-backed strategies for keeping pilots physically ready, resilient, and confident in the cockpit. We cover proactive posture fixes, simple in-flight reset routines, practical vestibular training to reduce motion sickness and spatial disorientation, and accessible ways pilots can seek preventative care without triggering medical reporting. Dr. Wagner offers clear, actionable guidance to help pilots reduce pain, improve focus, and support long-term career health.

Listen to This Episode If You Want To:

Prevent neck and back pain during long duty days

Beginner Vestibular Rehab Exercises- Motion Sensitivity, Imbalance, Vertigo 

Eye Massager Review

Episode 22

Every pilot knows how to prepare their aviation game for big events like checkrides and recurrent training; but how often do we focus on identifying and using the peak performance strategies that begin long before takeoff?

Drawing from neuroscience, physiology, and professional training principles, this episode reframes preflight preparation as a comprehensive human performance discipline; where physiological balance, cognitive efficiency, and emotional regulation are as essential as technical skill. 

We’ll outline five holistic and evidence-based strategies that build resilience, reduce anxiety, and enhance cognitive precision. Each of the five strategies targets key factors in optimizing our performance: hydration, a work-load reduction plan, meditation and visualization, getting outdoors, and food planning/ nutrition. 

By integrating these grounded, science-based preparation strategies, aviators can enhance self-regulation, situational awareness, and decision-making—ensuring we bring both technical proficiency and psychological readiness to every flight.

Off The Farm-Premium Protein & Meal Bars

Dr. Stacy Sims’ TEDxTauranga Talk "Women are Not Small Men: a paradigm shift in the science of nutrition"

Mile High Health Club:workouts and nutrition for aviators from Lashae Bacon

Hydration for Peak Performance; podcast with Dr. Sims and The Proof with Dr. Hill

Outline/Script for Reverse Visualization Technique:

1. Identify and Picture the Successful Outcome

3. Duration and Repetition

Additional Advice

Like Henry Ford famously said, “Whether you think you can, or you think you can't--you're right.” 

So, train yourself to see–and then achieve–the outcome you desire.

As always, any questions or comments send us and email, we love to hear from you: [email protected] 

Episode 21

In this episode, we sit down with Jim Schilling—a 20-year law enforcement officer, Operations Lieutenant in a Major Crimes Unit, and commercially certificated pilot preparing for his CFI checkride. Jim bridges two high-stress worlds: policing and aviation. Through his experience as a detective and peer support leader, he reveals powerful lessons about resilience, performance, and proactive mental wellness that every pilot can use.

Jim also shares his creative journey as host of Flying Midwest Podcast and AeroExploration, where he inspires others to find joy, perspective, and purpose through flight.

Bonus Episode

Take a moment to shut off autopilot and use this guided meditation to train your ability to choose your focus, steady your mind, and carry calm clarity into your day.

This meditation is designed to train one of the pilot’s most essential skills—the ability to choose and sustain focus. 

The 20-minute practice leads you through five progressive phases: physical and mental preparation, setting a clear intention, controlled breathing with the 4-7-8 method, a core focus exercise centered on the breath, and a gentle conclusion that bridges meditation into everyday awareness. Rooted in deep practice and neuroscience, this meditation emphasizes gentle self-correction over perfection—helping you build calm clarity and steady focus whether you’re in the cockpit or navigating daily life.

If you’ve ever tried to meditate, you’ve likely been told to “clear your mind” or “just breathe.” This advice, while well-intentioned, can quickly lead to frustration. The mind, by its nature, thinks. Trying to force it into a state of perfect emptiness often feels like trying to flatten a wave in the ocean—an impossible, exhausting task. You might conclude that you’re simply “bad at meditation.”

But what if the goal isn't an empty mind? What if meditation is less about achieving a perfect state of silence and more about learning a series of practical, concrete skills to manage your awareness? A single guided meditation can reveal a surprising number of these techniques, small but powerful lessons that reframe the entire practice. They show that meditation isn’t a mysterious state you fall into, but a skill you build through learnable, actionable steps.

Here are four ideas to explore from this meditation session; these ideas reveal the practical mechanics of training your attention—and they have little to do with forcing your mind to be blank.

This meditation begins with a simple, physical act: setting your feet. Place them hip-width apart and ensure they are evenly balanced on the floor. This isn't just about getting comfortable; it's a strategic first step in directing your awareness.

Of the 27,000 nerve endings in the body, a large number of them are in the hands and the feet. By consciously setting your feet up, you begin to cue the nervous system that it is time to train the awareness but in a relaxed way. This simple physical adjustment acts as a powerful signal, grounding your attention in the present moment through tangible sensation. It’s a profound, counter-intuitive insight: before you can effectively direct your mind, you must first anchor your body.

Once settled, begin a specific breathing technique known as 4-7-8 breathing: inhaling for a count of four, holding for seven, and exhaling for a count of eight. While many breathing exercises exist, the key to this one lies in a simple ratio: the exhale is twice as long as the inhale.

This extended exhale is a direct, physiological command to the body. It actively signals the nervous system to relax, gently easing you out of a state of stress or mental busyness. It’s a deliberate tool, not a passive observation of the breath. This practice activates the vagus nerve--a cranial nerve that extends all the way into your vital organs--which is responsible for activating your parasympathetic nervous system, putting you in a state of relaxed attention.

Please prioritize gentleness and and finding a breath pace that feels good for you; this is more important than a rigid adherence to the counting.

If at any time the breath feels rushed or pinched, find a pace of breathing that feels more suitable for you. Always adjust and accommodate.

Here is the most liberating lesson for anyone who has struggled with a "busy mind" during meditation. The goal is not to stop thoughts from arising. It is normal for our thoughts to come and go. The real practice is in how you respond when they do.

Practice neutrally observing the thoughts, gently give it a label—"thinking, judging, worrying"—and then guide your awareness back to the breath. The work isn't in achieving perfect, unbroken focus.

The work is the act of returning. Each time your mind wanders and you gently bring it back, you are successfully performing the core exercise of the meditation: strengthening your ability to refocus.

It's enough to sit to watch the breath, notice the thoughts and then come back to the breath.

Give yourself permission to reframe the experience of distraction. A wandering mind isn't a sign of failure; it is the very opportunity to practice the foundational skill of meditation.

Before the core practice of watching the breath, this practice begins with a crucial, often overlooked step: setting an intention. Your intention is not as a fleeting wish, but rather a deliberate act of mental direction. Let your mind set a firm resolve for the rest of your practice, for this mediation we will use "may I be calm and clear."

You may use any intention that speaks to your personal goals. No matter what, make you intention firm and solid so that it can direct your mind. This is what elevates the practice from passive sitting to active training. By making the resolve firm and solid, you are forging a tool—kinda of like a rudder for your attention. It creates a clear objective that your mind can return to, giving it a distinct purpose and direction for the entire session.

Meditation is not a test of perfection but a practice of gentle course correction. The true skill lies not in achieving a permanent state of stillness, but in the repeated, kind act of noticing, guiding, and returning. It's in grounding your feet, extending your breath, refocusing your attention, and setting your resolve.

Enjoy, experiment, and happy meditating!

Episode 20

Episode Summary

In this episode of The Calm Cockpit, discover how meditation is a proven performance enhancement tool for pilots. Meditation is not an escape from the cockpit—it’s preparation for it. By training the mind to focus, recover, and reset, pilots build the same kind of precision and resilience internally that they rely on externally every time they take the controls.

Calm App

Insight Timer

Headspace

Waking Up

Key Takeaways

Pro Tip: Start small. A sustainable “daily minimum” of just two to five minutes builds lasting results. Consistency matters more than duration.

A typical guided meditation follows a specific structure designed to systematically regulate the nervous system and prepare the mind for focus.

Step

Action

Neurological Purpose

1. Establish the Seat

Find a comfortable, stable position (sitting or lying down) and release physical tension.

Puts the "brakes on the mind through the body," signaling a shift away from external activity.

2. Set an Intention

State a simple, firm resolve for the practice (e.g., "May I be calm and clear").

Gives the brain a clear direction and purpose for the session.

3. Breathing

Engage in slow, deep, intentional breathing (e.g., a 4-7-8 count).

Activates the vagus nerve, which in turn engages the parasympathetic nervous system—the body's "rest and digest" mode—to calm the mind and body without needing to consciously "think" differently.

4. Focus & Refocus

Direct the "spotlight of awareness" onto a single object, such as the breath. When the mind wanders, gently guide it back.

This is the core practice of concentration. The repeated act of refocusing is what builds the neural pathways for enhanced focus and emotional regulation.

5. Sit & Observe

After the focus period, simply sit for a moment with a broad, diffuse awareness, noticing the effects of the practice without judgment.

Allows for integration of the experience.

6. Closing

Reconnect with the initial intention and form a "bridge between meditation and the rest of your day."

Intentionally carries the state of clarity and calm achieved during the practice forward into daily activities.