Using Mindfulness to Recharge Inflight
At Zen 2.0, a global mindfulness forum held September 2nd-3rd at Kencho-ji Temple in Kamakura, ANA had a booth that offered a meditation experience.
What is “mindfulness”?
It means being able to focus on something, and at the same time, being self-aware within that time and space. It is similar to when athletes are “in the zone.” (*1)
Meditation is one way of training oneself to achieve mindfulness, and Zen is a method of meditation.
The ANA booth was equipped with economy class seats and a meditation-communication robot, CRE-P.(*2)
CRE-P guides the user into meditation, and provides meditation advice just as surrounding voices or distractions may begin to interfere. Eon Asahina, temple master of Jochi-ji, of the Engaku-ji School of the Rinzai Sect of Zen Buddhism, experienced it for himself, and commented that some of CRE-P’s advice was quite accurate, and felt that the meditation experience was in some ways similar to Zen.
The ANA Group’s “Recharge while Flying” Project represents our desire -- where instead of passengers feeling tired after a flight, they can feel even more energized than they felt before the flight. The mindfulness experience is a part of this project.
The ANA Group will continue to launch a variety of initiatives to help passengers to enjoy, energize, and be in their best possible conditions at their destinations.
*1 A unique state in which the athlete is extremely focused and so immersed in the sport that he forgets other thoughts and emotions.
*2 CRE-P was created by CREATIVE FLOW_ER, a creativity enhancement project proposed by One JAPAN, a platform for voluntary groups of young talent from large Japanese companies. The user wears a headband that measures brainwaves and meditates by breathing in accordance with CRE-P’s instructions.
