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.

Designed for pilots and flight instructors with demanding schedules, this brief practice uses simple physical movement and controlled breathing to help calm the nervous system and release built-up tension—without requiring long meditation sessions or special conditions.

This resiliency reset is ideal for use between flights, before duty, or during transitions; supporting improved focus, emotional regulation, and steady presence throughout the day. By integrating short nervous system breaks like this, pilots can move from task to task with greater clarity, balance, and resilience. Perfect for when time is limited—but focus matters.

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.