Meditating at the Dentist

woman at dentistI recently went to the dentist to have a crown put in. Since I took the opportunity to meditate, I thought I would write a follow up to last month’s blog on Meditation Magic. I have never had a fear of the dentist so, for me, getting a chance to sit and do nothing in the dentist chair was a relaxing break from my busy day. My boyfriend looked me like I was crazy when I told him that I welcomed the chance to go the dentist.

Does meditating at the dentist sound crazy to you? If so, why? Are you afraid? What keeps you from relaxing? What makes it a challenge for you to consider meditating in this situation? Start listing your beliefs: “I can’t relax or meditate at the dentist because….” Once you have written them down, take a good look at them and ask yourself, “Is this really true?”

At the dentist, you are sitting quietly in a fairly relaxed position with nothing to do for the most part. If you are having a cavity filled or a crown put in, your mouth is usually numb so there is nothing painful going on in your mouth to distract you. A cleaning shouldn’t be painful if you are taking care of your teeth. Since the conversation around you is mostly between the dentist and the dental assistant, I find it easy to close my eyes and tune it out. It seems to me like an ideal opportunity to meditate.

My favorite meditations are visual so when I am there, I visualize myself as being somewhere else. Often I picture myself relaxing at the beach, feeling the warmth of the sun on my body and hearing the relaxing sounds of the waves. This time I also spent some time imagining myself watching the sunset in the quiet countryside at the house I am moving to. I have other beautiful safe places in nature that I sometimes go to that I have created while doing inner work with various teachers.

I found other meditation ideas while googling the topic (I’m not the only crazy one!). One site suggested affirmations such as, “I do not need to fight against whatever experience passes through my awareness. I ask for help and protection.” Another suggested repeating mantras such as “healthy teeth, healthy teach…,” visualizing bright yellow light slowly moving upward through each part of your body starting with your toes, or working the sounds of the tools into your meditation.

Like with anything, the key is to find what works for you. If you need support, remember that Songbird is here to help!