Al Churchill

Today I had two teeth opened and drained.  Usually I work myself up and become very anxious prior to any dental work.  This time however, I stayed very aware of my emotions and despite being a little apprehensive, which is only natural, I was able to remain grounded.

Whilst sat in the dentist chair I focused on my entire body, not just my teeth and mouth, as I feel is usually the case.  This enabled me to realize when I was tensing up or clenching my hands.  It enabled me to relax.  I noticed that we can easily tense up in anticipation of pain that never even materializes, opening up that tension allows us the space to relax and to surrender to the current moment.

On my walk back home, I realized that it was over, with very little fuss.  I think we make more pain for ourselves than we need to experience, simply through fear and anticipation.  Learning to focus on my entire body in the present moment helped me through this discomfort.