The Joy of the Dentist – why I love going...

Yes, strange but true... I love going to the dentist. Went again just recently and was sitting close to a window of the 10th floor looking down the “Paris” end of Collins St in my hometown of Melbourne. The best of autumn days, delightful Plane trees lining the boulevard, comfortable seat, time for a phone call with a relative overseas; what could go wrong?

Well here is the thing of course... the dentist awaits! Me with a very unhappy tooth in need of a major repair with the potential to escalate all the way up to removal of the tooth. And me with a long-standing commitment to not having anaesthetics at the dentist. What could go wrong indeed? But first

 

    Thought for the day

         He who fears he shall suffer

         Already suffers what he fears

                    Michel de Montaigne

Going to the dentist is a definitive way to check out where our meditation is at; and how we manage our mind along with its hopes and fears.

Sitting in the dentist’s waiting room recently, the choices seemed clear. In that moment, all was good. Great view, comfortable seat, good conversation. With my mind on all of that; lovely.

If my mind were to wander into the fantasy of what could go wrong during the impending dental treatment – pain and suffering, the possible ignominy of breaking my rule and asking for an anaesthetic; with my mind on all of that, hope and fear – and misery.

So then the moment of truth. 

Into the dentist’s rooms, the pleasant chatter, lying down on the chair, mouth open, examination, poking and prodding, drilling, repair work, tooth saved, rebuilt, no anaesthetic, completion, thank yous and goodbye. 

Lots of sensations, but no pain. 

For here is the key to pain management – and why I love going to the dentist. Pain has 2 aspects – the physical sensation, and the psychological reaction. The contention is that the physical sensations are just that; physical sensations. The hurt we feel, the distress, the aversion; all of that comes from the way we react to the sensations. The hopes and fears they generate, the conditioned, habitual attitudes around pain always needing to be avoided or masked wherever possible. So much to say about this, but it all comes into play at the dentist.

The first time I had a dental treatment without anaesthetic, it took several weeks of preparation. 

The hurt free experience that resulted was truly amazing and liberating. 

Since then, there have been several root canals with live nerves treated and many other procedures. 

Each time a visit becomes a celebration of what a trained mind can accomplish. 

Amazing; really wonder full.

Not to sound too proud, but this is such a useful life skill, maybe this recount might encourage you or others to retrain your own relationship with pain...

If interested, my books Meditation – an Indepth Guide and You Can Conquer Cancer have written details, while there is a download available from the website.

Personally, learning and applying effective pain management has been one of the great benefits from meditation and mind training.

I love going to the dentist!

COMING EVENTS

Is this your time? Your time for a deeper dive into the experience of a meditation retreat – some time out for you - the heart and essence of meditation? 

Or maybe your time to learn the wonderful skill of teaching meditation to others? 

Seven day Meditation Retreat – The Heart and Essence of Meditation

June 7 – 13 

Everything about this retreat has been designed for experiencing what meditation has to offer more directly, more fully. Take time out, leave behind the activities and concerns of daily life and enter into an environment that supports the process of deepening the direct, inner experience. A gentle blend of teachings, guided practices, contemplation, optional yoga, and more... This retreat will offer the culmination of all the study, practice and teaching of meditation with which I have been engaged these past 50 years.

Apply here

Meditation Teacher Training (MBSM) 

May 11 - 15

What a privilege to teach others to meditate. Maybe you want to do this as a new career; maybe this is something to offer within your workplace or elsewhere? These trainings are approved by Meditation Australia and help meet their requirements for registration. And you learn so much and deepen your own practice once you start to teach. 

A wonderful thing to do... Apply here

Three day Meditation Retreat - Deep Natural Peace

November 6 - 8

A moment’s peace. Deep natural peace. Sometimes we just need some time out. Time to step back. Slow down. Reconnect with the practice. Be in nature. Reconnect with our selves. Be refreshed. Experience Deep Natural Peace.

The retreat and trainings are all held amidst the natural beauty and serenity of the Upper Yarra Valley at the delightful Yarra Valley Living Centre.

Apply here

So is this your time?

Details and applications to join the retreat and the trainings are available 

via the website

 

 

Surgery without anaesthesia? A well trained mind, or just plain crazy?

Like to be able to manage pain more easily? Wondered what might be possible?  Dr Ainslie Meares, the founder of therapeutic meditation and my own mentor and initial teacher, had a hernia corrected without anaesthetic. True. I know the surgeon who performed that particular operation.

How is this possible? Can you and I learn from this and change our response to pain?

Ainslie also had well documented, major dental surgery without anaesthetic. A senior Tibetan monk had a significant skin lesion removed without anaesthetic, although by accident not deliberate choice.

Speaking personally, from having a severe aversion to the dentist as a youngster, I have had major dental work performed without anaesthetic while using meditation-based mind techniques learnt from Dr Meares.

So this week we go Out on a Limb once more, share some remarkable stories and point to ways to train the mind to manage pain, but first


Thought for the day
I'm a wonderful housekeeper.
Every time I get a divorce,
I keep the house.

Zsa Zsa Gabor, 
Exponent of laughter is the best medicine



So this is what happened to the Tibetan. Renowned as a master of his own mind, this elderly man was hospitalized to remove a skin lesion, in theory courtesy of a local anaesthetic.

He was readied for the procedure, but in one of those unfortunate combination of events, the surgeon arrived before the anaesthetist. The surgeon was rather taken by the gentle smile of the Tibetan and his calm demeanor, and thinking his patient had been readied, the surgeon took up his scalpel and cut deeply into his skin on his way to removing the affected area.

In a while he noticed that some of the muscles deeper in his patient’s tissues were twitching. Knowing that this would not have been the case if adequate local anaesthesia was in place, he inquired of the Tibetan who just smiled at him. Then he questioned his assistant more thoroughly and it was uncovered that no anaesthetic had been given!

What would you have done?

One suspects that the reaction of the untrained mind is likely to be fairly swift and dramatic. If it did get so far as the scalpel actually slicing the fully awake skin, shrieks of pain would almost certainly be followed by howls of protest.

One could easily imagine sensations of significant pain, agitation, maybe even fainting or hyper-ventilating. And the ramifications for the staff and hospital could be quite difficult with threats or retribution, lawyers and reputations damaged. A reasonably unpleasant experience for all.

So pause to think. In this unlikely scenario, is there another way?

Maybe as a starter we can explore the idea of someone who is really into the notion of training their mind and developing major pain management skills. Maybe this person has already experimented and found it possible to be at ease undergoing dental work with out anaesthetic.

They may well have done this by first believing it to be possible, then determining to develop this personally invaluable skill of advanced pain management. So perhaps they spent weeks or even months doing inner rehearsal. Imagining in their mind going to the dentist, being relaxed in the waiting room knowing they would decline anaesthetic.


Then rehearsing more, imagining being relaxed in the dentist’s chair, knowing they would decline anaesthetic. Imagining the procedure of having a filling repaired being relaxed, at ease and pain free.

Maybe they also rehearsed being able to relax deeply as the treatment was proceeding, observing the
any sensations accompanying the treatment with full mindfulness, knowing there was the ever present refuge of the stillness of meditation to be safe within.

Then imagining and rehearsing the great feeling of leaving the dental surgery knowing there was no lingering after effect of the anaesthetic and knowing they had achieved something significant.

And then maybe they did it. Went on the appointed day, relaxed in the waiting room, relaxed on the chair, relaxed deeply declining any local anaesthetic and relaxed deeply through the filling. Left feeling great!

Then, with this background and knowing they needed skin surgery, maybe they took an extremely adventurous view and decided to attempt it without anaesthetic. And maybe they could find a surgeon willing to go along with it. Maybe. Then all the inner rehearsal, the conscious relaxation, the mind control. Maybe it is possible. Maybe.

So what did the Tibetan do?

Well it seems that right from when our senior Tibetan was first hospitalized, the common experience amongst the hospital staff was of how happy they felt around him. He seemed so at ease, so happy, so grateful to everyone for their assistance that he made them all feel good.



When it came time for his procedure, he smiled
and was happy to go along with whatever directions
he was given; again, full of courtesy and gratitude.

When his surgeon arrived, he greeted him with a smile and looked on with interest as the necessary instruments were assembled.


From all accounts as the scalpel cut deeply into his skin, he seemed to do no more than smile a little deeper. However, when the surgeon questioned if he had been given an anaesthetic, he went to great pains (pardon the pun) to say that everything was fine and politely requested the surgeon to continue.

As it became clear that the anaesthetist had been delayed and the surgery begun without any anaesthetic, the Tibetan’s main concern was for no one to get into trouble. He insisted the surgeon continue, assuring him and re-assuring him that the experience was good for his practice and gave him the opportunity to deepen his meditation!

What would you do? Ever considered making time to train your mind and change your experience of pain? For me, that time was so well spent – it has changed my relationship with pain these last 40 years. Well worth the effort. Liberating in fact.

RESOURCES
The pain management exercises are well set out in the following books and CD/Download. The meditation exercises and specific pain relief exercises that many have found almost miraculously helpful in relieving pain – both acute and chronic – are led by me on the CD/Download

BOOKS : You Can Conquer Cancer

Meditation- An In-depth Guide

CD / Download : Effective Pain Management

NEWS
Had a great weekend in Victoria's West Coast. Stayed at beautiful Pt Fairy and then presented the first workshop for the year on Health, Healing and the Mind in Warrnambool - actually at a local hall in Crossley. The venue was particularly wonderful as it had been saved for public use by a major community push.

The workshop itself was well received. Importantly for me it provided to "test drive" the workshops planned in a few months up the East Coast. Learnt it will be even better to make more time for practicing mindfulness and meditation through the day, but felt the presentation on how the mind works and how to use it to greater effect went well and was enthusiastically received.

Also met a man who came to the cancer groups 25 years ago with a 4 year cancer prognosis who was very much alive and well - very heartening!

NOTICEBOARD
1. Cancer, Healing and Wellbeing 
Only 3 weeks to go before this 8 day cancer residential Ruth and I will present personally in Auckland and spaces are still available to join us.

We will cover the full range of Integrative Medicine options, – therapeutic nutrition, exercise and meditation, emotional health, positive psychology, pain management, the search for meaning and so on.

I will personally present the majority of the content but along with Ruth, participants will have the additional support and experience of Liz Maluschnig and Stew Burt; two very experienced and committed New Zealanders.

For details on this and the other cancer related residential programs for 2014 CLICK HERE 

2. IN SYDNEY? WHAT ARE YOU PLANNING TONIGHT OR TOMORROW?

This is to personally recommend two events I have just been informed of for Sydneysiders coming up very, very soon – Cammeray on Monday 5^th May and Rozelle on Tuesday 6^th May! 

Jason Shon-Bennett is a world leader in the health and wellbeing arena with life-changing messages delivered in an engaging, humorous and compelling way.  Jason will be delivering a fresh new seminar based around the ‘Eat Less, Live Long’ message in his new book including the benefits of eating less, what we can learn from the longest-lived healthiest people and the benefits of Regular Intelligent Fasting (which Jason has been practicing for 25 years).  

Bookings are being taken by the lovely folk at About Life click here to make a booking.