I hate going to the dentist. 

Blame it on the noise. The noise of the tools working in my mouth. The buzzing, the whirring, and worst of all, the screeching of metal against teeth. I can’t handle it.

The last couple of times I went, I discovered I can pop in my earbuds and listen to music to calm myself. I have a playlist called “Words” with some of my favourite songs. I put my hands on my belly and connect with Reiki. And yes, it helps a lot.

But last week, for my dreaded six-month cleaning, I forgot my earbuds. Noooooo! I screamed internally. In most situations, I can practice Reiki without music, but for dentist appointments, I need to be distracted from — you got it — the noise. 

Luckily, my dental office has an overhead TV that’s suspended from the ceiling, just above my head. I wondered if I could turn on my Reiki meditation. I asked if I could watch YouTube.  Thankfully, the hygienist said “yes.” 

I searched for my channel and clicked on the latest chakra meditation. It was 22 minutes long. That should be enough time to get all my cleaning done, I thought.

Just on cue, right as the meditation began, the hygienist began working on my teeth. It took me a few minutes to relax. But every time I heard words like “flow” and “breathe,” I could literally feel my body releasing its tension.

The best part? My ears weren’t focused on the dreadful noises coming from my mouth. I didn’t have to ask the hygienist to stop again and again. Every time she asked me if I was doing okay, I said “yes.” (Actually I just said “unhh,” but she got the picture!) It was going really well.

But when the 22 minutes was up, so was meditation. Unfortunately, the cleaning wasn’t. Suddenly my mind was distracted again, and I got disconnected from Reiki. The noise got louder….. Nooooo.

YouTube had begun to play something else. I think the title was “Angelic Voice.” It was soothing, but it wasn’t Reiki.

I fumbled for the remote to find another one of my meditations. Phew, I’m good. I reconnected with Reiki, placed my hands on my belly, and just listened. I can endure this a while longer, I thought. And I did. 

What’s your technique for coping with situations that make you anxious? Do you use Reiki or something else? Share it with us in the comments below!