Invisalign-ment
Monday, January 25th 2010 @ 4:41 PM (not yet rated)
This morning I went to the orthodontist and got Invisalign® for straightening my teeth. (For those of you no longer in the braces set, Invisalign is the modern form of braces that are clear and removable, but still move your teeth.)
I never thought I would be getting braces (again!) I actually had them for EIGHT years as a young girl and was fairly traumatized by the pain and suffering associated with straightening my extremely crazy underbite.
Needless to say, once they were removed when I was a junior in high school, I thought I was forever complete with these adolescent torture devices.
However, for whatever reason I wasn't given a retainer when they were finally removed and over the years my teeth started shifting. In the last several years they kind of "collapsed" and have become more and more crooked by the day (at least in my perception...)
Soooo for a couple of years I've been thinking about getting Invisalign® to correct the problem but couldn't justify the expense (and, ok, was not so interested in further pain and suffering too...)
I've committed to make 2010 a year of increased focus on physical health and wellness, so I finally took the plunge.
As I'm sitting here in the first 6 hours of teeth straightening, I've had a couple of insights:
1. Change is not always comfortable.
I have the vision of what I want my perfect smile to look like and I'm holding the intention of how excited and happy I'll be to see my teeth exactly the way I want them, but in the moment... MY TEETH HURT! My Funky Monkey (i.e. ego) says, "It isn't worth it, it's too hard, I need a break."
It's interesting to just notice those thoughts and to allow them to float in and out as I continue about my day.
In Yoga practice, we talk about breathing into discomfort. This allows your mind to break through the limitations you may have about what is possible. As you get to the other side of the pain you see new possibilities and open your consciousness beyond what you thought you could do.
Looks like the next few days will be great "consciousness-raisers" for me.
2. Choice can be both "good" and "bad."
What drew me to Invisalign® over traditional braces was the fact that I can take them out whenever I want. I happen to have an Essence around not wanting to be "locked in" to anything and so I don't like to make a full commitment when I don't absolutely have to. (Having wires cemented on your teeth is exactly the type of "commitment" that gives me nightmares.)
So, it's great that I've found this option that allows me to take the "braces" off if I need to give a speech or talk on the phone, if I want to eat something, OR... if I just need a break.
Therein lies the dilemma. I am SO tempted to just take them out. I keep thinking about it. It would be so easy, no one will know, I could wear them longer tomorrow. You know, more Funky Monkey stuff.
I actually watched a documentary the other day on PBS where they were studying what makes people happy. They did a test with people who were told they had won a piece of art and could pick one portrait from a large available selection. One group was told they could return the picture at any time if they decided they wanted a different one, while the other group was told their selection was final and could never be returned.
Later the researchers polled each group to find out how satisfied they were with their selection. Guess who was more satisfied... The group that was told their selection was FINAL reported MORE satisfaction with their painting than the group that could trade it in at any time.
It seems that the human mind is geared to adapt to situations in order to become satisfied. When it thinks it has a choice it fights against what is.
Very interesting!
So how does this relate to permanent or temporary braces?
Well, personal improvement (of any kind) is all about CHOICE. If you want to change who you are, how you look, what you think, or where you are going, it requires taming that Funky Monkey in your mind that will constantly be nudging you to find comfort in the status quo.
It is certainly easier to passively rationalize why things are okay "for now" or why there isn't any way you could or should work to make things better - it's how we're hardwired.
However, we aren't doomed to this fate. As with everything, once we become aware of it we are in a more powerful position to manage it.
In each moment I CHOOSE to improve upon my smile. I CHOOSE to feel happy while doing it, and to persist despite the interim discomfort. I CHOOSE to maintain my focus on the outcome I desire and manifest a speedy and comfortable journey from here to there.
I can make friends with my Funky Monkey and co-exist with it on the road to self-improvement.
After all, it was the Funky Monkey that convinced me I didn't look good with the crooked smile to begin with...
