What is EFT?
Emotional Freedom Techniques, or EFT (also known as Meridian Tapping or simply Tapping), is an easy to use healing tool that can provide impressive results for physical & emotional pain, anxiety, phobias, and performance issues. The theory behind EFT is that negative emotions are old emotional wounds stored in the body as blocked energetic patterns.
EFT operates on the premise that no matter what part of your life needs improvement, these unresolved emotional issues could be blocking you. Clinical trials have shown that EFT is able to rapidly reduce the emotional impact of memories and incidents that trigger emotional distress. EFT combines the physical benefits of acupressure with the cognitive benefits of conventional therapy for a much faster, more complete treatment of emotional issues, and the physical and performance issues that often result.
EFT is an alternative approach to healing that can be beneficial for anyone.
EFT Tapping Points
Tapping is such a simple process that anyone can do it. One of the easiest ways to get started is to go to you tube and follow along with any of the thousands of videos. Find someone that has a video on an issue that fits what you are dealing with or who has a style you like and just get started. I have inserted the Tapping Points diagram here for your reference and I will give you the how to so you can do it now on your own if you prefer.
How To Tap
The first thing you want to do is identify the issue that is bothering you.
It can be and emotional response to something that is currently happening or a recurring feeling or image that comes up regarding a past event or a future fear, like an upcoming test or fear of flying. It can even be a physical symptom like a headache or backache. The school of thought on EFT is to try it on everything.
- Scale your distress level or SUDs Level (subjective units of distress 1 – 10, 10 being the worst you could feel) around the issue.
- Using the chart on the right, start tapping. Starting with the Karate Chop Point, tap gently while focusing on the issue, on this point we start with the set up statement which consists of a problem statement and an affirmation. For example; Even though I am so embarrassed by my reaction, I deeply and completely love and accept myself. Or Even though I have this nagging headache, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.
- Next we move through the points starting with the Eyebrow Point, Side of Eye, Under Eye, Under Nose, Chin Point, Collarbone Point, Under Arm, Top of Head. Go through the points using a reminder statement such as this embarrassed feeling, or this embarrassing behavior.
- After you have gone through the points a few times and focused on the feelings while repeating the reminder phrase, check back in on your distress level. If it was at a 7, is it still, did it get lower? Higher? Stay the same? In most cases it will lower, but you are focusing on the problem so there is the possibility that it will get higher (if it does, keep tapping). If it stays the same you might just need to tap more or it could be that you aren’t focused on the specific problem. Keep at it, check to see if there is a stronger emotion, or can you get even more specific, like I am so embarrassed by my reaction because I looked like an idiot, or I know they were judging me, get to the core and the emotions will definitely start to shift.
EFT is such a simple and easy to use technique and quite effective most of the time, however there might be times where it is helpful to work with someone. A practitioner can help to identify the the different aspects of the core issue, get more specific, or even hold space for you to heal. One of the biggest problems with getting results is working on an issue that is too global, to general, rather than identifying the core issue.
Reach out for a 20 minute free consultation if you feel like you want to know more and might be interested in working with me. Contact me at mj@tappingintohealing.net.
You can also learn more about EFT at EFTUniverse.com