Get started tapping your way into excellent health
By KATHLEEN O’CONNOR
Happy Fall Everyone. I hope you are feeling warm and snuggly.
I had an overwhelming response to the series on tapping, some people missed one of the articles, some missed both. So I thought a review would be in order. In my Master’s Class they taught us when you do a paper – you tell your audience, what you are going to tell them – then you tell them – and then you tell them what you just told them.
That always seemed so strange to me, but I figure since repetition is in order, repeating this information here might be a good idea. So let’s go.
TAPPING YOUR WAY TO HEALTH
Tapping or The Emotional Freedom Technique, (EFT). It is a very simple, powerful way of healing. It frees us on the emotional level, which is often the root source of our problems.
What is the Emotional Freedom Technique?
The Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, is the psychological acupressure technique to optimize your emotional health. Although it is still often overlooked, emotional health is absolutely essential to your physical health and healing – no matter how devoted you are to the proper diet and lifestyle, you will not achieve your body’s ideal healing and preventative powers if emotional barriers stand in your way.
EFT is very easy to learn, and will help you:
Remove Negative Emotions
Reduce Food Cravings
Reduce / Eliminate Pain
Achieve Positive Goals
How Does It Work?
EFT is a form of psychological acupressure, based on the same energy meridians-(pathways) used in traditional acupuncture to treat physical and emotional ailments for over five thousand years, but without the invasiveness of needles.
Instead, simple tapping with the fingertips is used to input kinetic energy-( the energy of motion)- onto specific meridians on the head and chest, etc. while you think about your specific problem – whether it is a traumatic event, an addiction, pain, etc. — and voice positive affirmations.
This combination of tapping the energy meridians and voicing positive affirmation works to clear the “short-circuit” – the emotional block — from your body’s bioenergy -(renewable energy) – system, thus restoring your mind and body’s balance, which is essential for optimal health and the healing of physical disease.
But keep in mind that, more than any traditional or alternative methods many doctor’s have used or researched, EFT works! Many have witnessed the results in their patients since deciding to use EFT. Indeed, because of its very high rate of success, the use of EFT has spread rapidly, and medical practitioners employing EFT can now be found in every corner of the country and world.
These articles will provide an overview on how and where to tap, and the proper affirmation techniques, so that you can begin using EFT immediately to help yourself and others. It will also provide an introduction to some advanced EFT techniques and principles you can employ.
Tapping Locations
& Technique
There are two basic areas to learn in order to use EFT: the tapping locations and technique,
and the positive affirmations. These areas, as well as some advanced EFT principles and
techniques, are covered in the following sections.
You should be able to successfully treat many problems by diligently applying the
following instructions.
If you are not getting the results you would like, or you have a particularly traumatic issue,
please do not give up! Instead, consider consulting with an EFT professional. You may
check out a clinical EFT certified practitioner database for some guidelines on selecting
an EFT therapist, and to find a list of EFT practitioners throughout the U.S. and the world.
Many of these therapists even offer a free 15-minute phone session in which you can ask them questions to see if you connect.
Proper EFT Tapping
NOTE: While it is important to tap the correct area, you need not worry about being absolutely precise, as tapping the general area is sufficient. It is easy to learn.
It’s All in the Fingertips
The first thing to understand is that you will be tapping with your fingers. There are a number of acupuncture meridians on your fingertips, and when you tap with your fingertips you are also likely using not only the meridians you are tapping on, but also the ones on your fingers.
The first thing to understand is that you will be tapping with your fingers. There are a number of acupuncture meridians on your fingertips, and when you tap with your fingertips you are also likely using not only the meridians you are tapping on, but also the ones on your fingers.
Most of the tapping points exist on either side of the body, so it doesn’t matter which side you use, nor does it matter if you switch sides during the tapping.
The Modified Approach
The modified approach is to slightly use both hands and all your fingers, so that they are gently relaxed and form a slightly curved natural line. The use of more fingers allows you to access more of the acupuncture points. When you use all your fingers you will cover a larger area and this will allow you to cover the tapping points more easily.
Ideally, you will want to use your fingertips, not your finger pads as they have more meridian points.
Tap Solidly – But Don’t Hurt Yourself!
You should tap solidly, but never so hard as to hurt or bruise yourself.
When you tap on the points outlined below, you will tap about 5-7 times. The actual number is not critical, but ideally should be about the length of time it takes for one full breath.
Please notice that these tapping points proceed down the body. That is, each tapping point is below the one before it. That should make it a snap to memorize. A few trips through it and it should be yours forever. You can tap the points in any order and sequence, just so long as all the points are covered. It just is easier to go from top to bottom to make sure you remember to do them all.
OK — LET’S GET STARTED
REMEMBER — tap 5-7 times – not to hard or to soft.
1. Top of the Head
With fingers back-to-back TAP the center of the skull.
2. Eyebrow
Just above and to one side of the nose, TAP above the eyebrow.
3. Side of the Eye
TAP on the bone bordering the outside corner of the eye.
4. Under the Eye
TAP on the bone under an eye about one inch below your pupil.
5. Under the Nose
TAP on the small area between the bottom of your nose and the top of your upper lip.
6. Chin TAP midway between the point of your chin and the bottom of your lower lip.
7. Collar Bone
The junction where the sternum (breastbone), collarbone and the first rib meet. This is a very important point and in acupuncture is referred to as K (kidney) 27. To locate it, first place your forefinger on the U-shaped notch at the top of the breastbone (about where a man would knot his tie). From the bottom of the U, move your forefinger down ( toward the navel) one inch and then go to the left and right one inch. This point is referred to as Collar Bone even though it is not on the collarbone (or clavicle) per se.
8. Under the Arm
Tap about 4 inches below the armpit.
9. Wrists
The last point is the inside of both wrists. Just TAP your wrist together.
We have been practicing tapping in our St. Clairsville class, you are welcome to join us.
IDEAS OF POSITIVE
AFFIRMATIONS
Now that you understand how to actually perform the mechanical tapping and where you need to tap, you will next need to know what to say while you are tapping.
The traditional EFT phrase uses the following setup:
“Even though I have this ————————–,
I deeply and completely accept myself.”
You can also substitute this as the second part of the phrase:
“I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
The blank above is filled in with a brief description of the addiction, food craving, negative emotion, headaches, nightmares, fear, anger depression, or other problem you want to address.
Just follow the same general format. That is… acknowledge the problem and create self-acceptance despite the existence of the problem. That is what’s necessary for the affirmation to be effective.
“I accept myself even though I have this——————“‘ I deeply and completely accept myself”