Tap Your Way To Emotional Freedom

I first posted this article on May 17th, 2014 on my then, Inside Outer Style blog. Needless to say, it intrigued me then and still does now.

I was at a prayer session and during a conversation with a spiritual teacher, she brought my attention EFT  (Emotional Freedom Technique ) or commonly known as Tapping. I later interviewed Tina Paymaster, an EFT and Ayurvedic practitioner on the healing benefits of Tapping. Check out the Podcast here.

EFT is a psychological acupressure technique that’s widely recognized and credited for,

– Reducing negative emotions or memories.

– Eliminating pain.

– Minimize food cravings.

– Attaining goals.

Nick Ortner, author of The Tapping Solution says, it’s a revolutionary system for stress-free living. Sounds like something that’s got my name written all over it.  Here’s what one of his book reviewers had to say’ ” I found this info very thought provoking. It’s cool that tapping is something you can easily try and determine if it works for you. I did a lot of tapping the week before getting an MRI, which is a very stressful thing for me. It definitely helped reduce my level of panic about being in the closed-in machine. I’m finding it useful in general for dealing with stress/anxiety. I read this as a library book but its one that I’m planning to purchase since I think it’s likely I’ll use it as a reference in a lot of different situations.” What’s good is that it doesn’t cost a thing to try it.

The technique is fairly simple. There are 8 meridian points on the head and upper chest, where you will tap. Tapping the meridians help to release pent up stress, fear, anger, and doubt. So let’s take a look at how this works.

Images: breakfreefast.com

1. Identify a negative emotion that’s causing you to feel stress. Determine its intensity by assigning a level of 0-10 (wiki.com); Zero being non-existent and 10 most severe.

2. Determine and clarify your setup phrase and tap the Karate Chop Point (see diagram) with your fingers and say, “even though I have this issue (whatever the issue is, for example, Though I am having writer’s block, I deeply and completely love myself and will overcome it“. Repeat the phrase while tapping the karate chop point for about 7 times, You can stop counting when you get the hang of it.

 

3. Then create a reminder phrase( a reminder of the setup phrase)  to say out loud while tapping on the remaining meridian points (ex. writer’s block), then continue on tapping the top of the head (all the while saying the reminder phrase, writer’s block). And think about the reminder phrase while you tap. Do so for about 7 times, but again, counting is not necessary once you get the hang of it.

 

4. Tap inside the eyebrow (keep breathing).

5. Tap side of the eye

6. Tap under the eye (don’t forget to keep saying your reminder phrase).

7. Tap under the nose.

8. Tap under the chin.

9. Tap the collar bone

10. Tap under the arm ( by the bra strap or approximately 3 inches down from the pits). Other places you can tap include

11. Tap the inside of the wrists

12. Tap the liver.

13. Back to the Karate chop point.

14. The side tip of each finger, starting with the thumb.

15. Tap the Karate Chop point.

Images: lkcoacking.com

Sources for more information:

http://www.proeftcenter.com

http://www.wikihow.com/Use-the-Emotional-Freedom-Technique-(EFT)

http://www.breakfreefast.com/tapping/