Knock, Knock! Is It EFT Tapping?

Have you heard of ‘tapping’?  No, I’m not referring to a crude definition of the word in Urban Dictionary and I’m not referring to the act of tap dancing.  Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is also called ‘tapping’ because that’s the action you do to reduce stress, reduce anxiety, lower cortisol, improve sleep, get pain relief, deal with ADHD and PTSD, address panic attacks and OCD, and more.  Sounds great!  What precisely is EFT/tapping and how does it work?

“ According to Gary Craig, the developer of EFT, tapping on different parts of the body helps balance energy and reduce physical and emotional pain. People can see an EFT practitioner for treatment or use this technique themselves. [While]there have been relatively few studies on EFT,… [many] people may find it beneficial. EFT, also known as tapping or psychological acupressure, involves tapping specific points on the body, primarily on the head and the face, in a particular sequence. While doing this, the person focuses on the issue that they wish to treat” (https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326434). EFT / tapping comes out of traditional Chinese medicine that introduced the healing world to the “body’s energy meridian points; proponents believe them to be areas of the body through which energy flows” (qtd. in https://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/326434).  to see a chart and learn more about the [9-]12 basic Meridians, go to this link: https://wefreespirits.com/12-meridians-energy-channels-chart/.

You may be thinking, ‘Ive heard of chakras and energy flow in the body, but not meridians.  What’s the difference between meridians and chakras?’  “Despite their different cultural origins, meridians and chakras share several key similarities: [energy flow, holistic approach to health, connection to emotions, vulnerability to imbalance]. [There are some differences: location of the pathways, number of pathways - chakras have 7 major pathways and meridians have [9-12] primary pathways, techniques for balancing energy]” (https://realitypathing.com/the-connection-between-meridians-and-chakras/).  To learn more specifics on each, chakras and meridians, open the link referenced above.

EFT / tapping does not have to be done by a holistic healer; you can learn to do this yourself.  And, it involves a light touch; you won’t be pummeling yourself to use this technique. It comes in handy to know in case you find yourself feeling anxious, stressed, are confused or angry or upset about an issue.  To use the EFT Tapping technique, follow these steps:

“1. …Know the tapping points- Eyebrow Point, Side of Eye, Under Eye, Under Nose, Chin Point, Collarbone Point, Under Arm, Top of Head. [for more detail on where these points are specifically situated, see the diagram in https://www.thetappingsolution.com/eft-tapping/#whatis ].

2. Identify the issue that’s bothering you. Focus on something that is bothering you, like a fear or anxiety, a physical ailment, a bad memory, or an unresolved problem.

3. Rate the intensity of the issue. Once you've identified your issue, rate how it makes you feel on a scale from 0 to 10. A score of 0 means you feel completely fine, while 10 means you feel as bad as possible. Write down your score. This scale helps measure the emotional or physical discomfort you're experiencing. It also serves as a benchmark to track your progress after completing an EFT sequence.

4. Acknowledging whatever is bothering you and causing you distress, while accepting yourself fully. Create a statement that describes the issue, followed by a statement of self-acceptance, such as ‘Even though I have this [insert problem or emotion], I deeply and completely accept myself.’ For example: 'Even though I feel anxious about giving my presentation tomorrow, I deeply and completely accept myself.’ The statement should focus on your own feelings about the problem, not on someone else’s issue. For instance, instead of saying, ‘Even though my friend is upset, I deeply and completely accept myself’ say, ‘Even though I feel helpless that my friend is upset, I deeply and completely accept myself.'

5. Start the EFT Tapping sequence. The EFT tapping sequence involves systematically tapping on the endpoints of 9 specific meridian points. Start tapping your fingertips on the 9 tapping points along the body’s meridians while maintaining your mental focus on the issue at hand. While you tap, you may say statements that help you to first focus on and acknowledge what you are feeling (often called a reminder phrase). For example, you might say, ‘anxious about the presentation.’ You can then move towards letting go of the distress, resolving your difficult emotions, and turning towards the positive. As you tap, you might also do visualizations or bring to mind certain thoughts or memories.

6. Rate the final intensity. Rate the intensity of the issue again on a scale from 0 to 10. This allows you to assess if anything has changed for you.

7. Repeat as needed. If the intensity is still higher than you'd like, start again! You can keep tapping through the points until you find some relief” (https://www.thetappingsolution.com/eft-tapping/#whatis).

For more information with Beginner Tapping Tips, open this link: https://www.thetappingsolution.com/blog/how-to-do-eft-tapping-your-complete-guide-to-the-tapping-technique-and-the-basic-tapping-sequence/ .  This link gives you more basic instructions as well as beneficial tip.

Have I used this technique?  Yes, and I found it easy to do and works well when my ADHD comes into play or when I want to respond with calm and positivity rather than react with anger and negativity.  Have you heard of EFT / Tapping?  If so, have you tried it?  How did it work for you?  If not, are you going to try it? Please share your stories, thoughts, insights, and suggestions by either commenting below this post if you are reading this on social media, or, if you are reading this through your email subscription, please share, by emailing me, at reimaginelife22@gmail.com.

Happy ‘tapping’! Thank you for reading and participating in this blog essay; I invite you to subscribe to my blog at www.reimaginelifecoach.com.