EFT Tapping

WHAT IS EFT TAPPING?

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EFT "Emotional Freedom Technique" tapping is a modified acupressure technique that can help balance the nervous system, and calm anxiety and pain. It can be done easily, quickly and anywhere. EFT tapping focuses on meridian points, applying fingertip tapping pressure. Most people utilize tapping to calm the nervous system, often focusing on a specific fear or feeling, and then tapping to bring balance back. Tapping can be used for something as simple as calming the brain and body after a busy hectic day, or even helpful for reprocessing traumas and fears.

HOW DOES TAPPING WORK?

According to tappingsolutionfoundation.org, "The basic technique requires you to focus on the negative emotion at hand: a fear or anxiety, a bad memory, an unresolved problem, or anything that's bothering you. While maintaining your mental focus on this issue, use your fingertips to tap 5-7 times each on 9 of the body's meridian points.

Tapping on these meridian points – while concentrating on accepting and resolving the negative emotion – will access your body's energy, restoring it to a balanced state. According to Dr. Dawson Church, 'Acupoint tapping sends signals directly to the stress centers of the mid-brain, not mediated by the frontal lobes (the thinking part, active in talk therapy).' Because EFT simultaneously accesses stress on physical and emotional levels, he adds, 'EFT gives you the best of both worlds, body and mind, like getting a massage during a psychotherapy session.' In fact, it's EFT's ability to access the amygdala, an almond-shaped part of your brain that initiates your body's negative reaction to fear, a process we often refer to as the 'fight or flight' response, that makes it so powerful."

When the amygdala is triggered by physical, emotional or other stressors, it sets off the body's alarm systems, including stress hormones like cortisol. Tapping can help calm this physical manifestation of stress. Chronic episodes of stress can be incredibly depleting to the body, and EFT tapping encourages resilience to stress, and a calm, balanced nervous system.

We know that trauma, anxiety and fear are absolutely intertwined with the physical body and nervous system. Tapping works beyond the frontal lobes of the brain, where conscious thought happens, and accesses deeper parts of the brain.

HOW CAN I PRACTICE TAPPING?

Here is a helpful video by The Tapping Solution to familiarize you with the basics of EFT tapping! In standard EFT tapping, nine meridian points are used as tapping points. These include:

• The eyebrow

• Under the eye

• Side of the eye

• Under the nose

• On the chin

• Collarbone

• Under the arm

• Top of the head

Karate Chop point (Under the little finger along the side of your hand)

After identifying the issue, stressor, etc., rotate tapping a few times on each of these points, while repeating a positive affirmation. Tapping should be done with light but steady pressure, using 2, 3, or 4 fingertips at a quick and consistent tempo.

Acknowledge the issue in a factual way, and notice how it makes you feel emotionally and physically. For example, "Even though I'm feeling stressed, overwhelmed and inadequate in my relationships…". Take notice of what you feel in your body. Tension? Heat? Heart palpitations? Nausea? Dizziness? Then, think of a positive affirmation that describes how you want to feel. This can be something like, "I am safe", or "I accept and love myself", "I let go of tension and worry". Breathe deeply and visualize exhaling your concerns and stress.

This process will be different for everyone, but try to think of it as a formula: "Even though" (acknowledge the issue/negative cognition and feelings) + positive affirmation and state your goal. There are many online tutorials that will guide you through tapping for stress and anxiety. As you get more familiar with how to use tapping, you can further personalize the practice. It is a learned skill, so don't worry if you feel scattered and unsure at first!

A tapping session can last anywhere from 2 to 10 minutes, depending on your situation and how many rounds you complete.

Click here to watch an EFT tapping tutorial!