What Is EFT – Emotional Freedom Technique?
EFT stands for “Emotional Freedom Techniques.” This is an extremely effective self-help method known as “tapping” or “meridian tapping” that is used by hundreds of thousands of people all over the world.
Emotional Freedom Techniques are beneficial for releasing negative thoughts, and behaviors that have become stored in our bodies on a cellular level.
Dr. George Goodheart is one of the forefathers of developing tapping methods that are often referred to as “emotional acupuncture.” A well-known American chiropractor, he founded a branch of chiropractic in the USA, based on a specific method of testing the body for information regarding its’ own individual needs.
A person’s emotional well-being is completely interlinked with their overall health and physical state. Our mental health plays a significant role in our healing ability and our physical health.
Psychological acupressure delivered with EFT is an excellent way to overcome emotional barriers that can make you feel “stuck” or in a rut in certain aspects of your life.
EFT Beginnings
The origins of EFT or tapping are said to have been developed in ancient Chinese medicine as acupuncture was being discovered. Acupuncture is a healing method that utilizes energy pathways in the body known as energy meridians. Acupuncture is mainly used to treat physical ailments and not typically psychological issues, such as with EFT.
The practice is based on the same energy meridians that have been utilized in traditional acupuncture; however, no needles are involved. You simply use your fingertips to gently tap on their meridians in order to generate kinetic energy into these particular meridians mainly the head and the chest area.
While tapping on these points, you think about a certain problem in your life you wish to overcome; possibly an addiction, a chronic pain, or a traumatic event. While holding that image in your mind, you can voice positive affirmations while tapping in order to clear the blockage.
The purpose of voicing positive affirmations and tapping on your energy meridians is to restore your body and mind’s balance by short-circuiting the emotional blockage from your body’s bioenergy system. Once the blockage is released and balance is attained, it is possible for physical and emotional problems to heal and optimum health to reign.
How and Where to Tap
There are 2 key points to utilizing EFT: the tapping technique and locations, and the positive affirmations. There is a sequence to follow in tapping and once you get the hang of it, usually after only a few minutes, you will be able to do the sequence automatically and focus more on your affirmations.
There are 9 Tapping Points on the body:
- Karate Chop (KC)
- Top of Head (TH)
- Eyebrow (EB)
- Side of the Eye (SE)
- Under the Eye (UE)
- Under the Nose (UN)
- Chin (Ch)
- Collar Bone (CB)
- Under the Arm (UA)
Accepting and Understanding
Many people are skeptical when they first discover EFT and tapping.
Being aware of the electromagnetic energy that constantly flows through our body and regulates our health has recently been recognized in our Western culture and is gaining popularity.
It is common for people to be initially amused by the methodology of EFT, but once they try tapping and feel the benefits, their amusement often changes to belief.
Are you familiar with EFT affirmation and tapping? If not, why not give it a try!
What Are The Benefits of EFT?
EFT has many benefits besides being a healing technique. It is also safe, simple and easy to do and there is no special equipment required. The wonderful thing is that many individuals can do treatment sessions on their own in the comfort of their own homes.
EFT has been successfully used to treat a myriad of conditions. Tapping has been used to help with PTSD (or Post Traumatic Stress Disorder), to quitting smoking, emotional fears and stressors and many other issues. There are a variety of videos on YouTube that can enable you to learn the how-to’s and hear people’s successes and the benefits they have received from using this technique.
Of course, if you are dealing with significant trauma or a difficult situation, you may benefit from working alongside a trained medical practitioner. Thanks to how successful EFT is there are numerous practitioners employing EFT all over the globe. Many will work with you over the phone or via Skype, making it super flexible to keep a schedule with them and work through your issues together.
Calming Your Mind
Tapping is an effective tool for soothing or calming your body physically or your mind mentally or emotionally. It is very liberating to be able to rely on yourself and not someone else for calming yourself down. Being responsible for how you are feeling and thinking as opposed to waiting for someone else to change their behavior, attitude or mood so that you can feel better is very empowering.
Releasing Negative Factors
EFT is an excellent tool in your arsenal for preventing disease. Not only does it improve the energy flow within the body and stimulate the energy meridians in the process, but it helps to completely ground your body’s electrical energy system by fully connecting you to your physical body.
Since negative energy that is trapped in the body thrives on worry, anxiety, tension and stress, it is vitally important for us all to release that negativity in order to live a healthier life.
Being in a chronically unhealthy state has been clinically proven to lead to illnesses including: back pain, irritable bowel syndrome, Crohn’s disease, TMJ, depression, ulcers, chronic stress disorder, colitis, tension headaches, fibromyalgia, migraines, ulcers, and tension headaches among other issues.
Living with constant negative energy can have extremely detrimental effects on your overall health. In order to heal it is necessary to release negativity and surround yourself with healthy and positive people and environments.
One of the great benefits of this therapy is that anyone is capable of learning the techniques of EFT tapping, and passing on that learning to their family and their kids! In only a few minutes EFT and once they grasp the concept they are on their way to healing. Another wonderful attribute is that this is a totally portable treatment. You can do it at home or simply excuse yourself and go to the bathroom to ‘tap’ if and when you are out in public.
Some people have mastered the skill of “Mental Tapping” where they do EFT by imagining they are tapping on their energy meridians and only using their mind. This technique is often used just as you are falling asleep or first thing in the morning upon awakening; especially during times when you are too relaxed or too tired to physically lift up your arm.
If you start tapping, you too will reap the benefits!
EFT Traditional Tapping Technique
It only takes a few minutes to learn the basic EFT sequence. It is straightforward and once you memorize it, it is easy to repeat. After obtaining very little practice, you will be performing every round in less than a minute.
The great thing about tapping is that it is fairly flexible. If for example, you don’t tap exactly on the meridian points, the benefits will still present themselves. You may often experience times when you are unable to complete the entire tapping sequence due to a lack of privacy.
During these times, EFT can be modified by simply tapping on the karate chop point or the collar bone and stating your positive affirmations.
Some people find it beneficial to tap their fingertips together since a variety of meridian points is located within them. Many people have success grounding and centering themselves by lightly tapping their fingers on their upper thigh just above their knee. This can be a great option if you need to do some tapping while at your desk or when you are discussing stressful topics over the phone.
Getting Started
Your fingertips are your tapping tool. There is a variety of acupuncture meridians located in your fingertips, therefore you are not only activating the meridians you are tapping on; you are also using the ones in your fingers at the same time.
Since the majority of tapping points exist on either side of the body, it does not matter if you switch sides while you are working through the tapping sequence.
Originally, EFT had you tapping with your index and middle finger and only using one hand. Either hand works as well as the other. It is ok to switch sides during tapping. If you start tapping under your right arm for example and end up under your left arm, later on, it is ok.
Some people believe it is better to use all of your fingers and both hands. This technique covers more surface area, thus enabling you to access more of your acupuncture points. Other people have obtained great success with the traditional method of one hand, two fingers.
It is important to be comfortable and choose what works best for you in order to achieve the greatest results.
Basic Method
Try to consciously use your fingertips as opposed to your finger pads, as the tips have more meridian points. Of course, if you have long fingernails, take care not to hurt yourself! Prior to beginning, it is a good idea to remove any bracelets, your glasses and your watch as these can interfere with some of your tapping places.
Starting at the top of your head, tap each meridian point 5 to 7 times. The actual number is not crucial to the success of the session but instead, should approximately be the length of time it takes for one full breath.
Work your way through the meridian points.
Each point lies below the previous point, making it super easy to remember if you start at the top and work your way down. It is not necessary to work on the points in any specific order as long as you remember to tap each one.
If you choose to use both hands it is recommended to alternate the tapping so that each hand is slightly out of phase with the other hand, as opposed to tapping with both hands at the same time.
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