The recent stress of COVID-19 that has swept across the world has left many feeling anxious and full of fear.
It’s hard to know how to process these emotions, let alone function with them, or best how to get rid of them.
But there is a way to release the magnitude of this stress.
The process involves tapping, or more precisely EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) tapping – and the results are extraordinary.
What Is EFT Tapping?
EFT tapping is an alternative treatment for physical pain and emotional distress. It’s also referred to as tapping or psychological acupressure.
EFT tapping uses a simple but precise pattern of tapping with your fingers on 9 acupressure points of the body while you simultaneously imagine the object or experience that stimulates your phobic reaction.
It acts in much the same way as a virus in a computer program by permanently interrupting the “program” or sequence of events that occur in the brain between the initial sighting of the thing you are afraid of and the physical response you experience.
Many past hurts get stored in the mind and even in the body – affecting all our future actions and decisions.
For many of my clients, moving on from their past is difficult, painful, and very difficult, particularly if they have experienced violence, trauma, or abuse early in life.
Tapping therapy stimulates the body’s own ability to release stored pain of any kind. The results are nothing short of miraculous.
The instant release occurs by tapping along these meridians in acupressure-like fashion while focusing the mind on the past hurt or current stress (phobia, fear, or anxiety).
For thousands of years, Eastern cultures have focused their methods for healing medical conditions on stimulating energy ‘meridians’ or pathways throughout the body.
These energy pathways send electrical impulses throughout the body to keep all systems working, but – in addition to moving and storing energy – it was discovered they also store emotions.
Many healthcare professionals believe that an illness or chronic pain in a specific area of the body is the result of a specific emotional pain stored in that meridian.
What Are The Meridian Pathways?
There are 12 major meridians that mirror each side of the body and correspond to an internal organ.
Below is a chart showing the meridian pathways in the body as a 24-hour body clock – illustrating the cycle of energy throughout the organs during the day.
Note: the 12 meridians have 2 hours of dedicated energy focus each during the cycle and often symptoms at a particular time of day can be attributed to the organ focused at that time. For instance, liver time is between 1 am-3 am and is often associated with waking if a liver is congested and in need of detoxification.
Likewise, a symptom anywhere along a meridian line can be connected to a particular organ also. For instance, gout on a big toe sits on the liver meridian and indicates a liver in need of detoxification once more.
How Does EFT Tapping Work?
Similar to acupuncture, EFT focuses on the meridian points – or energy hot spots – to restore balance to the body’s energy. It’s believed that restoring this energy balance can relieve symptoms a negative experience or emotion may have caused.
Based on Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM), meridian points are thought of as areas of the body energy flows through. These pathways help balance energy flow to maintain your health. Any imbalance can influence disease or sickness.
Acupuncture uses needles to apply pressure to these energy points. EFT uses fingertip tapping to apply pressure.
Tapping helps a person access their body’s energy and sends signals to the part of the brain that controls stress. Stimulating the meridian points through EFT tapping can reduce the stress or negative emotion felt from an issue, ultimately restoring balance to the disrupted energy.
Learn the 9 Tapping Points
EFT tapping mainly focuses on nine body points only, although the full tapping sequence involves another six points, for a total of 15 points.
There are the eight main tapping points and one point on your hand known as the karate chop spot on the heel of your hand.
The other 8 points are, your eyebrow, side of your eye, under your eye, under your nose, your chin, your collarbone, under your arm, and the top of your head.
The tapping points in order are:
- karate chop (KC): small intestine meridian
- eyebrow (EB): bladder meridian
- side of the eye (SE): gallbladder meridian
- under the eye (UE): stomach meridian
- under the nose (UN): governing vessel
- chin (Ch): central vessel
- beginning of the collarbone (CB): kidney meridian
- under the arm (UA): spleen meridian
- top of the head (TH): governing vessel
Tapping was originally taught one-sided; you tap with either hand, on either side of the body. Most people tap with their dominant hand. You have completed a “round” of tapping when you’ve tapped on each of the points.
Tap lightly, but firmly. This isn’t massage, so tapping with force isn’t necessary. If you can’t tap a particular point due to an injury, just skip that point. Unlike acupuncture, tapping is a very forgiving process.
One reason it is common to tap using both the index finger and the middle finger together is that you’re tapping a fairly large area with both fingers on any particular spot.
So what does the sequence look like?
What Emotions Are Released At Each Point?
It amazes me how emotions get ‘trapped’ in our body over time and as a result of events that happen to and around us.
Below are 2 charts that explain what emotions are released at each tapping point.
EFT tapping predominately uses the first 9 points only as previously mentioned.
EFT Tapping Steps
EFT tapping can be divided into five main steps with an additional step to instill some positivity into the issue. If you have more than one issue or fear, you can repeat this sequence to address it and reduce or eliminate the intensity of your negative feeling. However, it’s important to focus on one issue at a time only.
- IDENTIFY THE ISSUE
In order for this technique to be effective, you must first identify the issue or fear you have. This will be your focal point while you’re tapping. Focusing on only one problem at a time is purported to enhance your outcome.
- TEST THE INITIAL INTENSITY
After you identify your problem area, you need to set a benchmark level of intensity. The intensity level is rated on a scale from 0 to 10, with 10 being the worst or most difficult. The scale assesses the emotional or physical pain and discomfort you feel from your focal issue.
Establishing a benchmark helps you monitor your progress after performing a complete EFT sequence. If your initial intensity was 10 prior to tapping and ended at 5, you’d have accomplished a 50 percent improvement level.
- THE SETUP
Prior to tapping, you need to establish a phrase that explains what you’re trying to address. It must focus on two main goals:
- acknowledging the issues
- accepting yourself despite the problem
The common setup phrase is: “Even though I have this problem, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
There are three elements to the Set-Up Statement:
- The first is that linguistically using the words, “Even though” takes power out of the words that follow. It is the same as saying, “In spite of this issue.”
- The second is that it targets the problem tuning our system into the energetic disruption by saying the words that draw its awareness to it.
- The third element in the above Set-Up Statement is the words, “ accept myself” regardless of this problem. The more we don’t accept “the problem” the more we are feeding it with our energy. All we are really doing by accepting is not fighting our current reality. We have a problem. We accept that we have it. It is what it is basically.
Setup statement examples:
“Even though I feel this anxiety, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though I’m anxious about my interview, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though I’m feeling this anxiety about my financial situation, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though I panic when I think about ______, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though I’m worried about how to approach my boss, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though I’m having trouble breathing, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though I have this aching pain in my right shoulder, I completely accept myself.”
“Even though I believe I don’t deserve to be successful, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
You can modify the statement as it doesn’t always fit with the other words you need to add to tune into your problem.
- EFT TAPPING SEQUENCE
Begin by tapping the karate chop point while simultaneously reciting your setup phrase three times. Then, tap each following point seven times, moving down the body in this ascending order:
- eyebrow
- side of the eye
- under the eye
- under the nose
- chin
- beginning of the collarbone
- under the arm
After tapping the underarm point, finish the sequence at the top of the head point.
While tapping the ascending points, recite a reminder phrase often to maintain focus on your problem area.
If your setup phrase is, “Even though I’m afraid to ask for a raise, I deeply and completely love and accept myself” your reminder phrase can be, “My raise.”
Tap 5 to 7 times firmly at each point with either hand. You can tap one side of the body or both at the same time. The meridian points are symmetrical on either side of the body.
Accompany each tapping point with a statement that keeps you focused on the emotion.
Like this:
Eyebrow: “My fear of asking for a raise.”
Outside of Eye: “I’m afraid he’ll say no, and I’ll be embarrassed.”
Under the Eye: “My fear that I’ll be embarrassed.”
Under the Nose: “I’ll be so embarrassed if he says no.”
Chin: “My fear of asking for a raise.”
Collarbone: “I’m afraid to ask for a raise.”
Under the Arm: “I’ll be so embarrassed.”
Top of the Head: “I’ll be mortified if he says no.”
The exact words you say aren’t important; what’s important is that you are continually tuned in to your emotion.
Repeat this sequence two or three times.
- TEST THE FINAL INTENSITY
At the end of your sequence, rate your intensity level on a scale from 0 to 10. Compare your results with your initial intensity level. If you haven’t reached 0, repeat this process until you do.
- ADD SOME POSITIVITY
Now that you’ve focused on dispelling your immediate anxiety, you can work on instilling some positive feelings in its place.
This approach is different from traditional “positive thinking.” You’re not trying to obscure the stress and anxiety inside yourself with a coating of insincere affirmations. Rather, you’ve confronted and dealt with the anxiety and its corresponding negative emotions, offering deep and complete acceptance to both your feelings and yourself.
After you’ve cleared the emotional dirt away, you can then turn your thoughts and vibrations to the powerful and positive. It’s not just a mental trick. You’re actually changing your body’s biochemistry and energy into a more positive direction.
Here are some example phrases to guide you:
“I have faith in my ability to change.”
“I am joyful about these positive changes.”
“I am accomplishing so much.”
“I enjoy the calm and peace that I have.”
“I love the person that I am.”
“I am becoming a more relaxed and joyful person.”
You can use these positive phrases with the same sequence of tapping points described above.
Where Can I Get Help With Tapping?
Many health practitioners often incorporate this technique into their therapy when helping their clients release emotional or physical pain.
There are also lots of videos on YouTube that offer guided tapping sessions on a vast array of issues. I strongly recommend BRAD YATES for assistance and guidance since his videos are easy to follow, relevant, and very helpful.
All you need to do is follow along – ‘monkey see, monkey do’ style.
Tapping is wonderful also for helping children struggling with issues such as fear (see the LAST VIDEO below).
**If you’ve got this far – thank you for reading and I look forward to bringing you more information in the future.
Now, enjoy 4 much-needed EFT Tapping from BRAD YATES to assist you with the stress of COVID-19…
