Those who are unfamiliar with Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), otherwise known as Tapping often ask what it is. This blog will not only help you understand what EFT is, but it will give you an insight in how it makes such transformative change with those that use it over and over, but also the scientific understanding behind EFT and the huge growth there has been in recent years.
Tapping is best likened to acupuncture without the needles. It is an ancient Chinese acupressure therapy, combined with a modern talking psychology.
Tapping involves gently tapping on certain meridian points, known as acupressure around the face and upper body, while talking through the issue we wish to resolve.This can be done by yourself, as an amazing self help tool. Or together with a licensed EFT practitioner.Tapping can help with a wide range off issues including –
- Trauma
- Pain Relief
- Stress
- Depression
- Anxiety
- Abuse & PTSD
- Self-esteem
- Confidence
- Fears
Where did it come from?
This type of therapy has actually been around for many thousands of years, used by the ancient Chinese.It has been innovated in more recent year by Gary Craig in America in the late 1980’s after he trained in Roger Callaghan’s Thought Field Therapy (TFT). By tapping on certain meridian points and gently talking through the presenting issue, we can actually energetically release the mind and body from old programmes and patterns that are keeping us stuck.
Psychological, emotional issues and physical pain are all connected to negative old emotions, that no longer serve us. And guess what? – We can release them and let them go!
How can Tapping can help you?
At a very basic level, EFT works as an amazing stress reduction and stress management tool. To work on more ingrained negative thought patterns and limiting beliefs, EFT works directly with the subconscious mind, allowing you to gently let go of limiting beliefs that are no longer serving any useful purpose and are keeping you stuck.
We tap directly on meridian points which are all connected to organs within the body. Thus breaking the energetic connection which is keeping you stuck in the same patterns and unwanted behaviours.
Tapping, lowers cortisol, the stress hormones in the body (it’s been scientifically measured!) This is done by calming down a part of the brain within the limbic system called the amygdala which is responsible for encoding negative emotions, including stress, anxiety and trauma.It is also the part of the brain that controls our stress response and emits stress hormones such as cortisol or adrenaline.
What’s it got to do with cavemen?
Think back to our caveman ancestors. They were in survival mode the entire time. They were constantly living by the hormones of stress. So on high alert, ready for danger.
Our bodies were very cleverly programmed in this way. So faced with a bear in the woods, we would be prepared for the dangerous situation and immediately go into whats called ‘fight or flight’. We could either decide to fight, or run off in the opposite direction as quickly as possible – our stress response would be triggered.
The body would immediately prepare us for this situation, in order to survive. We are no longer generally in any real live danger zones. However, we are living in a world where stress is common place. Even though we have many systems in place to manage ourselves in modern day society, so the Internet, cars, technology. We are still living by the hormones of stress. Any time we respond to any type of negative situation – a complaining boss, a traffic jam, watching the news: our body reacts for that short period by going into the same response.
So although we are not generally faced with danger in modern society, our brains remain wired to create the same internal response. And this builds up. Through the day, the weeks, the months. Our body flooded by stress hormones. This can lead to a wealth of both physical health and mental health complaints.Tapping rewires the brain.
Plastic brain
Our brain isn’t actually fixed in place. Our brains are constantly being shaped by experience. Most of us have very different behaviours and thoughts today than we did 20 years ago. This shift is whats called ‘neuroplasticity’ in action; changes in brain structure and organisation as we experience, learn, and adapt.
With every repetition of a thought or emotion, we reinforce a neural pathway – and with each new thought, we begin to create a new way of being. These small changes, frequently enough repeated, lead to changes in how our brains work.
What tapping does is helps change these neural pathways. It does so by sending a new, calming signal to the amygdala. So, rather than holding onto the negative emotion, or belief that is linked to that emotion. we can let it go.If we have any kind of negative experience, we will often struggle to let that go and keep repeating similar behaviours. The same neural pathways will keep being signalled in order to do this.
Negative emotions
What tapping does, is it takes away the negative emotion connected to the old event or experience, thus changing the new behaviour. We can literally change our emotion linked to past experiences, we don’t need to hold onto them anymore. How amazing is that!
Negative emotions are literally stored within the body. How do we know? Because it has been measured. All modern neuroscientists are saying the same thing. Our mind controls our thoughts, our body our feelings. Every time we have a thought, it creates a feeling, so on and so forth. When you know you have a problem, you can feel it right? Tapping resolves that, working directly with the energy centres in the body.
We may have had certain experiences in the past, that continue to shape us now. The good news is that the past has gone. EFT will gently and effectively help you let go of the past, whereby you can make positive and lasting change.EFT is now much more widespread, and is much more commonly used. It is used by medical practitioners, and within organisations. Why? – Because it is a simply yet highly effective technique that works!
What is the evidence?
Perhaps you’re thinking, does this actually work? It’s too good to be true? It is new! Everything mainstream was new once. There are now in excess of 130 studies which have been published in peer reviewed journals. You can also learn to use it for yourself, it’s the most fantastic self help tool.
If you want to know what tapping looks like, and how it can help you, please visit my YouTube channel CLICK HERE where you can learn it for yourself. I am SUPER proud to say I have conducted research which has been published in a peer reviewed journal; the Journal of Energy Psychology.
We are paving the way for this research, which has witnessed exponential growth in recent years.
Learn with an expert and CHANGE YOUR LIFE!
Want to learn how to use tapping for yourself and allow it to help various areas of your life including helping you let go of stress and anxiety and learn all about how our minds work and where beliefs come from? So you can totally smash them and join many others who have done so already! Come and join me on my online course ‘Change your life in 6 weeks with Tapping’
We have a VERY LIMITED INTRO OFFER, with lifetime access to this self directed course. Amazing feedback from many others.
More info and access to the course HERE!
What others have said:
“I can honestly say without a word of exaggeration that by using what you’ve taught me with EFT that you’ve completely changed my life!” Tom – Sales Executive
I do hope you’ve enjoyed learning all about tapping in this article. Don’t hesitate to get in contact if you would like more support or to ask any questions here – contact JANINE
ENJOY!
With very best wishes
Janine x