Developed in 1995 by Gary Craig, Emotional Freedom Techniques tapping, commonly known as EFT tapping, is a self-help therapeutic method that amalgamates principles from ancient Chinese acupressure and contemporary psychology. This stress-relief tool is frequently utilised to alleviate various conditions such as anxiety and depression, along with more severe mental health issues like post-traumatic stress disorder, both within domestic and clinical environments.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, acupressure points are the physical locations where Qi – or “life force energy” in the body – can be accessed, and applying pressure on these spots can aid in releasing blocked or congested Qi, according to Acupuncture and Massage College. Although the scientific explanation regarding why stimulating these points affects physical and mental health is not entirely clear, some research suggests a close relationship between these points and the nervous system and blood vessels. Other studies indicate that stimulated acupressure points may release biomolecules that relieve pain or alter nerve activity.
Here’s how it operates: When you begin experiencing overwhelming physical symptoms of emotional distress (e.g., a pounding heart, stomach pain, or shakiness), EFT tapping can help alleviate these physical symptoms so you can better address the larger problem at hand.
During a typical EFT tapping session, you employ your fingertips to swiftly and gently tap on nine specific acupressure points on the body, five to seven times each:
- The “karate chop” point (the outer edge of the hand, just below the pinky)
- The start of the eyebrow
- The temple
- The bone beneath the eye
- The area between the nose and upper lip
- The crease of the chin
- The area one inch below the start of the collarbone
- The area four inches beneath the armpit
- The crown of the head
Read more about the significance of tapping points HERE.
How does Tapping Work?
The fundamental 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.
As Dr. Dawson Church puts it, “Acupoint tapping sends signals directly to the stress centres 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.” Indeed, it’s EFT’s ability to access the amygdala, an almond-shaped part of your brain that triggers your body’s negative reaction to fear, a process often referred to as the “fight or flight” response, that makes it so potent.
Consider your amygdala as a personal alarm system. When you experience trauma or fear, the amygdala is triggered, and your body is flooded with cortisol, commonly known as the “stress hormone.” This intricate chain reaction – your stress response – significantly influences and sometimes even causes whatever it is that troubles you, whether that’s an illness, injury, emotion, or even an external problem such as an issue with a friendship.
An estimated 10 million people worldwide have used tapping. What’s particularly exciting is how incredibly quickly it can alleviate issues like depression, anxiety, and insomnia, as well as severe PTSD, physical pain, and even illness.
Studies indicate that by stimulating these parts of your body – as we do in EFT Tapping – you can drastically reduce or eliminate the distress that accompanies or gives rise to these problems you face. By doing so, you can often eliminate the problems themselves!
Tapping is straightforward and painless. It can be learned by anyone. And you can apply it to yourself, whenever you want, wherever you are. It’s less expensive and less time-consuming. It can be used with specific emotional intent towards your own unique life challenges and experiences. Most importantly, it gives you the power to heal yourself, putting control over your destiny back into your own hands.
Reference:
The Tapping Solution Foundation
The EFT Centre
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