EFT tapping can be a great way to treat what ails you. After all, it’s no secret the cost of Western medicine can be astronomical. And while Western medicine has its uses and benefits, more and more people are turning to trusted Eastern practices. But what is EFT tapping? And can it help with your specific issues? At Zaza Meditation, we pride ourselves in keeping you informed. Here is our complete guide to EFT tapping:

What is EFT Tapping?
Emotional Freedom Technique, known simply as EFT tapping, is an alternative treatment for both emotional and physical pain. Developed by spiritualist Gary Craig, EFT is a technique that balances the body’s energy system and treats pain. In other words, EFT tapping is like psychological acupuncture.

And like acupuncture, EFT tapping is not a new concept. Tapping has been used in Eastern medicine for thousands of years. The technique is believed to provide relief for a myriad of physical and emotional ailments, such as depression, anxiety, chronic pain, PTSD, and stress.

How does EFT Tapping work?
Gary Craig believes all negative emotions are felt as a disruption in the body’s energy. The health of the body is connected to our emotional state. It becomes a vicious circle in which negative emotions exacerbate physical symptoms and physical symptoms, in turn, exacerbate emotional pain. And round and round we go.

To combat the imbalance of energy, EFT focuses on our body’s meridian points. Meridian points are believed to be areas of the body where energy flows. They are our energy highways. In fact, it’s these very points on the body that acupuncturists place their needles. But instead of stimulating these energy points with needles, we use our fingertips. Stimulating your meridian points with your fingertips is thought to send signals to the part of the brain responsible for controlling stress. EFT tapping, thereby, reduces the stress or negative emotion an issue is causing you, restoring your body’s flow of energy.

How to perform EFT Tapping
EFT tapping can be performed on a regular basis as part of a meditation routine. Or it may be used to treat a specific issue. It can also be done before an event you believe will cause unwanted stress and anxiety. Here are 5 easy steps to EFT tapping:

1. Identify the issue
EFT is most effective when you only focus on one issue at a time. Identify the negative emotion, problem, or symptom you want to resolve.

2. Determine the intensity
Focus on your issue. Determine the level of physical and/or emotional pain this issue is causing you. Use a simple scale from 0-10, with 10 being the highest level of discomfort. Determining the initial intensity of your issue allows you to assess the effectiveness of your EFT treatment. If your initial intensity is at an 8 yet after treatment, you’re at a 6, then you experienced a 25% improvement in symptoms.

3. Create a setup phrase
Before you begin EFT tapping, establish a phrase. Think of it as a reminder phrase. This phrase will draw your focus and attention to the issue you’re trying to alleviate. This is a 2-part phrase that both acknowledges your issue and conveys self-acceptance. A common phrase is:

“Even though I have [issue], I deeply and completely accept myself.”

Feel free to alter the phrase, however, make sure to focus on YOUR issue. For instance, if you have a family member going through a difficult time, don’t say, “Even though my parents are getting divorced, I deeply and completely accept myself.” Instead, you can say, “Even though my parents’ divorce makes me sad, I deeply and completely accept myself.” See how the focus is back on you?

4. The EFT tapping sequence
Although there are 12 meridian points that correspond to an internal organ, EFT tapping focuses on these 9:

• Karate chop (KC): outer edge of the top of the hand (small intestine meridian)
• Top of the head (TH): on top of the head, directly in the center (governing vessel)
• Eyebrow (EB): the beginning of the brow, just above and to the side of the bridge of the nose (bladder meridian)
• Side of the eye (SE): on the bone at the outside corner of your eye (gallbladder meridian)
• Under the eye (UE): on the bone under the eye, in the center below the pupil (stomach meridian)
• Under the nose (UN): the center point between the upper lip and the nose (governing vessel)
• Chin (Ch): halfway between the bottom of the chin and the underside of the bottom lip, center (central vessel)
• Beginning of the collarbone (CB): the point where the collarbone and breastbone come together (kidney meridian)
• Under the arm (UA): the side of the body, about 4 inches below the armpit (spleen meridian)

Begin the sequence by tapping the karate chop (KC) point while also reciting your setup phrase 3 times. Tap the point 7 times. For points on both sides of your body, you need only tap one side, however, if both your hands are free to tap, you may tap both. Obviously, you can’t simultaneously tap both KC and UA points.

After the KC point, tap each of the following points 7 times, while repeating a reminder phrase (a short phrase that echoes the sentiment of the setup phrase), down the body:

• Eyebrow (EB)
• Side of the eye (SE)
• Under the eye (UE)
• Under the nose (UN)
• Chin (Ch)
• Beginning of the collarbone (CB)
• Under the arm (UA)

After you finish with the UA, finish your sequence at the top of your head (TH).

*When tapping, you should tap hard enough to cause pressure, however, you shouldn’t experience any pain or discomfort. If you experience pain and discomfort, you’re tapping too hard.

5. Test your final intensity
Remember your initial intensity? Rate the intensity you feel from your issue again on a scale from 0-10. Compare how you feel to your initial intensity. If you haven’t reached 0, repeat the process until you do, or at least until you experience an acceptable amount of relief.

Want to learn more about EFT Tapping? Then be sure to schedule a session or a training with Victoria Vines from Abounding Vines.

*All images are courtesy of Abounding Vines