What is Emotional freedom technique?

Emotional freedom technique

What is Emotional freedom technique? The Emotional Freedom Technique or often referred to as tapping was developed by Gary Craig. It is based on Chinese medicine. For thousands of years, Chinese medicine has taught that there is a flow of energy along pathways through your body called meridians. When this energy is flowing correctly, we experience our natural state of health and well-being. When this energy is stuck or disturbed in some way, we experience emotional discomfort, Such as,

  1. Fear
  2. Sadness
  3. Anxiety
  4. Physical illnesses
  5. PTSD
  6. Disease

This technique can be done with a professional or one can do self treatment using the EFT technique.

What is Emotional freedom technique
What is Emotional freedom technique

Balancing your energy centers

When you stimulate these meridian points, it can balance them out. With acupuncture, they stimulate the meridian points with needles with tapping we use our fingers. There is also research showing that it greatly reduces levels of cortisol/ Cortisol is the stress hormone that gets released from the brain when we are in a place of fear it is a good thing to clear that out. All kinds of uncomfortable things can happen within the body when cortisol is released into the body and is not dealt with. Tapping helps clear it out so we can feel good again. As you are tapping if it brings up emotions let them flow and release the energies. If tears come let them flow. Let that energy release from your body. Stagnant energies within our bodies create sickness, pain, as well as anxieties and other yucky stuff we need to release.

How it works

First identify what the problem or issue is. Using one issue at a time works best. Secondly, How intense is the issue on a scale of 1-10? 10 being the worst. This will be helpful at the end to see how effective the process is for you or if you may want to continue with more rounds of EFT. More than one round can be beneficial. To get started you will need to decide on a phrase that is simple that will acknowledge the issue and provide self acceptance in spite of the issue. A commonly used one is:

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

Next comes the sequence where you will tap on the specific meridian points on the body while repeating the phrase that you have decided on.

  • Side of hand/ Karate chop point
  • Tops of head – In center of top of head
  • Beginning of eyebrow – At the edge of  inside of eyebrow
  • Side of eye – Outside corner of eye on the bone
  • Under eye – Under the eye on the bone
  • Under nose – The middle where the nose and lip join
  •  Chin – Middle
  • Collar bone – The point where the sternum and first rib meet
  • Under arm  – 4 in under the armpit on the side of the body

You will repeat the tapping 5 times (approx.) on each meridian point using 2 or more fingers simultaneously. It is only necessary to tap on one side of the body. Once you have completed one round check in and see where you are on the scale of 1-10 and see if you see any improvements. You may wan to do the process multiple times to get optimal results. You can use better feeling phrases with each round.

Sum it up

So to sum it up EFT is a method in which you tap on specific points on your body while talking about an issue of choice. You may say it is a way of creating endorphins or pleasure chemicals in your body’s energy system.

When you tap you create a state of wellbeing in your body and mind and your issues are most often reduced or completely go away.