In 2004, I was exposed to the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) at a retreat in Santa Fe. What fascinated me about this technique was that I could use it on any negative thought, at any time and it didn’t cost me money. That’s empowering!
What’s Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)?
EFT (also called tapping) is based on acupuncture, without the needles. A self-help technique that works on bringing relief to the intensity of our emotions, as well as increasing our physical wellbeing. When using this technique, you tap on different areas of your face and upper body.
It is based on a theory that negative emotions are caused by disturbances in the body’s energy field and that tapping on the meridians while thinking of a negative emotion alters the body’s energy field, restoring balance. (wikipedia.org)
Most people I know are carrying around a lot of stress in their bodies. What causes stress…our thoughts. You have probably heard about positive affirmations and letting go of the past as a way of releasing your negative thoughts. Tell me, how do we manage this when we are entrenched in our emotional history.
When I got back from my retreat in 2004, I purchased a book on EFT and set about learning how to do this relatively simple technique. My interest lasted for around two months, and slowly each day I didn’t find time to do EFT, and it moved into the back of my mind. Occasionally, I would dust off the book and for a couple of days resurrect my interest and perform my EFT exercises, though would eventually put it back on the shelf. By the way, it doesn’t take a long time to do…maybe 10 minutes.
I love how life offers you want you need – a nudge in the right direction. Anyway, in January of this year, I saw the EFT book on my shelf, thought about it, but it stayed there. Shortly after, a friend came to dinner, and we were busy talking about all the details of our lives. She mentioned that she was at another friend’s home sharing a concern she had, and the guest there told her about EFT. This person also mentioned Carol Look (see her book below) and told her to check it out. I quickly lent the book to my friend.
That night I was on the internet researching Carol Look and saw she was doing a presentation in two weeks at the Open Center in NYC. My friend and I signed up and attended this 3-hour event — what a compelling presentation. She gave us a strong overview of EFT and its value, though she spent most of the time working with each of us, tapping away at our issues and releasing the emotional energy attached to them. All of us tapped on everyone’s issue because all tapping supports us individually.
I left that session with Carol Look changed and have been doing my EFT practice most days and sometimes a few times each day. Sometimes I tap in my head. For example, if I missed my train and stress starts boiling over, I tap into my mind on the stressful thought and release it. My body responds because it knows how to tap now.
What have I gained from my experience with EFT? After practicing since early February, I’m calmer, less reactive, and more reflective. It’s like physical exercise, when you do daily practice, you accumulate more and more tangible benefits.
Sometimes when I tap on an issue, I find immediate relief and the issue dissolves. On a more significant issue, I continue to tap each day observing the small thoughts that are attached to the issue and tap on those small thoughts. I’ve tapped on money, health, people, struggling in life, not getting what I want, etc.
Each of us has our laundry lists of negative thoughts that we play out in our heads.
Tapping allows all of us to be present with our problematic thoughts and tap them away.
I hope you find the time to check out this great technique. It’s easy to do, and you can increase your well-being with EFT.
Your Thoughts
Do you find that those negative thoughts interfere with your life and using a simple technique to dislodge those thoughts could support your wellbeing? Do you have methods that you use to help you?
Women’s Group Topics
Finding the right tool(s) to support your overall well-being is essential. There isn’t only one way to do this, yet it would be great if you could share ways that you show self-love to yourself.
Be well,
Pat
“To fully enjoy the ‘richness’ of our lives, we need to stop long enough to visit with ourselves.”
(By Pat Brill)
Other Posts You Maybe Interested In
Small Steps to Change
If It’s Not Working, Change It
The Power of Forgiveness
Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Resources:**Attracting Abundance with EFT*: *Emotional Freedom Techniques by Carol Look
**Tapping for Solutions – Provides a lot of information about the Emotional Freedom Technique (tapping.) Check it out.
Do you want to download a PDF copy of both of these books, then go to:
