Hi there!
I have been tapping for years, since I was about sixteen. The practice was first introduced to me by my mom, and both her and I noticed it’s impact right away. I’ll admit, however, that I lost touch with tapping over the years. I would only remember EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) tapping when I was feeling incredibly low and someone, most often my life coach, would remind me about it. I’d tap, feel immensely better, then forget about it all over again.
Recently, I’ve been making it an almost-daily habit to tap through something, or even use tapping to manifest something if I wasn’t going through anything at all. But most always, I find that there is something new I’m going through that day. I have noticed immense changes in my mental clarity, confidence, and an overall increase in good things that happen to me. I’ve been noticing miracles and fleeting moments of joy that I wouldn’t have noticed before while cluttered and heavy with emotions.
Because I’m been focusing on tuning into emotions and managing intense feelings in my recent posts, I decided to write a post all about EFT tapping, the best methods of releasing and dealing with emotions, in my opinion.
What is EFT tapping?
Tapping is used for releasing stress, worry, fear, filling any emptiness, or dealing with and clearing any unwanted or heavy emotion. By tapping 5-7 times on specific points on the upper body (eyebrow point, side of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, chin point, collarbone point, under the arm, and top of the head), you are sending calming signals to the brain. When adding the focus of an emotion and repeating affirmations for releasing will help kick the mind into action on that emotion and put you into a relaxed state, or the parasympathetic nervous system response. Tapping helps decrease cortisol levels and is proven to decrease stress, anxiety, and increase life satisfaction. Tapping, when completed, helps the person to feel full of positive, relaxed energy, and free of whatever was previously pulling them down.
How EFT tapping has helped me
I am an Empath, which I will cover more about in a coming post. For now, Empaths are people who are sensitive to other’s energies and emotions, almost like a Highly Sensitive Person. It took me a while to understand why I felt other’s emotions so strongly, but when I discovered that I soak up everyone’s feelings, I was able to take action and turn to tapping in order to release it all. I’d come home from a busy day and feel weighed down by without a clue as to why. If I had a fight with someone, or listened to someone’s problems for an extended amount of time, I’d spend a good hour or so sitting in silence, heavy and filled-to-the-brim, unable to shake off the feeling for days. I still get this way, but with tapping, I am able to clear through the fog, the heavy emotions, with ease. Each time I finish tapping, I take a deep, full breath as though my lungs were restricted all day and I had been holding stale air in my lungs. I feel refreshed, and my mind feels clear. I usually follow tapping with a long journaling session then some meditation to fully release whatever I’m holding onto.
Also, since I’m implemented tapping into my life, I’ve created better coping skills when it comes to my intense emotions. I’m still not perfect, but I used to pour my emotions onto others and release them that way. I’d soak up everyone’s problems, then repeat them to anyone who wanted to listen. It wasn’t a good habit to have and ended up hurting people. I was also doing the exact same thing that people were doing to me. While going to people is still helpful, comforting, and sometimes a very good idea, tapping has helped me learn that I can deal with my issues on my own without having to lean into others. Being able to clear through my intense emotions gives me a strong sense of power over myself, and has helped my relationships because I’m no longer pouring everything onto everyone.
How EFT tapping is done, and how to do it yourself
To be honest, I love tapping to videos, especially Brad Yates’ videos. I focus on the emotion I’m wanting to clear, then follow along. Occasionally I’ll tap on my own, if it’s a very specific issue I need help with. But, tapping is incredibly simple, and either way works fine in my experience.
Begin by focusing on an issue or emotion you are wanting to release. An example could be a fight you had with a friend that you haven’t let go of yet. So, focus on that fight and remember how you felt, and how you feel now. Then, think of your desire, which is to let it go and move on.
Tap 5-7 times on all of the tapping points, 1-3 times through, sharing feelings out loud. Examples being: I’m still hurt by this, I can’t believe I’m still holding this on, It’s so hard to let go, I’m not sure if she even apologized. Then, go back through another 1-3 times and speak your desire, such as: I am ready to let this go, I am ready to move on, I don’t want this to weigh me down anymore. Then, go through a last 1-3 times and speak as though the fight is already gone and you are already healed. Examples being: I have let this go, It feels so nice to finally let it go, I forgive my friend, I forgive myself, I am healing. Then, take a deep, full breath and feel the release.
Also, the fight with a friend was just one example; tapping can be used for practically anything!
I hope this post has interested you interested you in the wonderful technique of EFT tapping--let me know what you think if you try it!
The following are additional resources on tapping:
Probably writing,
Brittney