EFT - Emotional Freedom Techniques

How can I be happy when I have so many problems?

What Is EFT?

Emotional Freedom Techniques is a new discovery, which makes use of two well established forms of health care; acupuncture and mind/body medicine.

These practices are very effective, as many studies show, but by combining them in EFT, you get a synergy so that results achieved can surpass them both. I like to describe EFT as an emotional form of acupuncture, but without the needles. And it often works where nothing else will.

Emotional Freedom Techniques is one of the keys to happiness.

How Does EFT work?

Our body has subtle internal energy channels. When we experience a trauma or are just feeling upset, our energy gets blocked, so it is not flowing freely. This can result in not only many negative feelings, but also in physical pain. And this often prevents us from being happy.

Remember when you felt nervous about an exam or big event? How did your stomach feel? At best you probably noticed butterflies and at worst you felt sick. Well, that is an example of how your emotions affect your physical body.

By tapping on certain points on the face, hands and body where the meridians (energy channels) end, you can unblock and smooth out the energy flow, thus restoring your emotional and physical health, with a good chance of making you happy too!

Why Would I Do EFT?

How can Emotional Freedom Techniques make me feel happy?

We are all the product of our childhoods and the life we have led up 'til now. Our parents, teachers, friends, religious leaders will have caused us some emotional pain, by shouting at us, punishing us, putting us down or using emotional blackmail in some way. They may have done these things 'for our own good' but nonetheless we carry those hurts and beliefs around with us unless we let them go.

This is the 'writing on our walls', as Gary Craig, the founder of EFT likes to describe it. We are constantly reading this writing. It is our self talk. It says things like 'I am not good enough', 'I am selfish', 'I'm not a nice person', 'I'll never be any good', 'I always mess up', 'I don't deserve to be happy, look at the things I've done/said'.

We can end up experiencing guilt feelings, feeling worthless, feeling disconnected, feeling empty and feeling depressed.

Do you recognize yourself there? You too, huh? How can we be happy with all these put-downs we keep hearing from ourselves?

More importantly, how can we change our self talk?

This is where Emotional Freedom Techniques come in. By tapping on the meridian points at the same time as identifying and getting in touch with the feeling or memory of the original event that caused the self talk, we can let go of the emotional charge of that feeling/memory, and be set free from it. We can then 'tap in' a new, more positive self talk to take its place, thus choosing happiness.

Ok, How Do I Do EFT?

I'm glad you asked. It is very easy to learn and do, even children can do it.

I used to teach children in schools and often introduced Emotional Freedom Techniques to them using this poem. It was written by an Australian guy called Don White but I tweaked it a little to help the rhythm flow. It's designed to talk you through the tapping points. I suggest that you karate chop your palm or the karate chop point on your other hand (see picture) during the first two lines, then tap on the mentioned points in time with the rhythm of the piece.

The Happy Tapping Poem!

Happy Tapping is lots of fun
You can do it on your own - or with anyone!
Tap tap tap on the top of your head,
Tap tap tap do just what I said!
Tap on your eyebrow just near your nose.
Then the side of your eye where the hard bone grows.
Now on the bone - under your eye,
You'll feel really good - by and by,
Now under your nose - but over your lips
Tap tap tap - with your fingertips!
Now under your lip - but over your chin,
Just on the bit where your chin goes in.
Now under your collarbone - but over your chest,
Under the bump of the bone is best!
The last on the list is under your arm,
To make sure you get it right - slap with your palm!

If you still don't feel good - don't go to bed,
Start tapping again on the top of your head!

Children usually have an upset at least once each day and tapping using Emotional Freedom Techniques or using this poem helps them to feel better about life. They then don't store those hurts like we did when we were their age.

Learn EFT For Free

I highly recommend downloading this excellent free manual, giving very clear instructions on how to use the tapping points to best advantage to help you in your quest to feel good.

You can also watch this informative and fun slideshow helping you to learn this technique.

How Much EFT Should I Do?

Well, that depends on the issues you have. I tap at least 15 minutes everyday for my general well being and to keep me in the happiness habit. Many people tap for about 3 minutes twice or three times a day. Some people give themselves an hour session for Emotional Freedom Techniques each week.

I know that life often gets in the way of our good intentions, and you may see weeks go by without doing any tapping! If that is the case you may want to create a phone or Skype appointment with an EFT counsellor or coach or a friend to enable you to actually give yourself some time to do EFT.

What If I Need More Help?

There may also be issues that you feel unable or unsure about tackling on your own and that is where an EFT coach comes in. If you are feeling either emotionally or physically fragile then I recommend contacting a person trained in Emotional Freedom Techniques. Click here to see how I may help you in a session.

I am so glad that I came across this wonderful tool. Emotional Freedom Techniques has been one of the major keys to happiness for me and has transformed my life. I hope you will give it a try too!

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