Why my morning ritual now includes EFT Tapping
No, I'm not talking about stock trading or dancing. EFT stands for emotional freedom technique and includes tapping on various meridian points on the body as a therapeutic approach to resolving challenges. I've started including tapping because quite frankly it makes me feel so f*cking good. About three months ago I discovered tapping through my friend Jennifer Partridge, who is a tapping coach. After one class, I new I had to go deeper and ended up taking her six-week Tap for Life program. That's how powerful it is. I'd be remiss if I didn't share it with others, so I'm sharing some basics on what is EFT, the benefits and how it's helped me.
What is EFT Tapping?
My simplistic mind thinks of tapping as a blend of Chinese acupressure and NLP. The practice involves tapping on meridian points while repeating statements. Through this process, practitioners can safely acknowledge any challenges while rewiring new beliefs. Normally we when we undergo stress, the amygdala goes off sending a fight/ flight response. However, as licensed counselor Yelena Senia explains, "Tapping as you trigger your fight/flight response sends a message that the amygdala can deactivate, even though the threatening thought is still present. With repetition, the hippocampus gets the message: this thing that was previously filed as “dangerous” is not, in reality, a threat. Through tapping, painful memories, and your focus on a specific part of them, can change." In other words, tapping helps bring up triggers in a safe way such that we decondition ourselves from going into a biological stress state.
Why Tapping?
There are many proven benefits with tapping, including:
Pain relief
Anxiety / Depression
Stress
PTSD
Creating new habits
Weight loss
More than 100 research studies have shown positive benefits and the efficacy of Tapping. For example, in a 2019 EFT Tapping intervention study, Tapping resulted in significant reductions of cravings (−74 percent), pain (−57 percent), anxiety (−40 percent), depression (−35 percent), and post-traumatic stress disorder (−32 percent), and an increase in happiness (+31 percent). In addition to these psychological improvements, participants experienced physical health benefits such as a 37 percent reduction in cortisol levels, and a decrease in both resting heart rate and blood pressure. - from Bach, D., Groesbeck, G., Stapleton, P., Sims, R., Blickheuser, K., & Church, D. (2019). Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Improves Multiple Physiological Markers of Health. Journal of Evidence-Based Integrative Medicine
2. Tapping is simple and easy. You don't need to go to some jungle in the Amazon or make an appointment to get an adjustment. You can do tapping right in your home, in your car, while you're waiting for the subway, anywhere. The best thing is that you don't need to bring any other tools or instruments around with you. All you need is your body.
3. It's efficiently effective. I've seen it work time and time again with immediate effects. After seeing the shifts in my life and how it's helped my clients in just a single coaching session, I know tapping works.
I've been on a journey of healing and growth since I was a young and often scared child. Growing up in a home of volatility brought a great deal of trauma. For years I've been searching for ways to manage severe (suicidal) depression and anxiety, which has led me down on a path of managing and healing myself-- from 10-day vipassana silent meditation, breathwork, yoga teacher training, microdosing, CBT, acupuncture, chiropractic work, chi gong, past-life regression, reiki, SSRIs, lifestyle changes, hypnosis, bodywork, reading tons of books and so much more. All these are tools I still like to use, but now I feel most powerfully moved with EFT.
4. Why not tapping? You've got nothing to lose by trying it once. Like I mentioned, it's simple and easy. If you want to try out a tapping session for free, head over to Jen Partridge's YouTube, where you'll find tapping on anything from anxiety to abundance blocks.
Conclusion
Tapping has helped me and thousands of others. Keep in mind, though, that your health journey is yours and yours alone. EFT, like any other modality, is not one size fits all. I am sharing EFT tapping because I tried so many other things, and I know from personal experience what's worked for me. If you're at an impasse with certain challenges in your life, perhaps EFT is for you.
As always, if you have any questions, send me a message / comment below <3
G
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