The Emotional Freedom Technique, shortened to EFT, was founded by Gary Craig in the 1990s, and since then has gone on to prove its worth for emotional and physical issues ranging from fear, anxiety, and depression to ailments such as multiple sclerosis, back pain, and even singing.
It is based on similar principles to that of acupressure or acupuncture, which aim to release blockages within the body’s energy system (meridians)
For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as Psychological Acupressure.
So instead of using needles, as is done in acupuncture, the fingertips are used in a tapping motion.
This is why EFT can also be known to some as ‘tapping.’
The theory is that, when these blockages are released from the body, healing can begin, as it was the blockages in the first place that manifested as physical or mental illness.
EFT is non invasive and safe to use. A person can do it with someone, and a lot of therapists guide people through and EFT session, but once you are familiar with the sequence and tapping points, you can do it by yourself.
During an EFT session, the fingertips are used to lightly tap on what is known as the ‘end points’ of the energy meridians on the body, all while saying affirmations and statements that are relative to the ailment.
The text below won't make much sense unless you have watched this video.
This video is a fantastic step by step instruction on how to do EFT for Anxiety, and it's my go to video for myself.
So it is recommended that you watch it first before continuing.
The EFT tapping points are:
- Side of the hand (pinky side) AKA the karate chop point.
- Top of the head
- Inner Eyebrows (Top of the bridge of the nose)
- Temples (Just on the bone)
- Under the eyes (Just on the bone)
- Under the nose
- Chin (Just in the Groove)
- Under the collar bone
- Under the arm (On the sides, just under the ribcage)
- Wrists tap together
A typical EFT session may look like this:
- The person would take a deep breath and then they would rate how they feel on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the worst
- Starting to gently tap repeatedly on the side of the hand (you can do both sides or just one), the person would focus on what the problem or fear is.
- Moving onto the next point, a person would then start to acknowledge and fully accept how they're are feeling, and say something like "Even though I feel so anxious, I fully love and accept myself"
- Moving through the tapping sequence, a person would then feel the emotions, saying something like "Even though my body is full of anxiety, and my stomach is in a knot, I fully love and accept myself"
- The last bit of the sequence is to release the stress and say positive affirmations, something like "I am safe, and even though I have anxiety in body, I love myself, and know I am in control"
" I am calm and relaxed"
A typical tapping sequence may be twice or three times, and sometimes you may have to do it twice through if you don't feel better after the first session.
For more on EFT, visit the following website http://www.emofree.com for more information on this interesting technique.
It is based on similar principles to that of acupressure or acupuncture, which aim to release blockages within the body’s energy system (meridians)
For this reason, it is sometimes referred to as Psychological Acupressure.
So instead of using needles, as is done in acupuncture, the fingertips are used in a tapping motion.
This is why EFT can also be known to some as ‘tapping.’
The theory is that, when these blockages are released from the body, healing can begin, as it was the blockages in the first place that manifested as physical or mental illness.
EFT is non invasive and safe to use. A person can do it with someone, and a lot of therapists guide people through and EFT session, but once you are familiar with the sequence and tapping points, you can do it by yourself.
During an EFT session, the fingertips are used to lightly tap on what is known as the ‘end points’ of the energy meridians on the body, all while saying affirmations and statements that are relative to the ailment.
The text below won't make much sense unless you have watched this video.
This video is a fantastic step by step instruction on how to do EFT for Anxiety, and it's my go to video for myself.
So it is recommended that you watch it first before continuing.
The EFT tapping points are:
- Side of the hand (pinky side) AKA the karate chop point.
- Top of the head
- Inner Eyebrows (Top of the bridge of the nose)
- Temples (Just on the bone)
- Under the eyes (Just on the bone)
- Under the nose
- Chin (Just in the Groove)
- Under the collar bone
- Under the arm (On the sides, just under the ribcage)
- Wrists tap together
A typical EFT session may look like this:
- The person would take a deep breath and then they would rate how they feel on a scale of 1-10, with 1 being the worst
- Starting to gently tap repeatedly on the side of the hand (you can do both sides or just one), the person would focus on what the problem or fear is.
- Moving onto the next point, a person would then start to acknowledge and fully accept how they're are feeling, and say something like "Even though I feel so anxious, I fully love and accept myself"
- Moving through the tapping sequence, a person would then feel the emotions, saying something like "Even though my body is full of anxiety, and my stomach is in a knot, I fully love and accept myself"
- The last bit of the sequence is to release the stress and say positive affirmations, something like "I am safe, and even though I have anxiety in body, I love myself, and know I am in control"
" I am calm and relaxed"
A typical tapping sequence may be twice or three times, and sometimes you may have to do it twice through if you don't feel better after the first session.
For more on EFT, visit the following website http://www.emofree.com for more information on this interesting technique.