What is EFT and how to practice it

Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT, is an integrative and holistic tool that draws from both Eastern (Acupuncture and Acupressure, the Chinese meridian system, Energy Medicine) and Western (Neuro-Linguistic Programming and Thought Field Therapy) traditions. Also called “tapping”, EFT is an intuitive, self-healing practice used to rebalance the nervous, mental and emotional systems in times of high stress. It is at the same time a somatic practice and a mindset one. It helps to identify challenging feelings/sensations, work through acceptance and finally reframe your mindset in a positive way!

EFT requires tapping with your fingertips on certain key points on the body, corresponding to different meridians. While tapping, you will state out loud emotions or sensations in the body that are particularly challenging for you in this moment, going deeper and deeper into the present issue. The type of EFT I teach includes at least three “cycles” of tapping into each of the points. There are 12 main points in one cycle, repeated with both hands, and they are illustrated in the picture below.

• The first cycle helps with identifying the present issue and making any truth come up to the surface from the unconscious of your own mind. I call this cycle the Awareness cycle.
• The second cycle helps with coming to terms with the fact that the challenging emotion/sensation is a reality in the present moment calling for your attention so that you can address it. This cycle requires you to come from a place of absolute acceptance and self-love, speaking to yourself with compassion and understanding, as if you were your best friend. This is the Acceptance cycle.
• The third and final cycle helps with shifting your mindset about the challenging emotion/sensation, allowing you to reframe the problem with gratitude in a proactive way, and to come to new insights and understanding of how to tackle the issue. I call this the Reframing cycle.

Each cycle can be repeated as many times as needed, until you feel that you are complete with either Awareness, Acceptance, or Reframing. You will know that you feel complete because the intensity of the emotion/sensation will slowly start diminishing as you keep tapping and approaching the completion of that specific cycle. I recommend doing all three cycles at least one time over during a session. There might be a sense of incompletion if you only do Awareness and Acceptance without the Reframing, but it might also mean that that is where you are at the moment (ready to accept but not ready to shift your mindset about the issue), and that is OK.

HOW TO START TAPPING

• Start by sitting in a comfortable position, and take a big inhale through your nose, then exhale through your mouth. Inhale through your nose again, this time lifting your shoulders up to your ears, then exhale through your mouth, releasing your shoulders back and down as you do so, and make any loud/moaning sound that helps you to release tension. Repeat the last step one more time, this time holding your breath at the top of your lungs for three seconds before exhaling.
• Connect with yourself and any type of inner voice that speaks to you. Start identifying an issue that is currently present for you. This can be a challenging emotion (sadness, anger, anxiety, fear), or a nagging body sensation, like a tight chest or pain in between your shoulders. Notice how intense this emotion/sensation is on a scale of 0 to 10, for example 6 or 8.
• Begin by tapping on the external side of your dominant hand (called the “karate chop”) with the four fingertips of your non-dominant hand. Use the same pressure you would use if you were tapping on a table to make a drumming sound. Refer to the chart below for locating the Karate chop point.
• Say to yourself: “Even though I am feeling/experiencing __________ xyz _______ (name the sensation or emotion present for you), I STILL DEEPLY AND COMPLETELY LOVE AND ACCEPT MYSELF”
• Repeat this sentence two more times, keep breathing in the process. Notice if the intensity of the issue lowers after repeating the mantra three times.
• Proceed with tapping on the points that are shown in the picture below in the following order:
  • after the karate chop, switch to using your dominant hand and tap with all 4 fingertips on the top of your head
  • keep using your dominant hand, tap with your index and middle finger on the internal side of your eyebrow located on the same side of your dominant hand
  • still using the index and middle finger of your dominant hand, tap on the external side of your eye, also on your dominant side
  • then move to tapping under the same eye, on the bone located under the eye about even with the pupils
  • move to tapping under the nose with the index and middle finger, always of your dominant hand. This spot is roughly midway between the bottom of the nose and the top of the lip
  • now move on your chin, right below your lower lip
  • next, move to tapping with the 4 fingertips (always of your dominant hand) on your sternum, the mid-center area where your ribcage meet, corresponding to your thymus gland
  • start tapping, always with the 4 fingertips of your dominant hand, under the collarbone of your non-dominant side
  • then move to tapping under the armpit (also of your non-dominant side)
  • next tap under the breast of your non-dominant side, on the ribcage, about even with your nipple

While you tap on these points, you can repeat the karate chop mantra, or adjust the mantra to your needs. This can take time and practice and the first few times can feel a bit shaky.

EFT can grant amazing benefits when practiced on your own, but sometimes a lot of bottled up emotions can come up, and you might need a little extra support. If you feel like practicing EFT with a guide would benefit you, do not hesitate to get in touch with me!

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ginevra@journeytobelonging.life

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