The Benefits of EFT (The Emotional Freedom Technique)

Re-posted from Michelle's Weebly blog

Ever heard of EFT or "The Tapping Method?" It is a wonderful, easy to learn and apply technique created by Gary Craig. Technically, it is a form of alternative therapy or energy healing. This process can be applied to everything...yes really, everything--from pain to anxiety/stress to Post Traumatic Stress Disorder to cravings for alcohol and drugs, side effects of chemotherapy, psoriasis, for allergies, asthma, nightmares, chronic illnesses, social awkwardness and difficulty with love and relationships...and the list goes on and on. The best things about EFT are that anyone can learn and apply it, from very young children to people with limited mobility or those who have memory issues. Also, it is quick, doesn't involve anything complicated or uncomfortable, and is easy to remember...so much so, that if you forget aspects of it and just do the parts you remember, it can still be very effective. The more you try it, the easier it becomes...and the more you will see how it really does work to help EVERYTHING imaginable! Gary Craig officially retired in 2010, but spent years creating and perfecting a series of tapping points for this method and a reminder phrase to accompany the tapping spots. All of his work is now public domain, thanks to his generosity, which means it is FREE and available to all who are interested in learning and practicing it. There are many free demonstration videos, free books that are downloadable, and even free newsletters, and updates on new techniques that are available online. If you do a web search of any terms associated with EFT or of the name Gary Craig, you will find much zero cost help to learn this amazing technique. Thanks to its creator, The Emotional Freedom Technique can be accessed and learned by anyone who needs it at no cost whatsoever. EFT is, to me, a combination of gentle stimulation of important accupressure points (many of which are also associated with lymph node fluid drainage and stress relief) with a meaningful mantra about the problem one can repeat as a reminder, much like what might happen with meditation or hypnosis/trance state...just without having to be mindful, to concentrate, or to clear one's mind. This can be done while you are reading, cooking, taking a test, walking, etc. You don't have to be coordinated, or to know any other special healing techniques to learn EFT either. There are two main parts of EFT that are great to start with, "The Basic Recipe" and "The Gamut." When used together, these can take any troubling issue you are facing and make it virtually non-existent. If you start by thinking about your problem...let's say, for example, you have a headache, rate it before you begin (so you will be able to gauge the difference you feel after trying EFT) on a scale of 1-10 (1 being no pain and 10 being unbearable pain). Then, after going through The Basic Recipe and The Gamut one time, rate your pain level again. If it hasn't reached below a 4 after the first try, do it once more...or as many times as you like until the pain is either gone or significantly better. The other important part of this is the reminder phrase for the basic recipe, which has 13 simple tapping points. The reminder phrase goes something like this: "Even though (fill in the blank with your problem, being as specific about the details and/or cause as possible...the more specific you are, the more this will help) my head hurts, I deeply and completely accept myself." If you do not accept yourself, you may do one of two things, either say it anyway, though you don't believe it...OR say "Even though my head hurts, I am open to accepting myself." When you begin the exercise, rubbing what are called the "sore spots" on your upper chest, you say the entire sentence. With each tapping point, which you should tap roughly 7-10 times with two fingers (but do it as much or as little as you are comfortable with...don't focus on the counting, focus on being exact with the reminder phrase and on finding the points), say only the first part of the phrase, for example, "Even though my head hurts." (Or say whatever the beginning of your sentence was once as a reminder phrase with each new point you tap.) If you would like to get more information, such as videos that demonstrate this or one of the free online books which can be downloaded for use on a computer or to be printed, the website, which is about to be re-released with some excellent updates, is: www.garythink.com But, again, you can also do a web search of any aspect of this technique and find loads of useful, free videos and articles that give specific pieces of advice about applying EFT to different types of problems. Or, you can feel free to contact us at any time for more information as well. We are always happy to help. I would recommend this incredibly simple form of alternative healing to everyone, regardless of what other types of alternative healing you may also seek out for yourself. It can really work with and compliment other forms of traditional healing and medicine, too. I have personally seen EFT work among my clients on everything from test anxiety, to OCD, to quitting smoking, to allergies, to back pain, migraines, colds/flu/breathing issues, panic attacks, and so many more issues. In my own life, I also use it on a regular basis. It is usually the first thing I teach my clients when they come to me for help, as they are then empowered after learning it to easily do healing on themselves. They can use it anytime they need it in their personal lives and can teach it to anyone and everyone they know if they want to help others, too. Happy tapping, enjoy, and be well. Please feel free to share your experiences with EFT after trying it below as a comment, or to contact us with your stories. Here is a brief video with more explanation about EFT and its benefits: