Emotional Freedom Techniques is a group of energy therapy techniques that can be used to release stress, tension, and negativity from the body, including addictions, cravings, limiting beliefs, unwanted habits, and more. By focusing on negative thoughts and emotions, while tapping on specific energy meridian points on the body, EFT helps to reduce the physical response in the body to those thoughts and emotions.
When used successfully, either as a self-help tool or with the guidance of a certified practitioner, one can release various forms of negativity and create a calm and harmonious state in the body and mind. In this balanced state, the body will intuitively begin to heal.
In recent years, there has been more evidence to support the fact that stress held in the body can contribute to physical illness, pain, and disease. John Sarno, the author of The Divided Mind and Healing Back Pain has had tremendous success in helping people understand that the cause of their chronic pain is not physical, but emotional. He provides strong evidence of the mind-body connection and many of his patients have found relief from their physical conditions by simply understanding this connection.
The ACE study (Adverse Childhood Experiences) found a direct correlation between adverse experiences in childhood and the development of physical and mental health issues in adulthood. One of my mentors, Craig Weiner wrote a great BLOG about this study. It demonstrates the importance of acknowledging how negative experiences from the past can contribute to disharmony in the body and mind. But the good news is—the emotional charge from these experiences can be released through a variety of mind-body techniques including EFT.
And while there are a number of studies supporting the effectiveness of energy therapies (such as this ARTICLE), I can simply say, from experience…EFT works, and it works well!
Below you will find a video that shows you how to do basic EFT Tapping as well as written directions.
How To Do Basic EFT: Written Directions
EFT Meridian Tapping Points:
SH/KC – Side of Hand or Karate Chop Point. This point is located on the soft fleshy part on the outside of the hand.
TH – Top of Head. This point is located in the center of the head in line with the ears.
EB – Eye Brow. Just at the inside edge of the eyebrow at the very top of the nose bone.
SE – Side of Eye. Follow the eyebrow bone to the side of the eye. Do not go into the eye socket, stay on the outside corner of the eye.
UE – Under the Eye. Continue to follow the bone around the eye to just below the pupil.
UN – Under the Nose. Between the nose and upper lip.
CP – Chin Point. In the crease below the lip and above the round part of the chin.
CB – Collar Bone Point. Place your finger in the U-shape area of the breast bone just below the throat and then come down 1″ and to each side 1″.
UA – Under the Arm. This point is about one hand width or 4″ below the armpit on the side of the ribs.
Additional Point:
SS – This is a tender point on the top of the chest, just below the outside of the collar bone that can be used in place of the SH/KC point. This is particularly useful if you are in a situation where you are experiencing stress, but you want to be discreet. You can massage or tap on this point while saying your setup statement and acceptance statement to yourself. There is no need to go through all the points. Doing just this one point will help to reduce the stress of the situation.
Tapping Basics:
Other than TH, UL and UC, all the other EFT Meridian Points have mirroring points on each side of the body. You can tap on both points at a time, or just on one side. Both ways are perfectly fine.
Using two to three fingers while tapping will ensure you make contact with the desired meridian point and each point can be tapped on 5 to 7 times. You don’t have to count, this is just a guideline. The exception to this is while tapping on the side of the hand during the setup statement. In that case, you tap continuously while doing the setup.
The amount of pressure used while tapping is an individual choice. Some people may have to tap firmly to stimulate the points, while highly sensitive individuals may not be able to touch the skin at all. You know yourself the best, so choose an intensity of tapping that is comfortable for you. However, you don’t want to tap so hard that it hurts.
Creating the Setup Statement:
The setup statement is comprised of two parts; the acknowledgment of the issue and then the acceptance of that issue or yourself anyways. Followers of the law of attraction often find it hard to accept the idea of acknowledging the problem, because the fundamental principle of the law of attraction is ‘like attracts like’.
The thought then would be, “if I focus on the negative experience or emotion, I will create more of that.” But how EFT works, is that by focusing on the negative issue while tapping on the meridian points, the energy around that issue is ‘neutralized’, and then the body and mind relax and stop reacting to it.
Then you move into the acceptance statement which enforces a positive acceptance of yourself or the situation. EFT simply allows you to release the negative thoughts and emotions that are there anyway, thus creating an easier transition into a positive state of mind. It actually enhances the power of the law of attraction.
To create your set up statement, you first identify the issue.
Then tuning in to how you feel, measure the intensity of the issue between 0 – 10.
You then say the following:
“Even though I ________________ (fill in the blank, stating what the problem is), I deeply and completely accept myself.”
Repeat this statement three times while tapping on the Side of the Hand (SH/KC) point.
Additional acceptance statements could be:
“I accept myself anyway”
“I can consider the possibility of accepting myself”
“Right here, right now, I am ok”
“I deeply and completely love and accept myself”
“I deeply and completely love, accept and honor (or forgive) myself”
“I deeply and sincerely accept myself”
Then start tapping on the Top of the Head (TH) point while saying a reminder statement of the problem and continue to tap through all the points until you’ve reached the Under the Arm (UA) point. (Note: some practitioners start with the EB point and finish with the TOP, either way, is fine)
Example:
Issue: Migraine, sharp pain in the left eye. The intensity of pain is 8.
“Even though I have this migraine and have this sharp pain in my left eye, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though I have this migraine and it’s especially painful in my left eye, like a sharp pain, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
“Even though I have this migraine and have this sharp pain in my left eye, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
TH: “This migraine”
EB: “This sharp pain in my left eye”
SE: “This migraine”
UE: “It’s especially painful in my left eye”
UN: “Like a sharp pain”
UC: “This migraine”
CB: “This sharp pain in my left eye”
UA: “This migraine”
Once you have completed this round, check-in and see what the intensity of pain is now. It usually comes down by a few points, maybe to a 5 or 6. Continue to repeat the process until the intensity is reduced to zero or you have reached a plateau. You can change the setup statement to include “Even though I still have this migraine or Even though I have some remaining pain.” Also, note any changes that occur and change the statement to reflect that. For example, stabbing pain may change to throbbing pain and then to dull pain.
If the issue doesn’t change or the intensity increases, then there is another aspect of the issue that is contributing to the pain and that involves a slightly more complex approach.
If you have never done EFT before, the process may seem a little complicated, but I assure you, once you get the hang of it, tapping is very easy to do! And it is such a wonderful self-help tool that you can do anytime you are feeling any level of stress…physical or emotional.
I have also created a self-paced course on Udemy called EFT Tapping for Personal Peace. This course teaches you everything you need to know about tapping and how to use this technique in a methodical way to help clear negative events and emotions out of your life. You can find out more about the course here.