by Karen Keller Capuciati
You know when you hear about something for the first time, and then all of a sudden it keeps popping up everywhere? Well, about a year ago I was looking for ideas on how to help my mom deal with stress and anxiety after her stroke. A friend of ours, who happens to be a nurse, mentioned that “tapping” helped her. She said that anxiety attacks had made it hard for her to leave her own house and that tapping changed her life.
Since then I have heard the same thing from multiple sources: Tapping can change your life.
So what is tapping?
It refers to an alternative procedure called EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), also known as Meridian Tapping. Those explaining EFT often draw the parallel with acupuncture. Both EFT and acupuncture work off the same premise that wellness requires the proper flow of vital energy. Traditional Chinese medicine refers to this energy as Qi — this energy flows through the body in pathways called meridians. Negative emotions or trauma can cause a disruption or blockage in the flow of energy in these pathways that, in turn, cause pain, illness or disease. While acupuncture uses needles, EFT utilizes tapping with your fingertips or hand on specific meridian points which helps to unblock these energetic pathways.
Simply, EFT is the process of tapping on specific parts of your body in a specific order, while verbally acknowledging the issue being addressed, repeating a self-affirmation statement aloud as the tapping commences. There is no hard rule about the statement — it can be something like: “Even though I have anxiety when I leave the house, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
If you are like me, it’s hard to grasp the idea until you’ve seen it demonstrated. Check out this 4-minute video as Jessica Ortner, producer of the documentary, The Tapping Solution, walks you through the process — or download these instructions.
What Can EFT Treat?
This is what I like about EFT: it can be used to treat almost anything. It can be helpful for you, as well as your parents — or even your kids. Here are some of the conditions that tapping can help:
- Headaches or migraines
- Panic/anxiety
- Asthma
- Depression
- Back pain
- High or low blood pressure
- Fibromyalgia
- Neuropathy
- Insomnia
- Pain management
- Emotional issues, including stress and grief
- Phobias
- Addictions
The procedure takes about 5 minutes to learn, about 5 minutes to perform, and can be done anywhere at anytime. You could start right this minute.
“We underestimate the connection between our emotions and our health,” Jessica Ortner told me. Her belief in tapping began when her brother, Nick, introduced her to the technique when she was suffering with the flu. The process helped Jessica find clarity on an emotional issue that was keeping her down and literally making her sick. This experience encouraged both her and her brother to become advocates for tapping and dedicate their lives to helping others heal by bringing EFT into the mainstream.
Do I Need A Practitioner?
No, this is a technique that anyone can do. Jessica explained that it is best to start with a smaller issue. So begin by addressing a sore throat before tackling a chronic illness — just to get started and get a sense of how tapping works.
If you would like to work with a certified EFT practitioner, Jessica noted that most of the practitioners work over the phone, which is very convenient.
You can find a practitioner on eftuniverse.com or tappinginternational.com.
To Learn More
If you want to learn more, go to The Tapping Solution. It’s an excellent website that offers more information and testimonials. There you can also find two great resources:
- The Tapping Solution: The Revolution Starts Within. Jessica and Nick’s documentary explains the process and details the tapping experiences of 10 different people. I got totally wrapped up in the lives of these people and loved seeing how the processed worked for them. The video also explores how tapping can improve your life in other areas as well.
- The book, Discover the Power of Meridian Tapping, A Revolutionary Method for Stress-Free Living, by Patricia Carrington, Ph.D. The book is very easy to read and gives clear steps for the process and ways to apply EFT to better your life. I found the book interesting and inspiring.
I have begun tapping regularly, and my intention is to introduce tapping to my mom on my next visit to her home. If you are at all curious, I would encourage you to find out more or give it a try. There are no side effects and it’s free.
