Never underestimate the power of touch, even when it’s your own hand doing the touching. Emotional freedom technique, known more broadly as EFT tapping, is an alternative wellness treatment meant to address negative and stressful emotional conditions and physical pain.
Working on the same basic principle as acupuncture and acupressure, EFT tapping is meant to rebalance the body’s meridian points. Practitioners believe these points control the flow of energy through the body. Blocked or compromised meridian points are believed to lead to a number of mental and physical illnesses.
Generally, however, EFT tapping has been used most widely for mental conditions such as post-traumatic stress disorder and anxiety. The technique is commonly taught and then self-administered for relief as needed.
A Simple Process
Although understanding where the body’s energy meridians are requires anatomical knowledge and the ability to find those points on a given body, the process of EFT tapping is similar in any case.
- Condition and severity. EFT begins by recognizing what the underlying condition or issue is, and gauging the severity of pain or distress on a scale of 0 to 10. The scale is meant as a subjective measure of the emotional and/or physical pain. This is a starting point against which the effectiveness of the process will be measured.
- Establishing the basis. This is simply labeling the actual issue, and then acknowledging to yourself your own worth, and right to be healed. Most practitioners require that the patient put these two elements into words.
- The tapping sequence. Practitioners use a simple progression of tapping meridian points in order (see illustration above). A common sequence is to tap the follow points as listed, seven times each, while reciting the phrase from establishing the basis. The order is:
- Eyebrow
- Side of eye
- Under eye
- Under nose
- Chin
- Collarbone
- Under arm
Finish by tapping the top of the head.
- Check severity. Once again check in with your feelings of pain—mental, emotional, or both—and rate on the 0-10 scale. Most practitioners advocate that if the pain is not at “0”, that the tapping process should be repeated.
Although preliminary studies indicate that EFT tapping may be measurably effective against multiple mental and physical conditions, more research is needed. However, it is a relatively easy and safe technique to try in any case.
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