EFT tapping is a mind-body method of tapping acupuncture points (acupoints) on the hands, face, and body with your fingertips while focusing on an issue or feeling you're hoping to resolve. This method may reduce stress and anxiety, improve performance, lessen cravings, and help resolve fears.
What is body tapping? Body tapping, also known as meridian tapping, is a technique that can be used to improve your overall health and wellbeing. By stimulating your meridian points, you can boost your energy levels, get better sleep, reduce stress and anxiety, and strengthen your immune system.
Tapping draws on the ancient Chinese practice of acupuncture, which teaches that the body's energy travels along specific pathways. Certain points on these pathways are stimulated to improve the flow of energy. The stimulation is done by inserting very thin needles (acupuncture) or by applying pressure ( acupressure).
Take time to slow down and be alone, get out into nature, make art, listen to music while you cook your favorite dinner, meditate to cleanse your mind and relax your body, take a bubble bath or a nap to restore.
Ever since people's responses to overwhelming experiences have been systematically explored, researchers have noted that a trauma is stored in somatic memory and expressed as changes in the biological stress response.
Emotional information is stored through “packages” in our organs, tissues, skin, and muscles. These “packages” allow the emotional information to stay in our body parts until we can “release” it. Negative emotions in particular have a long-lasting effect on the body.
How many tapping points are there in EFT? In standard, nonclinical EFT, there are nine tapping points: the eyebrow, side of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, chin, collar bone, under the arm, top of the head, and karate chop.
Lower intensity issues may only require four or five rounds to provide relief, while more intense issues may take 10 or 12 rounds. Intense or chronic issues are best addressed through consistent tapping over time. The benefits are cumulative, meaning you will get the best results by tapping everyday.
This happens because tapping is a process of “reminding yourself of the negative feelings you've experienced in the past”. You're focusing on the past trauma or negative event and “reminding yourself of how bad it was”. And this can cause an intense feeling of anxiety.
“Trauma Tapping Technique is a First Aid technique that can heal symptoms of stress and trauma. It is related to Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) but can be used without language. It is a mind/body tool that clears physical and emotional blocks from your energy system with your fingers, breath and intention.
For example, a person might choose to say: “Even though I have [issue], I deeply and completely accept myself.” During this step, the individual taps on specific points on the body while repeating the phrase that they have chosen. If a practitioner is performing the treatment, they will carry out the tapping.
Tapping has been clinically proven to manage stress, reduce cortisol levels, improve anxiety and even treat PTSD in veterans. “Because tapping is a gentle and easy-to-follow technique, anyone struggling with stress, anxiety or pain can benefit from it,” says Ortner.
A study of 5000 patients found that 90 percent of patients who did tapping therapy saw improved anxiety, compared to 63 percent of patients who practiced Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (with or without medication) instead.
You tap along with the practitioner during the session, each of you tapping on yourself. We tap on the end points of the meridians on the face and torso. EFT sessions are relatively painless. You won't have to dwell on painful memories for tapping to work.
So what are the types of taps? There are 3 main taps you should be familiar with and they are: Taper, Plug, and Bottoming tap.
The actual tapping itself is self-applied and done fully clothed. You may choose to do it sitting up or lying down - however you feel most comfortable is perfect.
Most people use all five fingers on each hand, but depending on what part of the body you are tapping, there are times when it is easier to omit the thumb or little finger.
Research has found that in addition to being self-soothing, shedding emotional tears releases oxytocin and endorphins. These chemicals make people feel good and may also ease both physical and emotional pain. In this way, crying can help reduce pain and promote a sense of well-being.
Sensations in the digestive system and around the throat region were mainly found in disgust. In contrast with all of the other emotions, happiness was associated with enhanced sensations all over the body.
To sum up, since hip muscles are where emotions are trapped caused by events that switch your fight or flight mode, working on deep tissues in hip-focused postures like pigeon pose can release both physical and emotional stress.
Buttocks = Anger and Rage
Anger and suppressed rage are often stored in the buttocks.