What is EFT?
Have you heard of Emotional Freedom Technique or Emotional Freedom Tapping, aka EFT? Developed by Gary Craig in the ’90’s, EFT is all about emotional healing–specifically releasing stuck emotions and pain that may cause disease and physical ailments that wreck havoc on our body-being communication. EFT helps bring our autonomic nervous system back in balance. It clears and validates the communication between our bodies and our spirit.
EFT is a form of psychological acupressure. You tap along specific meridians of the body to release pain, negative emotions, bad habits, or as I see it, stuck energy. These are the same meridians that are used in acupuncture, only without the needles. EFT also has a neurolinguistic component to it. While tapping the specific meridians, you may say affirmations and/or commands, or hold an intention (depending on the style you use) to release stuck energy and heal yourself.
Why use EFT?
I first heard about EFT in the early 2000’s. However, it wasn’t until I did a Master Healer program that I was taught the specifics of EFT. Since then, it’s been a tool in my healing arsenal. I find that I break it out most often when I’m feeling anxious. Anxiety is an emotion that I am sometimes not senior to, meaning I let it get the best of me. Additionally, I find that EFT helps me with any emotion or negative thought pattern (as well as my borderline OCD behaviors) that takes over my day, distracts me, or freaks me out. (It’s great for releasing fear!) . EFT enables me to come back to myself–to feel certain and with hope with whatever situation is at hand.
How does EFT work?
Our hands possess a great healing ability. They have an inherent knowingness that allows us to move energy through touch. For example, if you’ve ever experienced a laying of the hands type of healing, a massage, Reiki, or an aura healing, you will notice the amount of relaxation and relief you feel afterwards. You received a great healing–and your healer, as professional and knowledgeable as they are, channeled their healing energy through their hands to help you move energy.
When doing EFT, we channel our healing energy through our hand and finger chakras to heal ourselves. Please note: EFT is designed for you to heal yourself. It doesn’t work when someone else does it for you, although some people benefit from guidance and coaching. To reiterate, you are using your healing ability, hand and finger chakras, and Higher Self to heal yourself.
EFT How-To
Below is an outline of the EFT healing sequence. This is a full sequence, and is how I was taught to do EFT. Please note that there are variations in practice, as a well as a “quick” version of the sequence. The sequence below will take anywhere from 8-10 minutes to complete, while most quick versions I’ve seen (#’s 1-8, 10) take about 5 minutes to complete. Also note that there is no set time limit to tap each area, but I notice people (myself included) tap for 10-30 seconds, or for the duration of 1-3 affirmations/intentions. One final word: I have cross-referenced a variety of sources and used my own psychic perspective to list out the emotions and energies that attach themselves to particular meridians and organs.
- 1. Karate Chop (KC)
- 2. Top of Head (TOH)
- 3. Eyebrows (EB)
- 4. Sides of Eyes (SE)
- 5. Under Eyes (UE)
- 6. Under Nose (UN)
- 7. Chin (Ch)
- 8. Collarbone (CB)
- 9. Breast Bone/Tender Spots
- 10. Underarms (UA)
- 11. Below Nipples (BN)
- 12. Fingers and Gamut
- 13. Wrists
Organ Association: Small Intestine
Emotions and Energies to Release: uncertainty, confusion, restlessness, inability to distinguish the truth from a lie.
Emotions and Energies to Bring In: certainty, peace and grace, trust in the process
How To: Start with your left hand and tap the outer edge of your palm, called the Karate Chop. Hold your intention and/or speak your affirmation. Tap until you feel it’s time to move on. Then, do the same to the other hand–outside palm.
“Hundred Meeting Points” Meridian
Emotions and Energies to Release: “gerbil thinking,” over-analyzing/overthinking, inability to “turn off”, others thoughts/expectations, demands
Emotions and Energies to Bring In: serenity, calm/stillness, self-knowledge, acknowledgement of self as spirit
How To: Hold and/or speak your intention/affirmation, and bring both hands to the crown (top) of your head and tap. 
Organ Association: Bladder
Emotions and Energies to Release: “stuffing” of emotions, inability to be vulnerable in front of others, holding on/inability to let go
Emotions and Energies to Bring In: openness to new experiences, trusting others, allowing self to be given to, allowing self to be vulnerable and imperfect in front of others.
How To: Tapping the beginning points of your eyebrow ridge, atop the bridge of your nose. 
Organ Association: Gall Bladder
Emotions and Energies to Release: fear of the unknown, tunnel vision, harsh criticism, striving for perfection, “high and mightiness,” placing expectations of self on others, carrying and holding on to (unconscious) family secrets
Emotions and Energies to Bring In: forgiveness of self and others, love of self, ability to see oneself (and others) as spirit, compassion, trust
How To: Tap the sides of your eyes/temples. Don’t forget to hold/speak your intention!
Organ Association: Stomach
Emotions and Energies to Release: pain, loss, heartache, regret
Emotions and Energies to Bring In: awareness of self as higher being, awareness of spiritual path, gratitude, love of self, love of others, forgiveness, joy
How-To: Tap the point under your eyes, where your orbital and cheekbones meet. 
Organ Association: Brain–“Governing Vessel” (aka Governing Meridian)
Emotions and Energies to Release: lack of trust in oneself, “I can’t,” indecision, feeling out of balance/control
Emotions and Energies to Bring-In: I Am, Source, creativity, divinity, psychic awareness, certainty
How-To: Tap the spot below your nose, directly above your upper lip. 
Organ Association: Brain–“Conception Vessel” (aka Central Meridian)
Emotions and Energies to Release: parents’ concepts, energies and fears; negative patterns within a family; limiting ideas around possibilities
Emotions and Energies to Bring In: hope, confidence in one’s ability to create and direct their life, creativity, forgiveness, surrender
How-To: Tap below your lower lip, on the center of your chin. 
Organ and Glandular Associations: Kidney and Adrenals
Emotions and Energies to Release: limits, unconscious (genetic) energy blocks, apathy, pride, resistance to change, hanging on, deficit mentality
Emotions and Energies to Bring In: flow, conscious awareness of possibilities, certainty in one’s ability to heal themselves and overcome obstacles, allowing oneself to be vulnerable and authentic in all situations, optimism
How-To: Tap your collar bone. I usually tap at the center, then move out and back in again. 
Glandular and System Association: Thymus and Lymphatic System
Emotions and Energies to Release: grief, anxiety, other’s emotions, worries of what others might think, judgement
Emotions and Energies to Bring In: love, validation of self as divine spirit in body, validation present-time creations and path, forgiveness
How-To: Tap at your breast bone. Tap or rub the “sore spots”–the tender areas on the pectoral muscles to loosen lymphatic congestion.
Organ Association: Spleen
Emotions and Energies to Release: pain, family problems and/or others’ problems, effort, hardship
Emotions and Energies to Bring In: ease, effortlessness, one’s healing vibration, rest, relaxation
How-To: Tap about 4 inches below your armpit. If you can, tap both underarms at the same time (I know it looks funny). If can’t, no worries–tap one at a time. 
Organ Association: Liver
Emotions and Energies to Release: tenderness, over-sensitivity, defeatist attitude, grief, sadness, regret, disappoint in self and/or others, taking things personal
Emotions and Energies to Bring In: higher-self, more of one’s own energy, seeing oneself through eyes of love and appreciation, gratitude, laughter and amusement
How-To: Tap the point directly below your nipples–the mid-edge of your ribcage.
Organ and System Association:
- Pinky Finger–Heart
- Middle Finger–Circulation/Sex
- Index Finger–Large Intestine
- Thumb–Lung
- Gamut Spot–Triple Warmer (automic nervous system)
Emotions and Energies to Release:
- Pinky Finger–Heart
- Middle Finger–Circulation/Sex
- Index Finger–Large Intestine
- Thumb–Lung
- Gamut Spot–Triple Warmer (automic nervous system)
Emotions and Energies to Bring In:
- Pinky Finger–Heart
- Middle Finger–Circulation/Sex
- Index Finger–Large Intestine
- Thumb–Lung
- Gamut Spot–Triple Warmer (automic nervous system)
How-To: Tap the space between the upper and middle knuckle on your pinky finger. Skip your ring finger, and then tap the same area on your middle and index fingers and thumb. Come back to the point where your pinky and ring fingers meet on the back of your palm and tap. Repeat this sequence on your other hand.
Organ Association:
Emotions and Energies to Release:
Emotions and Energies to Bring In:
How-To: Tap the wrists together until you feel your healing is complete. Now, take a moment to breathe and release and let go of any additional energy. As you hold your intention and/or speak your affirmation, imagine all of your energy–that which is divine, pure, and creative—coming back to you. When you feel full of yourself, you are done! 
This sounds great, but will it really work for me and my issue?
While EFT is my go-to for anxiety and stress related situations (I’ve done it before a job-interview); it can be done for anything. You can do it for insomnia, physical ailments such as arthritis, addiction, you name it. My personal experience says yes, it works. Yet I’ve read that some people find it more effective if they have coached guidance while doing EFT. There have been over 100, evidence-based studies that document the effectiveness of EFT. While I do not have access to all these scholarly articles and studies, you can check here and here for evidenced-based, proof positive information about its beneficial effect on our health and well-being.
Resources
There are a lot of great tutorials on the web, in addition to Facebook groups that you can join if you’re interested in pursuing EFT. It’s a simple, powerful way to heal yourself. Let me know how it works out for you here or in the comments below. Sharing your experience will inspire others!
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