The Emotional Freedom Techniques

Author: Lynne Namka, Ed. D.

The Emotional Freedom Techniques ™ (EFT) are a set of exciting self-help acupressure procedures you can learn to use on yourself to decrease stress, fears, anxiety, grief, trauma issues and the frustration of living with illness. EFT has been used to decrease the severity of physical pain problems such as headaches, back aches and allergic reactions. All distressing emotions can be challenged and interrupted with EFT. Anger, fear, stress and other negative emotions are specific thought fields that your body translates into energetic patterns. Most illnesses have an emotional component underneath them such as grief, sadness, frustration and anger.

You are your thoughts and all thoughts are energies. Fear, panic, anger, negative thoughts and unresolved issues are believed to be disturbances that cause blocks of energy in meridians. I work with my mind daily to keep frustration and fear away. Negative emotions use up energy that could be going to healing.

When I started with EFT, I did it a hundred times a day to rid myself of those ruminations that dragged me down. It works to balance your mind and body. It truly is a magical technique in helping you achieve peace in your life.

How does it work? It is based on Chinese Energy Medicine and acupuncture theory. The tapping releases the blockages in the energetic field that is held in the person’s thought field. After the treatment of the acupressure points, the information is stored differently in the energetic field and energy in the meridians flows more freely. Positive endorphins and neurotransmitters are released in the brain. Balance and harmony are instilled with new insights. Often the belief about the issue spontaneously changes after tapping as tension and pain decrease.

Sara Edelman, EFT user and teacher, says, “EFT allows me to deal with the terrible emotional difficulties that come with chronic illness. It helps me maintain sanity and have courage to deal with my emotions that come with being in relationships. When my resources are low and I’ve given up and just can’t do it anymore and I’m so sick, I tap Tapping on my thoughts helps me when there is more than I can handle. Tapping is a miracle.”

The experts agree. EFT has been recommended by Joseph Teitelbaum, MD. in his book, Three Steps to Happiness: Healing Through Joy about treating the negative thoughts that add to the misery of pain. It is also recommended by Dr. Joseph Mercola who recommends alternative approaches. Eric Robins, MD said, “Someday the medical profession will wake up and realize that unresolved emotional issues are the main cause of 85% of all illnesses. When they do, EFT will be one of their primary healing tools ….as it is for me.” The technique has been endorsed by many others and Deepak Chopra who said, “EFT has great healing benefits.”

Gary Craig who is the developer of EFT has an extensive web site that gives all types of emotional and medical conditions that respond to EFT. Some of the medical categories case studies that have been treated by EFT include Pain Management, Addictions, Weight Loss, Allergies, Headaches, Phobias about smells, Panic/Anxiety, Asthma, Depression, Back Pain Relief, Eating disorders, High Blood Pressure, Neuropathy and fears about the future and living with fibromyalgia and chronic fatigue. There are over forty research studies from all over the world on EFT showing its effectiveness and there is the research is growing.

There are different versions available. I like the long form which includes the liver point (as anger is the emotion associated with the liver meridian) and taps across the fingers. This version just takes a minute for and is more thorough than the current short form that Craig teaches.

THE EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUE (EFT)

Gary Craig’s Technique Adapted

Do a web search for the Tapping Technique or EFT to see other versions.

THE DISCOVERY STATEMENT

“The cause of all negative emotions is a disruption of the body’s energy system.”  – Gary Craig

Memorize the Basic Recipe. Aim it at any emotional or physical problem by customizing it with an appropriate Setup Affirmation and get a specific memory of the issue or problem.

Keep at it. Where necessary, be persistent until all aspects of the problem have vanished. Try it on everything! Try it on physical symptoms that may have feelings hiding under them!

THE BASIC RECIPE – [Long Form]

• Get a distress level of how upset you are with your issue or problem on a scale of 1-10 with 10 being the highest.
• The Setup Affirmation…Repeat this affirmation three (3) times:

“Even though I have this (state issue/problem) , I deeply love and forgive myself.”
Make and repeat this statement while continuously rubbing the Sore Spot or tapping the Karate Chop point.

Lymphatic Area or the Sore Spot: Rub under the collarbone on the left chest, right where the ribs start. Feel for a “tender” area, what some call a “sore spot.” Karate Chop: Do a chopping motion on the little finger side of the hand halfway between the end of the little finger and the beginning of the wrist.

• The Sequence…Breath deeply in and out once. Tap about 7 times on each of the following Points.

Points: 1. Inside of the eyebrows. 2. Outside of the eye. 3. Under the eye. 4. Under the nose. 5. Under the bottom lip on the chin. 6. Collarbone. 7. Under breast on ribs. 8. Under the arm. 9. Outside of the thumbnail. 10. Index finger at the fingernail. 11. Middle finger at the fingernail. 12. At the little fingernail. 13. Side of hand [Karate Chop]. 14. Back of hand between ring and little finger [Gamut Spot].

• Repeat the process by repeating the same issue/problem. Think about the specific memory connected to the problem. Get another distress level of how upset you are with your issue or problem. Stretch, sigh and let the problem go.
• Repeat the process with another part of the same issue/problem. Search for another memory or belief about the issue or problem. Do not jump to a new problem until you clear out all the parts of this issue/problem. Get an early memory of the same feeling. What does your problem remind you of when you were younger? Find the original upset to tap on for greater clearing. When your distress level is “0” or “1” you will feel a lot better.

SHORT CUTS

Anger

Outside of eye [Gall Bladder point] (frustration, rage)

Over liver [Liver point] (anger)

Inside of little fingernail [Heart point] (forgiveness)

Anxiety

Eyebrow [Bladder point] (trauma)

Cheekbone [Stomach point] (nervousness)

Collarbone (fear)

Under arm [Spleen point] (hopelessness, insecurity)

Guilt

Under nose [Governing Vessel point] (guilt)

Under lip [Central Vessel point] (shame and embarrassment)

Collarbone (fear)

Note: Gary Craig is currently using a shorter recipe, starting with the top of the head and going only to the spot under the arm. He does not use the Liver point or add the breath. Craig uses the outside of the hand [Karate Chop] for the Setup Affirmation instead of the Sore spot. I like to teach all points that represent the different meridians. Experience has shown that a variety of different EFT recipes work. Just do it!