To tap the fear away

Henriette Lamprecht – It is simple and painless and can be learned by anyone, applying it to yourself whenever you want and wherever you are. It gives you the power to heal yourself, putting the control back into your own hands. And it all starts with a simple tap.

Tapping, also known as EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), is a powerful holistic healing technique that has been proven to effectively resolve a range of issues, including stress, anxiety, phobias, emotional disorders, chronic pain, addiction, weight control, and limiting beliefs, just to name a few.

Based on the combined principles of ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychology, tapping with the fingertips on specific meridian endpoints of the body, while focusing on negative emotions or physical sensations, helps to calm the nervous system, rewire the brain to respond in healthier ways, and restore the body’s balance of energy.

According to thetappingsolution.com the body is equipped with an energy system that travels along pathways known as meridians. Tapping on these meridian endpoints helps to stimulate this system. When verbally or mentally addressing the root causes of distress, the areas of blocked energy are able to release and flow naturally.

The basic tapping technique requires you to focus on the negative emotion at hand – a fear, a worry, a bad memory, an unresolved problem, or anything that’s bothering you. While maintaining your mental focus on this issue, you use your fingertips to tap 5 - 7 times on each of the 9 specific meridian points of the body.

Tapping on these meridian points in sequence while concentrating on the negative emotions engages both the brain’s limbic system and the body’s energy system, encouraging a sense of safety and resolution. And as the scientific field of epigenetics is proving, when you change your internal environment – your emotions and beliefs – external changes in your mental and physical health will follow.

The scientific basis for tapping therapy revolves around the functions of a specific almond-shaped part of your brain called the amygdala. It is part of the body’s limbic system, the source of emotions and long-term memory. The amygdala is known as the brain’s fear centre, from which the “flight or fight” response originates, alerting other parts of the brain that it senses danger. This, in turn, initiates the firing of other brain receptors and the release of specific hormones that allow the body to respond to the perceived danger.

Tapping has been shown to literally “turn off” the amygdala, disrupting the stress response and allowing the brain synapses to be rewired for a more appropriate emotional response to a given situation.

Didi Olivier, a practioner of Meridien therapies (EFT) also referred to as tapping or physiological acupressure, describes it as an alternative treatment for physical pain and emotional distress.

“Tapping can create a balance in your energy system and treat pain. EFT focus on the meridian point of energy hot spots to restore balance in your body’s energy.”

It can also relieve symptoms, a negative experience or emotion by helping you access your body’s energy, sending signals to the part of the brain that controls stress.

“It is one of the quickest ways I’ve found to diminish any emotional upset. It helps the body validate and accept what the mind is creating, so it can be processed and surrendered with loving awareness of the heart.”

To do the tapping technique, focus on a specific issue and rate the intensity on a scale of 0 to 10. Repeat the mantra “even though I have this problem, I deeply and completely accept myself” 3 times. All while continuously tapping the “karate chop” point.

Tap 5 times on each of the other meridian points (eyebrow, side of the eye, under the eye, under the nose, under the lip, tender spot on the collar bone, under the arm), repeating the problem or the issue.

Now focus on the original problem and re-rate the intensity after one round. You can continue tapping till you reach a point acceptable to you.

“It is an extremely easy process and it works quickly. If you feel an emotion coming up, you can excuse yourself for a minute or two, tap on the points and you will immediately feel relieve.”

Didi normally just do the karate chop under the table if she can’t excuse herself.

“Kids can use it if they feel anxiety coming up in exams for example. It used to be a magic tool for my kids during exam periods.”

- [email protected], www.thetappingsolution.com