What is EFT?

Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) is based on the same principles as acupuncture, but use a tapping method instead of needles.

It is believed that the imbalance of the energy system in our bodies have a profoundly negative effect on our physical and emotional health. Doctors often tell us that our symptoms are caused by stress.

Dr. Roger Callahan's first experience with EFT was in 1980. One of his patients, was suffering from frequent headaches and nightmares. She sought help from different therapists for years without much success. Dr. Callahan had been working with her for a year without making much headway.

One day, he stepped outside of the normal "boundaries" of psychotherapy. After studying the body's energy system, he decided to tap with his fingertips under her eyes (the end point of the stomach meridian). She had complained of stomach upset and fear of water and swimming pools.

To his astonishment, she opened her eyes and immediately announced that her disturbing thoughts about water were gone. She raced down to the nearby swimming pool and started splashing water on her face. No fear. No headaches.

It all went away..... including the nightmares, and never returned. His patient is now free of her aqua phobia. Results like that are rare in the field of psychotherapy ... but common with EFT.

My Introduction to EFT

EFT came in to my life in September 2009; a friend of mine was mourning the loss of her thirty-five-year-old daughter to breast cancer.

Realizing it was the one year anniversary of her daughter's passing, I was quick to accept her invitation to attend an EFT healing circle.

She shared with me that EFT was helping her deal with her grief, which seemed insurmountable at times. I could see it was making a difference for her. Not sure what EFT was, I was interested.

She had mentioned she would like to have someone to tap with. She informed me that it was a method of releasing stress by tapping on certain points on our body. She told me, the coach would be guiding us.

After watching the Coach tapping on different points with others in the group, I would be next to try. It seemed like it could be a good fit for me, since stress had become something of my specialty.

I was not feeling well. Most of the time, I was extremely exhausted, overwhelmed and angry. Many things beyond my control had just turned my world upside down. In short, I felt helpless and overwhelmed.

At the time, I was cleaning a few houses a week while my daughter attended school. I enjoyed cleaning and the sense of accomplishment I felt in putting things in order. I believed I was very good at it and could do a lot of work in the allotted time.

I now realize that I was working on adrenaline most of the time. My plan was to set a timer and work against the clock. I would push myself to exhaustion. I inevitably burned myself out many times. I would quit all the jobs, then after spending some time healing and recuperating, I would find more houses to clean, promising myself this time was going to be different. Of course, it wasn't, because I did the same thing each and every time while expecting a different result.

I would end up angrier at myself each time I replayed this insane game. I did not realize that I was harming myself at the time. I believed I was doing everything to the best of my ability. Although I did feel it was a low job in society's eyes, I also believed it worked for my family needs.

During my tapping turn, I realized how much anger and resentment I was holding in. After a few minutes of saying these things out loud, I felt an awakening of sorts. Tapping brought up a lot of other thoughts I had not been aware I even felt.

The coach asked me if I liked feeling this way. I replied back by saying, "Of course I don't want to feel like this." I was making myself sick. I was not only emotionally up set I was having reactions to the cleaners, which no doubt filled my body with toxins.

I felt a complete shift, not only in my body but also my thinking. Feelings of worthlessness also surfaced.

The coach asked me whether I had felt that anger and worthlessness as a child. Thinking back I knew immediately where it came from and why I felt this way.

Just understanding its source shifted my energy and thoughts. It was amazing to me how much better I felt. The other participants in the healing circle witnessed my transformation.

My mind was clear. I made a decision right then and there. I would not be cleaning houses anymore. I let go of all my clients at once.

Imagine shifting all that blocked energy in such a short time. Feeling clear headed and having a new perspective, enabling me to make a good decision quickly.

I felt the release; I was hooked wanting more of this feeling. I certainly did not want to go back to the way I felt entering this room. I now felt calm, sure of myself, relieved. I realized that EFT would be very beneficial to me.

I began to attend weekly healing circles and one-on-one sessions with an EFT coach. My friend and I set aside time to tap together. It was like peeling back an onion; we were clearing emotional stress one layer at a time.

Even though there are many levels to an issue, it may take a few EFT sessions to get to the root. Your subconscious will only release what you are ready to hear. Be kind to yourself. Working through your issues at your own pace will bring wonderful results.

Sentences starting with "even though" or "what if" need to be repeated three times ... Even though I feel. ... I accept myself. ... I deeply and completely accept this issue ... I deeply and completely love and accept myself. What if ... these two words can be used to move you, from where you are in your thinking to where you choose to go, opening the door to a new idea? Example: what if I could get that or do what I really want to do?

Adding your own words to fill in the blanks, as you become more familiar with EFT will give you a sense of power.

And so my personal journey began, I felt immediate results on many different emotional levels. I began trying it out on my husband, friends and family members. To my surprise, they felt their energy shift too.

My dream to become an EFT coach was born. I began reading books on the topic. I signed up online for the Gary Craig course.

This past year I took a workshop on line by Nick and Jessica Ortner called Seven Weeks to Financial Success and Personal Fulfillment. One statement that resonated with me from that program was "Put Yourself Out There." Hence! I made a conscious decision to write this book. Over the years I have coached countless friends, family members and clients.

Emotional Freedom Techniques EFT releases blocked energy causing emotional suffering. We store these emotions in different parts of our bodies, which will create physical pain.

Long standing emotional pain can lead to serious physical issues. Tapping out the emotional pain clears the energy system, allowing physical healing as well as emotional healing.

This method is 100% physician approved. Visit www. emofree.com to access the manual by Gary Craig.

EFT works on all kinds of issues:

Pain Relief
Fears and Phobias
Allergies
Trauma
Depression
Anxiety
PTSD
Disease

Tapping Points

EB = Beginning of the Eye Brow

SE = Side of the Eye

UE = Under Eye

UN = Under the Nose

CH = Chin

CB = Beginning of the Collarbone

UA = Under the Arm

BN = Below the Nipple

TH = Thumb (side of the thumb at the base of the nail)

IF = Index finger (side of the nail)

MF = Middle Finger (side of the nail)

BF = Baby Finger (side of the nail)

KC = Karate Chop (fleshy side of your hand between the little finger and the base of wrist).

Listed above are the basic points to tap on. For now we are going to be using the side of the hand, the Karate Chop point.

I will ask you to tap lightly on the Karate Chop point, whenever you feel a disruption in your energy system, while reading the stories or scripts I have provided.

Children respond well to tapping on the side of their fingers, at the base of the nail. These points are called magic buttons. Many children suffer from anxiety, which is now being recognized as a real issue. Energy is everywhere, both positive and negative. Children are like sponges soaking it all up.

They are very receptive to learning and being taught how to think and feel, in all areas of their lives. Unlike adults, they have not learned to filter or doubt what they are told.

Children feel what we feel, have trouble articulating what they want to say. They become frustrated and act out in ways we don't understand.

It is important to work with parents first, before tapping with their children. A child will feel immediate results when the parents around them release their anxiety. Their child will feel the shift, which allows anxiety to vanish quickly in them. They feel they are safe.

Clear yourself first by releasing your own stress around an issue. After you have cleared your blocks, it is time to start tapping lightly on the top of your child's head or on their fingers at the side of the nail. Often as you clear your own stress, your child will be releasing along with you. Releasing energy works wonders this way.

Self-Awareness is the Key

Most of us just rush through our days with little time to do the things we have to do, without having time to stop and think about how we do them. The roller coaster of life gets in the way. At the end of the day, we are exhausted and still have a to-do list a mile long.

We fall into bed feeling unfulfilled, frustrated, and often angry at someone in our life for not helping us out or for hurting us.

Still reeling from what was said or done, we sense another sleepless night on the horizon. Add to that all the bills that need paying and laundry stacked to the ceiling. The kids have to be taken to many after-school activities. They seem grumpy lately as well.

Sound familiar? Sad, isn't it.

No wonder so many people are suffering from depression and anxiety having to rely on anti-depressants to get through the day.

We can continue on this path and find ourselves adding to our ailments. How many of us live this way? I have felt like this many times. If only there were two of me I would be able to stay on top of the demands. I really hope you don't hold that belief.

The first thing I want you to do is ask yourself if any of this rings true. If not, then put this book down and continue on your path, or go fishing like my Dad did. If it does ring true, please be kind to yourself.

Admitting to yourself you would like to hear more about the possibility of changing things will open you up to self-awareness.

EFT Script

The EFT Script below is made up of key components to help you understand how you can begin your tapping process. The words "even though" help you identify that you have an issue you want to look at. It is called the set up statement.

Even though I have never thought of self-awareness before, I realize that I do feel overwhelmed at times. Even though I have no idea what reading this script is supposed to do, I am a good person with lots of great qualities and I am willing to be open to the possibility of change.

What if, I hear one thing that helps me? I could work on that. I know I find myself getting angry quickly. It makes me feel out of control.

Below, you will find a few questions to ask yourself. Thinking about each question and answering honestly will open your mind to new insights.

When in your life do you remember getting angry and out of control?

Who made you angry?

Where were you?

Were you alone with the person or were others around?

Can you close your eyes and envision yourself and the other person(s)?

How old were you?

What did you do?

After answering these questions, you will find you have some answers. We all have the answers in us. All we need to do is stop, reflect and tap into our subconscious.

Tap on the Karate Chop point (side of your hand).

Even though I was very angry, I accept myself anyway.

Even though I was very angry, I accept myself anyway. Even though I was very angry, I accept myself anyway. I deeply and completely accept what I did and said.

I was ____ years old. I was only ____ years old.

I can see I didn't really know any other way to act. I was only doing what I knew and I accept myself. This is the way we act in my family. Everyone does it. At least that is what I always believed until now.

What if, that is why I am carrying all this anger today?

Maybe it doesn't just go away. I was ___ years old and now I am ___ years old. Is this my pattern?

Our subconscious brains are wired to remember the way we reacted the first time we did something. For example, if your first memory of being angry and out of control is when you were eight years old, that is what will come to the surface. Your subconscious has been holding that for all these years, and when you get angry, you are still reacting from that eight-year-old child inside you.

This is where you can assure the little girl inside that it is okay. Tell her you forgive her, you understand how she felt and why she acted out of control.

* Always use your own words and gender of course, as I used female in this example.

Once you come to the revelation of the reason you were angry and felt out of control and the timeline, you will probably feel many shifts in your energy.

The farther back you can go in your memory, the greater the understanding you will have. Looking at it from this age gives you a totally different perspective.

Self-awareness will help you change your understanding and enable you to see the situation from another angle.

Basics of Our Beliefs

We all hold a set of beliefs close to our heart. We learned these things as children growing up. Our parents told us what to do and why to do it. Teachers, mentors, and spiritual leaders in our lives all contributed to what we believe today.

These personal beliefs are what we all live by, and base our decisions on. We just do what we always did. It is the writing on our wall. More often than not, we never question if these things are still true for us today in our adult life.

Think about it for minute. Look at the writing on your wall. Some of it holds true. Some may have no value for you today. Which beliefs do you want to disregard?

What if you could change one or two of these so-called truths? Which one would you change? You may have been told that you cannot do something in front of grandma. Every time you see grandma today you remember that rule.

Or that it is not safe to talk to strangers. This could have become a deep-rooted fear in you, and you are now hesitant to work in sales or make new connections.

EFT can help you understand that your issue today may be attached to something you were told as a child, which could be keeping you stuck at whatever age you learned it.

By tapping out the fear of talking to strangers and assuring your inner child that she is safe. Explain to her, you are an adult now, and making adult decisions. You will feel a release of blocked energy and have the understanding of why you felt the way you did.

There is no doubt that this fear has also affected some part of your body. You are storing it somewhere. Our stomachs are famous for welcoming fear. You can be sure over the years it will show up as an ulcer or digestive problems.

Changing your belief to fit the adult you have become, will clear away all the anger and fear around an issue, the aliment will likely disappear as well.

House of Possibilities

As you walk through this house, you notice there are a lot of choices. More choices than you ever imagined. Something jumps out at you, your heart quickens. You feel light and energized, realizing how you have always been interested in that.

Then you hear that critical little voice in your head that says you cannot do that or have that. You are too old, or much too young. Do you really think you are smart enough? You will need a university degree for that. No one in our family has ever done that before, so what makes you think you can?

These negative, limiting thoughts put up blocks in your energy system. Keeping you stuck at the age you learned or heard these things. We often never give it another thought. It becomes the writing on our wall.

This can be a regular day for a lot of people. Yet a lot of people move forward and accept these thoughts with such ease. Very few people stop to wonder, why not? Or what if?

Again, the adults in our life told us these things or perhaps we overheard someone say them. We remember these words in our subconscious, and they can stop us from reaching our goals.

As we become aware that this is happening, it opens a door, giving us a better understanding as to why we may be stuck.

Be open to the possibilities in every area of your life. Tap on it and see what comes up. Once you see what the block really is you will be able to move forward instantly.