Over the years, people have accumulated a number of negative experiences, which have become blocked in the energy that flows through our body. This blockage causes emotional, physical and mental damage to us, but what would you tell us if we told you that there was a technique that allows us to get rid of our problems or an intense emotional burden in a matter of minutes? This is the main goal of EFT, an emotional freedom technique.
If you are interested in knowing what is tapping: emotional release techniquecontinue reading this article from , where we will explain what it consists of, how it works and its effectiveness.
What is tapping?
The tapping comes from eastern culture, has its origin in acupuncture from traditional Chinese medicine, being recognized in 1979 by the World Health Organization (WHO). The premise that supports tapping is that all the negative emotions we face, all problems, whether physical, economic, emotional, etc., are caused by an imbalance in the energy of our body. Faced with this, the objective of tapping is to inhibit this imbalance from soft knocks in a set of key points of our body.
EFT tapping
The EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) are a set of techniques that allow the person get rid of emotional blockage that has been accumulating over the years or a specific problem, in a quick and simple way.
EFT is an emotional liberation technique, since it combines the practice of tapping (gently tapping) on certain points of the body, to release stagnant energy in the body, while the person evokes his or her problem. When used correctly, the emotional stressors that cause the problem are released along with the energy blockage of our body.
This technique does not only help the person reduce psychological problems, but also contributes to improving symptoms on a physical level, because the relationship between emotional stress and the appearance of physical symptoms is very high. This statement does not indicate that any origin of a physical illness falls on a psychological component, but rather it defends that over the years people carry a large emotional backpack, which affects our body.
The central idea of EFT is that when we feel good, without stressors, and/or problems, the energy in our body flows without any obstruction. However, when our energy is blocked or interrupted, negative emotions emerge, which can appear accompanied by all kinds of physical symptoms.
Faced with this, EFT is based on a type of psychological acupuncture that focuses attention on the meridian energy, on which traditional acupuncture is also focused for the treatment of both emotional and physical diseases. However, the tapping technique avoids needles.
How to tap
tapping to make it really workEFT, instead of using acupuncture needles, uses the tips of your fingers to gently tap certain points on the body, with the aim of allow energy to enter that has been blocked in the meridians.
How to practice tapping: step by step
The idea of EFT is to cause the person revive the problem, which takes it to the present to later be eliminated. To do this, the person is asked to pronounce out loud your problem, to make it come out, whether emotional, physical, economic,… Its formulation should be simple, such as “I can’t stand it at work anymore.” As the person pronounces the phrase, soft blows in certain points which we will explain to you below.
The combination of evoking the problem out loud and making gentle taps on the meridian energy allows the person to undo the emotional blockage, since when the person previously thought about the problem, a conditioned stress response quickly appeared, but after carrying out the technique, the problem is conditioned to a positive associationmaking it so that when the person thinks about the problem, the stress response does not appear.
One of the great advantages of this technique is that it can be done at any time and place and individually, since it is very easy to learn to use and in a matter of minutes it helps to significantly reduce emotional intensity.
Tapping: points
The tapping sequence that must be followed coincides with the end points of the main energy points of our body, known as meridians in traditional acupuncture. The tapping points are as follows:
- 0. Preparation: on the side of the hand, between the wrist and the base of the little finger.
- 1. The top of the head.
- 2. At the beginning of the eyebrow, on the inside, next to the nose.
- 3. On the outer side of the eye, on the bone.
- 4. On the bone under the eye, below the pupil.
- 5. Between the nose and upper lip.
- 6. Between the lower lip and chin.
- 7. At the clavicle, where it meets the sternum and the first rib.
- 8. Next to the body, below the armpits, at chest level.
In the image gallery you can see photographs the 9 points of tapping.
Does tapping work?
One of the most frequently asked questions in therapy about tapping is if it really works, if tapping works for love, to lose weight, etc. Tapping serves to release emotions and regulate the stress response, therefore, it can help with any problem that generates stress. Although The effectiveness of the tapping technique was recognized in 1979 by the World Health Organization (WHO)., its effectiveness has been widely questioned. However, it seems that around 80% of people who practice this technique feel a total or partial relief and if the person performs the technique with the instructions of a professional, their success rates tend to increase to 95%.
The remission of the problem or symptoms is not always permanent, in some cases the person must perform the technique again in order to reduce or eliminate the symptoms, but nevertheless short or long-term results are always expected in their practice.
Obviously, not all techniques are suitable for everyone, however it seems that the vast majority of people who join the practice of EFT experience significant improvements in solving specific problems.
This article is merely informative, at Psychology-Online we do not have the power to make a diagnosis or recommend a treatment. We invite you to go to a psychologist to treat your particular case.
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Bibliography
- Aguire, A., et al. (2010). The mini-manual of ETF (emotional freedom techniques) emotional freedom techniques. Energy Psychology Press.
- Laheurte, M. (2017). EFT: The Tapping Emotional Freedom technique that restores your energy balance. Profit Editorial.
- Ortner, N. (2014). The Tapping solution: a revolutionary system to get rid of your fears and your limits. Barcelona: Grijalbo.