My Favourite Highly Effective Somatic Wellness Practice
E.F.T. (Emotion-focused therapy): Tapping
As someone who has been trying to be less of a high-flyer in terms of stress, I have been tapping a lot. As much as possible, in fact. I’ve been known to walk from class to class tapping my meridians.
Looks crazy, but really, who cares if it helps?
Tapping, or Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), is a therapeutic technique that involves literally tapping on specific meridian points on the body while focusing on a particular issue or emotion. It is often used as a self-help tool for emotional and psychological well-being.
Benefits of Tapping
- Stress Reduction: Cortisol runs rampant when we’re stressed. It’s an autonomic reaction (our body can’t help it). A study published in the “Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease” (2012) showed significant reductions in cortisol levels after EFT sessions.
- Anxiety and Depression: Research published in “The Journal of Clinical Psychology” (2016) suggests that EFT may be effective in reducing symptoms of anxiety and depression. Kristen Curtis, a certified EFT practitioner, says “When we are able to identify where anxiety is felt in our body, we are able to use tapping to see, process, and transform that emotion.”
- Pain Management: A study in the “Energy Psychology” journal (2011) found that tapping was effective in reducing pain intensity and improving the quality of life in individuals with chronic pain. Gabby Bernstein says, Tapping on your pain allows you to release your emotional attachment to it, thereby relieving the physical discomfort as well.
- Improved Emotional Well-being: A randomized controlled trial published in “Energy Psychology” (2003) showed that EFT significantly reduced anxiety and increased feelings of happiness in participants by accessing the body’s energy and sending signals to the part of the brain that controls stress.
- Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD): The “Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease” (2007) published a study suggesting that EFT may be effective in reducing symptoms of PTSD by calming the nervous system.
SCIENCE!
- Church, D., Yount, G., Brooks, A. J. (2012). The Effect of Emotional Freedom Techniques on Stress Biochemistry: A Randomized Controlled Trial. *The Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 200*(10), 891–896.
- Sebastian, B., Nelms, J., Geary, B., Couch, L., (2016). Efficacy of Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) in Reducing Public Speaking Anxiety: A Randomized Controlled Trial. *The Journal of Clinical Psychology, 72*(4), 416–424.
- Church, D., De Asis, M. A., Brooks, A. J. (2012). Brief Group Intervention Using Emotional Freedom Techniques for Depression in College Students: A Randomized Controlled Trial. *Depression Research and Treatment, 2012*, 257172.
- Church, D., Hawk, C., Brooks, A. J., Toukolehto, O., Wren, M., Dinter, I., … & Stein, P. (2013). Psychological trauma symptom improvement in veterans using EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques): A randomized controlled trial. *Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease, 201*(2), 153–160.
Somatic Techniques for Stress Alleviation and Wellness:
Mindfulness Meditation
Yoga (physical postures, breath control, and meditation helps reduce symptoms of stress, anxiety, and depression)
Progressive Muscle Relaxation (intentionally tensing and relaxing muscle groups to reduce physical tension)
Biofeedback (being aware of your body’s response can help gain control over physiological processes such as heart rate and muscle tension)
Top Websites for Tapping:
Gary Craig’s Official EFT Website
How to TAP:
Bookmark this video to help you: https://youtu.be/pAclBdj20ZU
A summary from Healthlink
- Name what’s bothering you
- Measure how you feel on your own personal scale of 1–10
- Create a statement that pairs with what you feel, but pair it with something positive as well.
- For example, you could say, “Even though I feel anxious about work tomorrow, I deeply and completely accept myself.” Or you could say, “Even though my partner broke up with me, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
- Tap repeatedly on the edge of your palm, below your little finger.
- While you tap, say your statement out loud 3 times.
- Now tap on the rest of the points on your body, one at a time.
- While you tap, state your resolution. For example, you might repeat “I am working on feeling better.” Tap on each point in this order.
- Tap on the top, centre of your head.
- Tap on the inside edge of one eyebrow.
- Tap next to the outside edge of one eye.
- Tap on the bone underneath one eye.
- Tap between your nose and your upper lip.
- Tap between your lower lip and your chin.
- Tap beneath one collarbone (find the notch beneath the inside edge of the collarbone).
- Tap under one armpit (about 10 centimetres below the armpit).
- Stop and remeasure how you feel about your issue.
- Repeat the steps if needed. Tap until you can give your issue a lower number out of 10, or until you feel better.
Whatever reason that comes up, if you feel overwhelmed or anxious give this a try.
The worst that could happen is nothing.
The best is you might have a new practice that can stop your runaway train in its tracks.
