EFT Articles
How to Use EFT Tapping During the Covid19 Pandemic
There is nothing like a universal fear that holds the possibility to bring people together to connect and find safety. During the current viral epidemic this possibility exists but it is challenged by the current recommendations and safety concerns communicated by the World Health Organization and CDC to practice social distancing that can create feelings of isolation.
Right now EFT Tapping is an invaluable resource that needs to be shared immediately for people to have as a tool for emotional self regulation.
We decided to create an infographic that is easily shareable to help spread the word about EFT Tapping. You will see it below and I thought I would add some further explanation about the content.
Can EFT help to strengthen your immune system?
This is an excellent question. Beginning research steps have shown EFT to have some elements of evidence pointing in this direction. One study: Clinical EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) Improves Multiple Physiological Markers of Health (click HERE to obtain the PDF and my commentary) offers evidence that participants that attended an EFT workshop their SigA (salivary immunoglobin A), an immune marker, increased by 113%. This same study showed a reduction in anxiety of 40%, a decrease in depressive symptoms of 35%, and an increase in happiness of 31%.
Another study that shows how EFT may affect Epigenetic Gene Expression that could play a role in affecting immune respons : Differential Gene Expression after Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT) Treatment: A Novel Pilot Protocol for Salivary mRNA Assessment (click HERE for Abstract, full paper and my commentary) analyzed epigenetic changes post EFT. Of the 72 differentially expressed genes in this study, several were shown to be linked to immunity, pro or anti-inflammatory, as well as neuronal processes in the brain. Ten of the 72 expressed genes are identified as promising targets for downstream research.
Can Tapping help to regulate the nervous system?
Ongoing stress keeps the sympathetic nervous system in an elevated state of fight or flight. This is associated with elevated levels of the stress hormone, cortisol. Several studies have demonstrated an hour of EFT tapping to significantly decrease cortisol from 26% – 38%. Elevated cortisol levels typically occur with prolonged stress and anxiety (like the stress of pandemics!) and protracted elevated levels not only suppresses the body’s immune response but can cause further stress by decreasing sleep and creating increased cardiovascular stress.The same physiological markers study mentioned above also revealed evidence of EFT creating significant improvements in resting heart rate and reductions in blood systolic and diastolic blood pressure with positive trends observed for heart rate variability and heart coherence.
What about touching my face, I’m told I should be avoiding that
Well we recommend that before tapping, you follow the common sense advice being given by medical experts to thoroughly and vigorously wash your hands for 20 seconds. Another option is that instead of tapping on the facial points you can still tap on the side of hand, top of head point, collar bones, under arm point and can include the finger points by tapping or squeezing the sides of each finger tip. Basic EFT tapping on what you are feeling as you read the newest update about closures or mortality statistics or political irritants or financial volatility or anything else. We recommend that you keep your tapping focused on specifics rather than ALL the things you are feeling about everything. Keep your focus to manageable bite size pieces, its less overwhelming and much more manageable.
What is Orienting Tapping and how and when should I use it?
With acknowledgment to the work of Peter Levine, PhD and his process of Somatic Experiencing, we combined elements of his Orienting work with EFT tapping. We teach this to help a person who is experiencing a temporary overload, i.e. emotionally flooding, feeling emotionally and energetically overwhelmed, making it difficult to just be present. This can be experienced as heightened sense of fear, anxiety, worry, grief etc. It could also feel like a sense of numbness or disconnection. It may be triggered by hearing alarming information, like watching something online that feels too much too handle, especially if you are already in a non-resourced and stressed/anxious or exhausted state.
While tapping on your points , keep your eyes open. Look around your space and place your attention and awareness on the subtle variations of color and pattern on the walls or floor around you. Tune into the sounds around you, perhaps the sound of the heater or air conditions or background sounds coming from outside, perhaps the sounds of birds chirping. See if you can bring your awareness to any pleasant smells you may experience. Then try bringing your attention to the surface of your body. Try gently bringing your awareness to the bottom of your feet and gentle press into the ground. Place a hand on your thighs and notice the texture of the the fabric. Bring your awareness to the contact of your back against the back of the chair or your thighs against the chair. One additional element you can try is to just extend your exhale by a count of 1 or 2. Orienting while tapping and just focusing on these sensory elements without a focus on emotions can assist you with bringing your attention into the here and now, calming yourself and by increase your parasympathetic tone. Here is a blogpost on Orienting Tapping.
Borrowing Benefits: Borrowing Benefits is a term used in EFT to describe a phenomenon of what occurs when you gain benefits by tapping along with someone else who is tapping on a different issue. It began years ago when EFT creator Gary Craig would tap with someone on the stage at a conference and all the audience members watching would tap along to support them. Despite the issue being tapped on, audience members observed significant improvements in their own personal issues even though the were not related to what the demonstration tapping was focused on. So, try this. Find an issue or fear or concern related to what is coming up for you during this stressful time, give the intensity a 0-10 rating. Then tap along with one of the full session videos in the Youtube Video Playlist we created. We call them the A to Z videos, 26 full length sessions Alina videotaped on a variety of issues with a wide variety of EFT techniques. Then after the session, re-check your intensity level and see the difference.
Change Your Behaviors: You may notice that some behaviors do and do not actually support your sense of safety and well being. Stess may be pushing you towards checking your Twitter or Facebook feed incessantly to not miss any news. You may be finding yourself binging a bit too much on Netflix or over consuming carbs or alcohol. You may be abandoning your meditation or getting out in nature or physical exercise practices. Using EFT to find what stress forming beliefs are keeping you from moving away from stress linked behaviors and towards health inducing choices can prove extremely valuable right now. Here is a study performed by Peta Stapleton, PhD on using EFT in the Treatment of Unhealthy Eating Behaviors that offers more evidence of effectiveness of using EFT to alter unhealthy behaviors.
Hire a Skilled EFT Practitioner: EFT is a fabulous self-help tool. That being said, the current world state of affairs should be rife with trigger warnings. Current news reports can illicit feelings of emotional vulnerability, survival fear regarding financial loss, helplessness, feelings of isolation, feeling threatened by a menacing perpetrator that can show up anywhere at any time and much more. For many people who have a history of trauma that include these feelings, many are finding themselves overwhelmed by the combined emotional charge of both the past and present situation. If you are not sleeping, having difficulty maintaining your normal schedule (aside from the other stress inducing work shortages and school closures which may already be altering your daily schedule!), having intense levels of fear, anxiety or panic we strongly recommend that you seek the expertise of a certified skilled practitioner.Here is a blog we wrote called Eight Things You Should Know Before Hiring an EFT Coach. And here is a directory of certified accredited EFT International practitioners where you can find excellent EFT practitioners worldwide. Depending on the severity of your situation you may also wish to consider the aid of a licensed mental health care provider.
Another free and useful resource we would like to mention is offered by ACEP, the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology called Resources for Resilience ad can be found at: https://www.r4r.support/
We hope this has been useful. Please share. The more people that are tapping around the world, the more resourced and regulated we will all be together, creating connection, support and move on a path that creates as much healing as possible from this challenge/opportunity.
Our Tapping Blessings to All,
Craig Weiner and Alina Frank
Directors of the EFT Tapping Training Institute
EFT Master Trainers of Trainers for EFT International
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