Who hasn’t been stuck in a cycle of replaying a painful conversation? Haven’t we all had bad days that have zapped our energy? Unfortunately I’ve gotten stuck in cycles that have lasted for years and months. Thank goodness some of my issues have evolved and changed over the years. Thank God I don’t have those year-long self-destructive periods anymore, like the ones I had during my teenage years and through my twenties. Still, life is not without its challenges, and I want and need to grow—spiritually, emotionally and psychologically. I want to feel that I am evolving and becoming the woman I’m meant to be in this moment. That is why I’ve decided to make the topic of my first post about  EFT Tapping Technique. It’s relatively close to the start of 2013 calendar year, and a new Lunar year, the Year of the Snake, is just weeks in. Many of us feel the calling to take care of our precious selves. We are looking for answers, community, and healing, and we are finding it in each other.

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) Tapping has been so transformative for me, that I had to share it in my very first post. I have been tapping for approximately four months now. It is my daily practice, and I have found that it has created a shift in my consciousness, balancing my emotions and moving me forward in a positive direction on all levels of my being. Tapping is not counter-indicative to Western or Eastern medicine, nor does it have any religious aspects that may prevent a person from have a sound relationship with God.

Succinctly, Tapping has four primary uses  for healing. Here is the heart of this practice:

• removal of negative emotions
• reduce or eliminate pain
• implement positive goals
• reduce food cravings

My favorite definition for what is happening during tapping is that tapping is a kind of psychological acupressure. You tap along certain points along your head, upper torso and hands. (This site has the best diagram of the points: http://www.theenergytherapycentre.co.uk/tapping-points.htm) The foundation of all the work, regardless to whether you tap to control cravings, heal or plan forward, is creating the condition of total self-love and self-acceptance. My chiropractor, who was the person who introduced me to tapping, explained that the root of all healing is love, and that it is that love that heals us. This made and makes sense to me. It is a message that is reiterated in most religions throughout the world. Love one another, we are told. But  how can we love each other if we don’t love ourselves? Speaking from past experience, it is nearly impossible to do and causes much pain.

In tapping, one taps the designated points on the body while repeating affirmations.

Positive affirmations can transform your physiological conditions. What you say has to feel good both inside you and on the way out. Affirmations are an art. Elevate your language and your goals by naming and claiming your highest ideal, really reach for the best possible outcome. Do not sell yourself short. Every affirmation should return to the principle of total self-love.

A good script is essential to staying focused and positive. Some people will approach tapping in a spontaneous way. Personally, I think that is not effective in controlling the desired outcome. On a bad day, one when you haven’t slept the night before or when you’ve had a disagreement with someone you care about, it may alter, even slightly, your word choice and have dire consequences for you. The script will be there to keep you on track and redirect your day and condition to the goals you’ve already identified.

Here are some samples of affirmations:

• I am a good person; good things happen to and for me because I love myself fully and completely.
• I eat only healthy foods and vegetables. I love myself fully and completely.
• I forgive __ and myself for any pain we have caused each other. I love myself fully and completely.

The possibilities are limitless. That is why it’s so important to identify your priorities. They will change over time, and you will need to modify them as you accomplish goals and shifts begin to happen in your life.

I will be with you on the journey. Expect these future postings about tapping:

• Can tapping heal physical ailments?
• How can tapping help targets of microaggressions?