All Entries Tagged With: "Self Healing"

Tapping When You Don’t Remember

Sometimes clients say, “I just know something happened that’s connected to this current issue, but I can’t remember what it was.” Has that ever happened to you? I know it can be frustrating. But you can still use EFT to help yourself — whether you remember or not.

Why Don’t You Remember?

You can really drive yourself nuts with this question. The best answer is, “For some very good reason.” Just let go of scolding yourself or hammering at yourself to remember. That doesn’t help. Apparently,  some part of you thinks it’s best to keep the “something” a mystery for now. So honor that part of yourself and move on.

Some possibilities for the reason you don’t remember are:

• It was so painful when it happened that you suppressed it right away, and still can’t access the memory now. That’s OK – you don’t have to!
• It was not a single incident, so no wonder you can’t remember it. It may have been a series of small events that added up to a big impact. Good thing you decided to stop looking for it…could have been a long wait.
• Some part of you knows it would overwhelm you to bring the event to the forefront of your mind right now. So it is protecting you and keeping that connection out of your consciousness.

The First Step

Trust your intuition. Ask yourself if not remembering is a red flag for you. Just get quiet, go inside and check to see if proceeding with EFT on your own is the best thing to do for yourself. You can meditate on it, pray about it or do some journaling. Then trust your answer. If working with a practitioner feels like the better choice, do that for yourself. Sometimes working alone on an issue is not the wisest choice.

Clearing Resistance

If you DO decide to tap on your own, you need to let go of frustration, self-blame or impatience about not remembering. Those forms of anger can really slow down your tapping efforts. It’s as if that anger acts as an anchor to hold the issue right where it’s been all these years. EFT will be slow going.

So just let it go if you can. Or if you need to tap away that aggravation, take the time to do that now.

Moving Ahead With EFT

First, assess your emotional intensity on a scale of 1 to 10. Write that number down.

To clear the un-remembered issue, start with a setup that goes something like this:

• Even though something bad happened when I was six — I can just feel it — I love and accept myself anyway.
• Even though I don’t know what happened but it takes my breath away to remember that time, I deeply love myself and I respect my feelings.
• Even though I can’t remember anything specific but life was different after that summer, I still appreciate and accept myself.
• Even though this mystery incident has my stomach in knots, and I feel crazy because I can’t remember it, I love and accept myself anyway.

Move On To Tapping

Tap a few rounds on the “mystery event” or the “unknown cause,” or even “whatever happened in 1982.”  Then tap a few rounds on how it makes you feel — emotionally or physically or both.

Stop every few rounds to reassess your intensity. Then stay with it,  and tap the issue down to zero.

You May Be Surprised

At some point during your tapping, you may suddenly remember the incident. This can happen after the emotional intensity has decreased. It’s as if your subconscious says, “It’s not so ugly now, so I’ll show you what’s up.”  Then you’ll have more specifics that you can use EFT on.

Or you may never remember, but get massive relief anyway. For one client, the troubling incident never revealed itself. But she could suddenly remember all the GOOD things that happened during that school year. Before we tapped, she couldn’t remember fifth grade at all.

Here’s wishing you the best on clearing out those foggy incidents. Let us know how this technique works for you by posting a comment below.

And if you’d like some experienced help with your EFT, contact me at 520-327-1695 and we’ll discuss clearing those issues together.

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Keeping Balance With EFT

EFT is all about balance. It’s a method to bring your system back to the naturally healthy and peaceful emotional state that is true balance. Essentially, EFT clears the excesses, bringing you back to the center.

Keep Your Own Tapping In Balance

Tapping is a terrific way to clear unwanted, negative feelings, events and physical problems. And that’s great. It’s so fast and so effective; what more could you ask for?

But if you use EFT a lot, it’s possible to get your point of view a little lopsided – focused mainly on problems. Even if you’re steadily eliminating those problems, you may be missing out.

You need to have some focus on the good stuff, too. Not just the absence of the negative. If this seems like splitting hairs, think about it a little more.

Musical Variety

What if that unwanted issue were a kind of music that you really dislike? It’s too loud or too sad or too annoying. So the EFT clears out that crummy tune and brings you to silence. Silence is a wonderful thing, and sure beats listening to that music you can’t stand.

Now here’s another issue you’re going to tap on (more crummy music). Then the blessed relief of silence (clearing with tapping). And again. And once more. And another time. Back to silence.

So what’s wrong with this picture? Silence is not the only option other than lousy music. What about some good music? Let’s get a little balance in here!

It’s possible to use EFT to make your own good “music” – some really positive focus. Here are some ways to create that balance.

On Your Own

Before you start tapping on a problem, take a minute to back off from the issue. Imagine what will be different when it’s no longer bothering you. Get a clear picture of the best possible outcome. Imagine how you’ll feel when you’re there. Yum!

Then come back to your issue and tap it away. You may find you’ll release it more quickly this way as your body-mind has a clear target for where it’s headed. This can lower your resistance to releasing the problem.

For the final few rounds of your tapping, tap in the positive. Use Pat Carrington’s Choices methods, or just make up your own positive statements. Include words of gratitude for being done with the problem. Add a round about how much you’re looking forward to new possibilities, going into detail about what those possibilities are.

Tap In Affirmations

Regularly tapping in affirmations is a great way to keep your balance. Click here to read a separate post about that.

How do YOU keep your balance with EFT? Let us hear how it goes for you and leave a comment below.

EFT Interference From Hidden Anger

Has this ever happened to you when you’re doing EFT? You’re tapping away, moving out your issue just fine. Your emotional intensity is dropping fast. And suddenly it just won’t budge. You can’t seem to finish off the issue. You want to get that intensity down to a zero, but you just can’t do it.

The Answer May Be Anger

Maybe the problem is hidden anger. Anger seems to act like a magnet, holding unwanted feelings in your system. You have to release the anger to let go of the rest of the larger issue.

Anger In All Its Disguises

I’m using anger here as a general category of emotions. Maybe you don’t think much in terms of “anger.” But what about these variations: feeling annoyance, irritation, impatience, blame, self-blame,  resentment, outrage, unfairness, injustice. Do you ever have little pieces of that mixed in with other issues?

When It Hooks Other Emotions

So anger can act like a hook, hanging on to other emotions so they resist being released. Let me give you some examples of how this works.

1. Say you’re afraid of snakes. You’re using EFT on the fear, and you can feel it leaving. But the process hits a snag. If you’re annoyed at your mom for having that fear herself when you were little, that annoyance (anger) can block the release of the remaining fear.
2. Or maybe you’re tapping away physical pain. You fell on a wet floor and hurt your leg, and EFT is relieving the pain. You realize you’re mad at the store people for not cleaning up the puddle, so you’ve tapped on that anger already. But if you can’t get rid of the pain completely with your tapping, you might be blaming yourself (anger) for falling in the first place.

The Solution

The ideal thing is to quickly check with yourself at the start of any issue to see if you have any kind of anger about it. Then either tap that away with separate rounds, or include it with your other EFT.

Otherwise, whenever you hit a slowdown in your tapping, ask yourself if anger could be the roadblock. Take a minute to tap it away (it often releases very quickly), and finish off your EFT session.

Watch For This One

The biggest culprit in this category, in my experience, is self-blame. The tricky part is this: If you have a habit of scolding yourself, it might not even occur to you to look for self-blame.

One way to remind yourself to check on this is to write a note that you keep with any other EFT papers you have. 

What’s your experience with this? Leave a comment below and let us all know.

EFT For Great Medication Results

Healing comes from many sources, and they all have something to offer. Options range from herbal remedies to penicillin. From complex surgery to reflexology. From distant prayer healing to psychiatry. And of course, there’s EFT.

It’s Not An Either-Or Situation

You don’t have to choose just one thing to help yourself heal. Tapping works beautifully on its own for emotional and physical problems. But it can also help boost the effectiveness of other things.

It’s your body-mind and you’re in charge, so you can choose any combination of tools you want. Your active participation in your own healing process can’t help but speed it up.

Help Your Medications Work Better

There are different ways you can use EFT to improve the effectiveness of meds. Here are some steps you can take:

1. Start by tapping away any negative feelings about the medication. Examples: I hate to take pills. They cost so much. I should have done _____ and then I wouldn’t have to take this. I hate how it makes my mouth dry.
2. Then use EFT to reduce unwanted side effects. Tap away the belief that it has to be happen that way. Examples: a belief that your mouth must be dry when you take these pills, that your ears must ring, that you must be drowsy, etc.
3. Next, use EFT to amp up the good effects of the medication. Tap in affirmations about the great results you always get from taking your medication. Focus on the intended outcome for taking it in the first place. Example: This antibiotic is working so quickly to eliminate the infection.
4. Use EFT to get your body to partner perfectly with the medication. Tap in affirmations that this is happening. The phrase “I ask my (body part) to…” is one that gets great results. Example: I ask my immune system to work perfectly with this antibiotic to release this infection.

Don’t Forget To Say Thanks

Finish off with some gratitude and appreciation affirmations. Appreciate yourself, your body, the medication, the healthcare providers who help you, your spiritual source — express your gratitude for the healing that’s happening.

This last step feels really good. Even hardcore scientists agree that it will flood your body with beneficial biochemicals.

Keep Us Posted

Give this a try and let us know about your experience with it. Come back and leave a comment.

EFT For Allergy Relief

A reader asked the other day if EFT can be used for gluten intolerance that celiacs experience. That inspired me to pass on this great tapping technique to deal with any kind of sensitivity to substances. There’s really no need to resign yourself to a lifetime of bad reactions.

EFT is the perfect tool to eliminate sensitivities and allergies. This includes reactions to foods, pets, plants, fumes — any substance that your body reacts to in a negative way. No matter what the trouble-causing substance, the approach is pretty much the same.

Where To Begin

First, ask yourself when the allergy or sensitivity first appeared. Then ask if anything traumatic occurred in your life around that time — or within the few months beforehand.

If not, ask yourself if you experienced any trauma directly connected to the substance you’re sensitive to (cat scratch, choked on milk, etc.). Then use EFT to clear that trauma — either on your own, or with a practitioner. Eliminating the effects of that related event often results in the end of the allergy.

If There’s No Remembered Trauma

If nothing occurs to you in answer to those two trauma questions, try the following:

1. Place the substance or food in a container of glass, metal or pottery (not plastic or paper). For airborne allergies, place a bowl of water outside for a few hours, or wave a damp towel around in the air to collect particles. Then pour the water into a jar or put the towel in a bowl. For dust, pet hair, carpet, etc., gather a little and put it in a jar with a lid on it (or have somebody else do that for you).
2. Then hold the container in your lap (for tapping with both hands) or simply touch the container with one hand while tapping with the other. Please note: When tapping, you can refer to “the substances in this jar”, or the “stuff on this towel” – You don’t have to know what it is causing the problem to be able to clear it.

Start Using EFT

Your body responds really well to the phrase, “I ask my body to…”. So after doing your EFT set-up, tap using that phrase. For more about exactly how to do this, read more here.

EFT – Clearing Clusters – A Tapping Shortcut

Tapping in its standard form is a remarkably fast way to release old issues — much faster than other types of therapy. And EFT works really quickly to eliminate fears and unhelpful beliefs, too. You can work with these issues and obstacles one at a time and get great, lasting results.

But did you know there are times when it works just as well to cluster issues together? You can tap on several things at the same time and get rid of all of them at once.

When To Cluster

It’s important to use this Clearing Clusters technique with care. It’s not always appropriate. That means you won’t get good results with EFT if you choose this shortcut at the wrong time. Here are some successful times to use this.

Repeated Events

If you experienced similar repeated episodes of the same unwanted or traumatic events, you can cluster them together and tap on the whole cluster.

Note that the events must be closely related — all the times you got yelled at by your high school coach. Or all the times your brother beat you up. It won’t work to try to cluster all the times ANYBODY hollered at you when you were little. Stick to repeated interactions with one person (or one group).

Lists of Fears

You can use Clearing Clusters on any list of related fears or anxieties. For instance, if you’re dreading your presentation tomorrow, write down all your fears or worries that come up when you think about it. Or if you find yourself putting off doing a particular thing, ask yourself what you might be concerned about that has you stalling. Then tap away that whole list.

Again, the concerns must be naturally connected in order for this to work. And their common thread must be specific. So it won’t work to try to list every fear you can think of that keeps you habitually procrastinating on everything.

But Clearing Clusters WILL work if you choose a single project you’re putting off, and identify your fears connected to that.

Unwanted Beliefs

Old beliefs that no longer serve you often come in clusters. So this is a speedy way to eliminate them. There are two different ways you can group beliefs to tap them away.

Group By Topic: An example of a topic would be getting hired for a job. Just write down the list of interfering beliefs that bog you down — whatever that unhelpful gremlin in your head says: They’ll never hire me. Everyone else is more qualified. I never get the job I want. – You get the idea.

Group By Origin: Here’s where you cluster beliefs that originated from one person or group. So if you hear someone’s voice in your head all the time telling you things that don’t help, write down that list. Maybe it’s a parent, an influential teacher or religious figure; maybe a list of cultural beliefs.

How You Clear Those Clusters – Getting Started

For instructions on exactly how to do this, click here to read more.

Spiritual Beliefs and EFT

It doesn’t matter what your spiritual and/or religious beliefs are — EFT can work with them. In fact, it doesn’t matter WHAT you believe. Tapping works, even if you don’t believe it can.

Complete Compatibility

Tappers around the world use EFT, regardless of their faith or the principles they believe in. Although its effects can be felt in body, mind and spirit, tapping is a physiological process. In the body. That’s why it works for nearly everyone – whether people think it will or not.

Incorporating Your Beliefs

You might enjoy your EFT experience more, or even get more from it, by tapping into your beliefs (no pun intended) during your sessions. Whether you’re Wiccan, Muslim, Jewish, Pagan, Christian, Sufi — or have your own special brand of spirituality, this can work for you. Whether your philosophy and orientation involve metaphysical principles or esoteric beliefs — or not. Everyone’s included.

If you’re a practitioner, listen for clues from your clients about their belief systems.

How You Do It

You have several options to combine spirituality with EFT.

1. Before you tap, say a prayer or invoke your guides, ancestors, or highest self to join you as you tap. Or simply hold an intention to be aligned with your spiritual source.
2. During your session, request or acknowledge spiritual help in releasing your issue.
3. At the end of your session, give thanks for making it so easy.

Be creative! Come up with your own ways. Why not use all your resources to help in your healing?

What’s your experience with this? Let us all know by leaving a comment.

EFT – Avoiding Childhood Issues

Many people find themselves avoiding working on childhood events and issues. These are some “why”s I hear from clients:

• That was so long ago. I’ve already dealt with that in therapy.
• I don’t see what it has to do with me now.
• I don’t remember much about my childhood. Let’s work on current issues.
• I’ve gone back to my early 20s. Isn’t that far enough back?
• I should be over all that by now. I just want to tap on what’s bothering me now.

Darn Good Reasons

Sometimes the reluctance is really fear masquerading as logic. Your protective inner self (who’s doing a great job, by the way!) is scared it’s too painful to go back there. So it creates this avoidance with some darn good reasons.

Or sometimes the resistance is from just not knowing – not realizing how much more helpful it can be to go as far back as you can with EFT.

So Why Bother?

Here’s the deal: Clearing childhood issues can have a larger positive impact on your life than probably anything else you can work on with EFT. It can hugely reduce the time spent tapping on your problems as they show up now. The positive impact of working on early issues shows up in ways you’d never imagine.

To read more about this, click here.

Let’s hear what your experience is with this. Leave a comment any time.

EFT for Physical Problems

Tapping is a great way to deal with physical problems — whether it’s pain, illness or injury.  Maybe you’ve tried this and it hasn’t worked really well for you.  Or maybe it worked, but only as a temporary solution.  If you’re not satisfied with your results, here are a few things to consider.

Only a Symptom

Is your physical challenge chronic (you’ve had it for awhile) or connected to a bigger problem?  If so, you can probably get some relief with EFT.  Just tap on the pain, tension, fatigue or whatever you’re feeling right now.  Be specific about the location in your body — for instance, the back of your right shoulder.

But that relief may not last.  You might be free of the problem for a few hours, or a day, or maybe even a week.  But it may return.  That’s when you want to look further.

What’s the Core Issue?

You’ll likely get lasting relief by using EFT on the issue that physical problem is connected to.  You have a choice here.  You can contact a practitioner to help you with this — or you can work on it yourself. 

Sometimes there’s an emotional event that caused the physical problem.  Tapping on what happened may clear the problem showing up in your body.  For instance, you realize your headaches started the year you left for college.  Go back and tap on the feelings from that time and the other events surrounding your big transition.  You may be through with headaches!

And sometimes there are emotions that flared up at the time the problem started.  Those feelings caused blocks in your energy system that are hooked to the physical problem.  And they’re keeping that problem hanging around.

Say you’ve had knee pain ever since that car accident.  Go back and tap away the aspects of the wreck — the fear, the anger at the other guy, the inconvenience of doctor visits — the whole shebang.  It’s possible that you can clear the blocks that have kept your knee from healing itself.  You might never have knee pain again.

I’m Not Sure How To Do It

For some more detailed instructions, check out my article on the topic: EFT for Physical Issues.

What’s your success with physical problems and EFT? Let’s hear about it!
Do you have tapping questions I can answer or topics you’d like to know about?
Are you finding these EFT tips helpful?

I’d love to hear from you. Just leave a comment below, or shoot me an email any time. Whatever you do, keep tapping!

Holidays Are Here! Are You Ready?

It’s December and the holidays have begun.  Yesterday, Muslims around the world celebrated Eid al-Adha — and celebrate the Islam New Year on the 29th.  We’ve got Hanukkah coming up on the 21st.  And folks who honor the winter solstice will celebrate that same day.  Then Christmas comes on the 25th, followed by Kwanzaa on the 26th.  And New Year’s Eve rounds out the month on the 31st.

What a party!  The whole world celebrates during December.  Little kids look forward to this month all year long.  Do you?  How’s it going for you this month?  Was Thanksgiving a nice appetizer for your winter holidays?  Or maybe it stirred up some worries, frustrations or sadness about approaching holidays.

Be Emotionally Prepared

Even fun things can be an emotional strain sometimes.  The planning, the anticipation, the hopes — all that can build tension.  And let’s face it — celebrating takes time and energy.  If you’re short on either, your feelings can end up out of balance.

If you’re NOT looking forward to some aspect of the holidays, that can be a real drain, too.  You can even find yourself resenting others’ happiness.  Or maybe just getting cynical so you don’t have to feel pain or sadness.

Nip It In The Bud

Tapping is such a simple remedy.  You don’t have to wait until you snap at someone, or find yourself on the verge of tears.  Just use EFT when you see the first sign that something’s bothering you.  Trust yourself.  You can do it! 

The Full Monty

Take some time out in a quiet place and do EFT on any big thing that’s bothering you.  Take your intensity level all the way down to zero.  That time you take to completely clear your issue will pay off for you throughout the season.  And its effects will flow out to other people around you, because you’ll act differently.  So don’t shortchange yourself. 

If it’s financial concerns, tap on that.  If it’s missing somebody for the holidays, do a session on that.  If you think you’ll never get it all done, use EFT for that. 

Sometimes holidays shine a light on issues that are there all year ’round.  Like money concerns, grief, envy — those big ones.  You can still just zero in on the holiday part of that issue.  Just stay focused there, and trust yourself to clear those blocks. 

Then commit to yourself to come back to that larger concern — either on your own or with a practitioner.  The point is this:  Just because you’ve got a big core issue you haven’t healed yet, it doesn’t have to spoil your holidays.  You can tap on the holidays part of it and clear that right now.

Day-to-Day  December

Stay on top of those little things that crop up.  Out in crazy traffic, tap at the stoplights.  Standing in a long line?  Tap away your impatience.  Are you trapped by Uncle Ernie again, whose had 3 too many?  Or is Great Aunt Lorena going on and on about her last operation?  Use EFT to get through it. 

Put Your Hands To Work

You can tap in your lap.  Just use one hand to tap against the side of the other hand — your karate chop point. You’re tuned into the issue, so don’t worry about a set-up. Just start tapping. Silently say your reminder phrases to yourself. Then affirm some good stuff, tuning into the joy and love of the season.

Or finger-tap with one hand.  There are tapping points on each of your fingertips.  On the side of your fingers that’s closest to your thumb, right at the side of the nailbed.  Use the thumb of that hand to tap on the inside of your other fingers on that hand, one by one.  Standing?  Put your hands behind your back and finger-tap.  Sitting?  Put your hand down on the seat beside you on the side away from the person you’re sitting with.  Then finger-tap away!

All Kinds of Options

You don’t have to resign yourself to a season of tension.  It’s totally possible to enjoy your holidays this year.  Try the methods above, and cruise through December.  You CAN enjoy yourself.

If you want some extra help, check out Holiday Stress Relief: The EFT Guide To Your Best Holidays Yet!  You don’t have to figure out what to say or how to tap — the eBook and audios are complete EFT sessions for you to tap along with.

Whatever you do, take good care of yourself.  And EXPECT to enjoy this season.  As always, I would love to hear from you.

Do you have any questions?  Comments?  EFT topics you want to learn about?  Just leave me a comment or email me any time.  And keep tapping!