5 Interesting Things About Tapping (Emotional Freedom Technique) That You May Not Know
Whether you are totally new to tapping or have already experienced the magic of this practice, I’m going to share with you 5 things you may not know that make this such a powerful healing practice.
And they may surprise you...!
Let’s dive in…
1. Although tapping (or Emotional Freedom Technique) is a modern-day practice that came out of Thought Field Therapy, another more modern-day practice, the science and wisdom of tapping are rooted in ancient Chinese acupressure.
This wisdom is thousands of years old.
Acupuncture, which you’ve probably heard of, involves inserting very small needles in meridian points on the body to balance the flow of Qi or Life Energy. With tapping or acupressure, rather than inserting needles, you’re tapping on these meridian points to activate them.
If you’re curious just how ancient this practice is … the oldest records of Chinese acupuncture are found on bone etchings that are thought to be from around 1600 BC, or almost 4000 years ago!
2. Tapping is a nickname for the practice “Emotional Freedom Technique”. Although the name “emotional freedom technique” leads you to believe this is a practice of working with our emotions, which it is, it’s really so much more. Tapping is an energetic practice.
You’re not just working with your emotions. You’re working with your energy.
In Traditional Chinese Medicine, it’s believed that Qi or Life Energy flows through meridians in the body. Think of the meridians like energetic highways. Just like the highways we drive on, our meridians can experience “traffic” when energy becomes stuck or stagnant … and this can create physical, mental, and emotional dis-ease in our bodies.
As we’re activating these meridian points by tapping on them, we’re freeing up that flow of Qi or Life Energy. You may experience this release as an emotional release (you may cry) or you may feel or notice a shift in your body.
3. The points you’re tapping on in tapping aren’t just random points on your body. You’re tapping on meridian points in the body.
Each meridian is believed to be connected with specific organs or parts of the physical body, as well as different emotions and physical or mental challenges or issues.
The meridians run parallel down both sides of your body (I like to believe this is our energetic system reminding us of the perfect balance of life) … and since they run down both sides, you can tap on either side of your body and you can use either hand. You can also tap on both sides. It’s just as effective to tap on one side as it is to tap on both. So, trust whatever feels best for you and go with it.
4. You may notice after tapping that you feel much calmer, more grounded, and more at peace. This is because as you’re tapping on these meridian points, you’re halting the fight-or-flight response and calming your nervous system.
While tapping, you’re helping your body shift out of the sympathetic nervous system and into the parasympathetic nervous system.
Let’s break this down… the amygdala is the part of the brain that’s responsible for triggering our body’s fight-or-flight response. So if we “sense” that something is wrong (even unconsciously), our body sends out a message that we may not be safe and it triggers that fight-or-flight response.
In our modern-day world, we spend a lot of time in this high-stress state … feeling overwhelmed, anxious, and fearful. Our bodies respond to things as though they’re life-threatening, even when they’re not … this can make it difficult to heal, grow, and expand into who feel called to be in this lifetime.
Tapping can help with that.
5. Since tapping is an energetic practice and everything is energy you can use tapping for almost anything, from working with physical, mental, and emotional challenges to going deeper in your spiritual awakening and journey.
You can use tapping to support yourself in this physical experience to ease fears and phobias, heal from trauma, calm anxiety and overwhelm, release beliefs that are no longer serving you, and shift out of unsupportive habits and ways of being.
Annnddd you can also use tapping to support yourself on your spiritual journey and awakening … to align with the energy/essence of your soul, tune into spirit guidance, manifest your soul’s desires in this physical reality, tap into source energy to heal, grow, + expand … and so much more.
Tapping is truly an incredible practice and the magic and power of this practice really begins once you begin to use it. It has transformed my life in so many ways, and I hope that it can serve you in all of the ways you feel called to use it. If you’re ready to dive even deeper into using this practice in your own journey of healing, growth, + expansion, come join my course The Magic of Tapping!
