Good news. You don’t need years of therapy or bottles of wine to release those limiting beliefs you’ve been carrying around for years. You know the ones I’m talking about…I’m not good enough. I don’t deserve the best. I’ll never succeed. All you need is an open mind and a willingness to try something new. Bonus: what I’ll share with you might also help your luck at the craps tables in Vegas. But more on that later…
Earlier this year I stumbled upon something called tapping, or EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique). I noticed it was gaining popularity with some of the spiritual leaders I follow and made a mental note to look into it some day. Soon after, I was on the phone with my coach who shared his recent experience doing a tapping video, tapping for $50K. Within a week his condo sold with a profit of $50K (more than he expected). Hmmm. I Googled the video and did it myself. Within a week an unexpected check arrived in my mailbox. It wasn’t $50K, but it was enough to catch my attention.
Explaining all of this to my boyfriend as we drove to Vegas, being the good sport that he is, he said, “I should try that before I gamble.” When we arrived we tapped along to the the tapping for $50K video. As he went downstairs to play craps, I went to the spa.
Relaxed after my treatment, I forgot about the pre-gambling tapping as I walked to a restaurant nearby to meet him. I saw him seated at the bar with a big smile on his face as the bar tender, formerly Joe Pesci’s stand-in (perfect), poured a glass of champagne for me. Apparently the tapping worked its magic. He didn’t win $50K, but in less than five minutes the winnings were enough to pay for a nice bottle of champagne, dinner and my spa treatment. Not too shabby and more than he’d ever done in five minutes in Vegas. (Besides, it’s possible he could have won $50K but wisely chose to walk away while winning.)
What is this magical technique? It’s described as an emotional version of acupuncture without the needles. It clears the negative emotions we have trapped inside of us to live happier, healthier and more peaceful lives. The theory behind the technique is that the cause of all negative emotion is a disruption our body’s energy field. Clear the disruption – release the negative emotion. It’s a pretty simple technique that can have profound effects.
It’s possible – after only a few minutes of tapping – to have breakthroughs in life-long limiting beliefs. In addition to limiting beliefs, EFT can provide healing with phobias (snake, rats, heights, public speaking, or whatever else it is you’re afraid of), anxiety, sadness, guilt, headaches, insomnia, love issues, physical pain, shame, stress, self-image issues, and on and on. Or, it might help you win some money in Vegas!
Of course, it’s helpful to work with a trained professional to help you experience the greatest benefits. However, tapping is relatively easy to do and to learn on your own. There are plenty of free online resources (for example the Tapping Solution). Prior to getting certified in EFT I learned a great deal on my own through some self-study.
I became committed to EFT once I began a regular tapping practice and saw major shifts in myself. My relationship with food and my body imagine drastically improved. My relationship with finances improved. And those are just a couple on the list. Overall I felt lighter and brighter. Before long, I began sharing it with clients in sessions. Today it’s one of my primary tools as it’s so effective so quickly. It compliments the other energy work I do.
It’s done is by lightly tapping a few fingers on nine or more meridian points on the upper body. As you tap you verbalize the emotional pain, for example, “I feel so stressed.” Prior to starting you create a set up statement that is always proceed by “I love and accept myself.” For example, if you are feeling stressed, your set up statement might be, ‘Even though I am stressed, I love and accept myself.”
Tapping has been shown to be about 80% effective. But there are a few reasons tapping might not work. I share those below, as well as ways you can work around them…
First, you might not really want to release your emotional pain. I know that sounds crazy, but bear with me. We can develop ways of being that aren’t in our highest good but do fulfill some kind of need. For example, if you stop having migraine headaches, you might fear the extra support you get from your husband will disappear. Another example is busting through your fear of success. Without fear of success holding you back, you’ll have no excuse not to take action towards achieving it.
Second, you might not be getting specific enough. In training I was taught to think of an issue like a table. Every table has a top, supported by the legs. The tabletop is like the broad issue we’re experiencing. For example, you might be working with the limiting belief “I’m not good enough.” While there’s nothing wrong with tapping on that statement, it’s likely more effective to get into the specifics of it, or the legs of the table. What specific occasions have you felt not good enough? The specific memories, emotions or fears are the table legs. Just as the legs support the table top, so too do those specific memories, fears, emotions support the overall limiting belief I’m not good enough.
For example, you might recall the time that you tried out for a sports team and were rejected. It might be an early example of feeling not good enough. Replay each of the legs, or specific memories in your mind, as you tap through them. The beauty is that just as you don’t need each leg to collapse before the tabletop falls, nor do you need to release every aspect of the issue for it to fully release.
Third, you may clear your original upset and a different aspect of it might appear without you realizing. For example, yesterday I was upset with a friend. I tapped on it for a few minutes. I continued to feel bad inside. However, I realized the original issue had cleared but a new one surfaced, which was upset around my actions in the situation. It’s kind of like an onion – when you peel one layer another one surfaces for release. So I released that one. Then my energy felt a million times better.
So, next time you’re feeling stressed, or you notice that nasty limiting belief system rearing up, or you’re afraid to get on that plane, Google a tapping video on the specific issue you’re feeling. Get clear on the details of your issue and then let the video guide you through the process of releasing it. Give it a try! See how you feel!
Happy tapping!
