Tapping (EFT) for Stress, Depression, Pain, Deep Healing and More

So What Is Tapping?

Tapping is officially known as Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and is a technique that is a blend of ancient Chinese medicine and modern psychology. The technique involves gently tapping on specific meridian points on the face and upper body to restore balance to the energy in your body and halt the fight or flight response put out by your amygdala. See below for a video on the basics of tapping!

The Amygdala – The “Smoke Detector” of the Body

To really do this article justice, I have to pause and take a moment to explain a tiny bit of how the amygdala plays a role in stress. This small part of the brain is often known as the “smoke detector” of the body. When it senses danger it begins to send out warning signals to the rest of the body, triggering the oh-so-common fight or flight response. Unfortunately, this warning system can often be triggered even when we arent in life or death situations.

In fact, what frequently happens for most people is that they have a traumatic or negative experience in childhood. This could be something as horrible as abuse or as embarrassing as having your entire class laugh at you during a presentation. These early negative experiences in childhood train the amygdala to send off warning signals when it senses a situation similar to the original negative experience.

These warning bells can even be triggered simply by the expectation of a similar experience. The simple explanation behind why so many people feel stressed or sick thinking about public speaking. As we go through our day, the amygdala can be triggered countless times in anticipation of negative situations, leaving you exhausted, wired and tired, restless and so much more.

What the Science Shows

Researchers from Harvard Medical school have found that tapping on specific meridian points is able to reduce fear-causing activity in the amygdala and other parts of the brain. Another study also found that tapping helps reduce cortisol levels in the blood and was correlated with decreased severity in anxiety, depression, and overall psychological health.

Lastly, one of the final factors that makes tapping so powerful at creating positive change is that it can actually retrain the limbic response (fight-or-flight) in the body. If you tap on the designated meridian points while thinking of a negative experience, you can begin to rewire or deactivate the “smoke detector” from signaling.

Let’s say that thinking about a specific childhood experience causes you significant anxiety, stress, or even depression. Your body begins to prepare the warning bells to sound, but as you begin tapping, your body deactivates the amygdala’s alarm. This trains the brain to know that this thing that was once considered dangerous, in fact, is not. For some, it only takes one tapping session to rewire a negative limbic response. For others, it may require repetition over days or weeks to really heal that old wound and reset the brain.

Benefits of Tapping

Tapping can help with a huge range of physical and mental health concerns:

• Chronic Pain
• Acute Pain
• Anxiety, Stress
• Depression
• Severe Phobias
• Weight Loss
• Chronic Diseases (thyroid issues, cancer, diabetes, and so much more)
• PTSD
• Brain Injuries
• Sleep
• Energy
• Cravings and Addictions
• And More!