Recreate yourself!
EFT Tapping points
and the Basic Recipe
Why
Emotional Freedom Techniques?
EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is easy to learn and simple to apply.
There are more than 400 acupressure points everywhere in our body. EFT uses ca. twenty and is sometimes called “emotional acupuncture.”
The main reason for its effectiveness is that it
reduces stress, which is a central component of our problems.
Research shows that, on average, EFT reduces cortisol levels by 49 percent and pain by 68 percent.
Therapists and doctors who specialize in pain management agree that the two-thirds reduction in pain that EFT can achieve is due to the emotional and stress components of pain.
Our body can’t distinguish between a stressful thought and a stressful event. Stressful thoughts send us into the fight, flight or freeze response, which affects us on every level.
EFT involves tapping with your fingertips on acupuncture points on your body while connecting with your symptoms, feelings, and thoughts.
Tapping on these points soothes the body. It sends a safety signal to the emotional brain that counteracts the stress signal from an upsetting event or a traumatic memory.
9 + 1 points
of the Basic Recipe
The sequence known as EFT Basic Recipe is based on 9 acupoints on the hand, face, and upper body that activate all meridian pathways.
The #10, the Liver point, is not included in the Basic recipe. Still, I added it because it helps release anger, which is an emotion that every person on this planet experiences, whether they express it or not. It's common for us to be unaware of the intense anger we harbor, which can negatively impact our physical, mental, and emotional well-being.
Except for #5, #6, and #9, the points are present on both sides of the face/body. You can tap on both or only one as it suits you more.
#1 Side of the hand
One finger below the start of the little finger, where the "lifeline" reaches the side of the hand.
Tapping on this point acts beneficially on
Muscle tension, especially in the neck and shoulders, overall stress
Anxiety, upset, emotional pain, impotent snarl of "I don't want this"
#3 Side of the eye
On the outside of the eye, on the orbital bone. A small indentation is palpable.
Tapping on this point acts beneficially on
Dryness of the eyes, eye problems
Frustration, anger, resistance to change, emotional confusion
#5 Under the nose
Between the nose and the upper lip, on the midline of the body.
Tapping on this point acts beneficially on
Back pain, psychosomatic symptoms
Shame, guilt, insecurity
#7 Collarbone
Indentation one finger below the collarbone, about an inch outward from the inner side.
Tapping on this point acts beneficially on
Respiratory and stomach problems
Upset, anxiety, heartache, loss, grief
#9 Top of the head
At the junction of the cranial bones, at the cuticle.
Tapping on this point acts beneficially on
Frontal sinus problems, mental scatteredness, lack of concentration
Emotional centeredness, clarity, inspiration, insight, revitalization of consciousness
#2 Eyebrow
On the inner side of the eyebrow, at the junction of the bridge of the nose and the orbital bone.
Tapping on this point acts beneficially on
Eye and head pain, general stress
Fear, anxiety, emotional imbalance
#4 Under the eye
Looking straight ahead, under the pupil, on the orbital bone. A small indentation is palpable.
Tapping on this point acts beneficially on
Eye and sinuses problems
Anxiety, fear, difficulties of emotional digestion and acceptance
#6 Under the mouth
Between the lower lip and the chin, on the midline of the body.
Tapping on this point acts beneficially on
Pain and tension in the jaw and neck area
Sadness, discouragement, anxiety, stress
#8 Under the arm
One palm under the armpit, between the 7th and 8th rib.
Tapping on this point acts beneficially on
Chest and rib pain
Problems with self-esteem, stress, anxiety
#10 Liver point
In the line of the collarbone point, below the breasts, between the 6th and 7th rib.
Tapping on this point acts beneficially on
Liver, spleen and digestion problems
Anger, rage, irritability, impatience
THE TAPPING BASIC RECIPE
An example
The Tapping Basic Recipe is a self-applied, perfect tool for cultivating responsibility for your emotional well-being.
The sequence is only two minutes long, so the next exercise takes only 6-7 minutes.
Prepare a glass of water; hydrating is an essential part of the process!
You can very likely relate to the example below, but feel free to apply the sequence to any other situation.
Use the script as a blueprint for your specific predicament of stress, emotional turmoil, or physical pain.
If tapping feels uncomfortable or painful, you can lightly touch the points while breathing deeply.
Yawning, sighing, and perhaps burping are natural signs that your body is responding and your nervous system is relaxing.
If you feel overwhelmed or upset at any moment during this practice, KEEP TAPPING AND BREATHE until you calm down.
Give space to yourself and your feelings, and allow your body to process through Tapping whatever comes to the surface.
CONNECT TO YOUR TRUTH OF THE MOMENT
1
If you are stressed or something has "pushed your buttons," notice how your body and emotions feel.
For example, the day before yesterday, your boss humiliated you unjustly and rudely in front of everyone at a meeting. You are still seething with anger. As you think back, your hands clench into fists, your teeth grit, you feel hot, and there's tension in your stomach.
On a scale of 0 to 10 (where 10 is the most intense imaginable and 0 is entirely neutral), what is the intensity of your upset? You might give a different rating to your physical sensations and emotions.
Don't think about it too long; stay in your body and hit the first number that pops into your head!
You might as well write down your experiences; it can be interesting to track the changes.
2
ACCEPT WHAT IS
Start tapping on the side of your hand while staying connected to the triggering event. Breathe slowly and deeply.
Make an acceptance statement out loud and repeat it three times. In the first part, you state what is; in the second, you accept it, including yourself and your feelings.
Kind of like this:
"Even though my boss behaved like a jerk with me yesterday and unfairly berated me at the meeting, and now I'm mad as hell, I accept myself and how I feel."
"Even though my boss unfairly berated me at the meeting and I could explode with rage, I accept myself and what I feel."
"Even though my boss unfairly berated me at the meeting yesterday, and I still feel the anger in my body, I accept myself and how I feel."
3
GO THROUGH THE POINTS
Tap lightly on each point 7-10 times, starting at the eyebrow. Stay in touch with what is inside you, and breathe slowly and deeply.
In the first round, use short reminder phrases corresponding to your feelings and sensations at each point, such as "all this anger" and "I feel it here in my stomach/jaw/throat."
In the second round, give voice to what you remember most vividly from the episode, e.g., "I can hear the boss's tone even now," "he said...," "My hands and feet were shaking," "Everyone was staring at me," "I got so angry," "I didn't say anything," "But I thought, go to hell," etc.
(Be honest! It's okay to swear.)
Do a third round of tapping on the points, this time using reminders like "this happened," "yet here I am, breathing," "this anger in my body," "this stuck energy," "I choose to let it out," "that was yesterday," "today is today," "I allow yesterday to be in the past."
Put both hands on your heart.
Take a deep breath and hold it for six seconds, then let it out slowly through your mouth.
Take a few sips of water.
4
ENJOY THE RELEASE
Check in with your body and feelings. How intense are your sensations now? They may have shifted or changed, and that's okay.
If your intensity is still above 3, you can do another few rounds of tapping, adjusting the reminder phrases to match your truth of the moment. Don't forget to breathe!
If you experienced some release, discharging the stuck energy, give yourself some appreciation.
If not, hold yourself in compassion and keep tapping.
Drink another sip of water and enjoy your life!
We get upset about things in the present because they remind us of events that our brain—our amygdala and hippocampus, the guardians of our safety—labeled in the past.
When the boss yells at you and humiliates you in front of everyone, chances are it takes you back to the past when you felt the same way as a child.
By releasing the stuck energies of the root experience(s) and extinguishing their charge, the button pushed by the boss will cease to exist in the present.
