MollieO Patrick

The Gentle Use of Power

Emotional Freedom Technique   (EFT)

EFT can be used to address numerous issues by dealing with the underlying beliefs.   For example, WEIGHT is often a way of protecting one’s self.  That old belief can be transformed by tapping.  Weight loss is often the result of releasing old patterns which no longer serve you.

EFT is a very profound, simple and powerful process which can be learned in twenty minutes.   Don’t be fooled by the concept “no pain, no gain”.  EFT is effortless and easy to understand and apply.  It is effective in clearing issues generated from the Physical, Emotional, Mental and Spiritual planes.   

If you have ever had an acupuncture treatment in which needles are placed in specific points on the body you will understand the basic theory behind EFT.   Acupuncture traces energy meridians which run throughout the body
and intercepts these paths at certain points with needles to clear energy blocks.   EFT uses the same system but introduces gentle tapping on these points rather than needles.  I will describe the process below but encourage you to have someone who is familiar with the process lead you through it

The basic belief behind EFT is that the cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body’s energy system.   In order to clear the negative block a person is asked to contemplate an issue which is upsetting at the present moment.  The degree of upset is determined by how it rates on a scale of 0 to 10 (0 being neutral and 10 very upset).  That serves as the bench mark for beginning a session.  Then a word is picked which exemplifies the feeling associated with the upset such as anger, fear, shame, terror, betrayal, distrust, etc. At this point the basic sentence for the exercise is introduced.  It is:

“Even though I have (or feel) this _(anger)_____, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”   Repeat three times while rubbing the sore spot on the chest shown in the diagram below.

Follow by tapping 7 times at each spot shown on the diagram with two fingers   while repeating your word (anger, fear, etc.) one time only at each spot.  End by hitting the  side of your hand with a karate chop gesture seven times saying the word once.

 
  
Points:  Top & center of head
               Beginning of eyebrow
               Side of eye
               Under eye
               Under nose
               Collar bone
               Under arm (about 4 inches under arm pit)
               Karate Chop to outside of hand

 
After the completion of one round of tapping close your eyes and “look” at your scale from 0 to 10 and see if you have a lower number than the one you had before starting the tapping. If the number is lower you remind your sub-conscious that you have released some of the (anger, etc.) by stating
“remaining anger” as you repeat the process.   This time you will say “remaining anger” as you  tap 7 times at each spot and hit the back of the hand.  At the end of the second round check your number.  Continue until you experience a zero (complete neutrality).

It’s helpful to have someone else do the process on you initially so that you
are free to feel the shift.
 
The energy meridians you are tapping are:
Gall Bladder meridian
Stomach meridian
Governing meridian
Central meridian
Triple/warmer meridian
Small intestine meridian
Heart meridian
Large Intestine meridian
 
I’ve had some amazing experiences with this process with myself and
others and highly recommend it.    One evening after I had been using EFT in my practice for a number of years I decided to clear all my issues around men.  Obviously I had to start with my father as the first male in my life.  
Since I had never bonded with either of my parents I couldn’t think of any
word or feeling for my father and finally settled on   “Even though I have no feelings for my father I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”
During the second round of tapping I got a pop up picture in my imagination of myself as a preschool girl standing in front of a floor to ceiling mirror in the front hall of my home.   I was trying to say the word
“soldier” clearly without slurring or stuttering.   I then remembered that I had trouble saying the sound “s” and that my father teased me about it.
I immediately changed my sentence to “ Even though I felt teased by my father I love and accept myself”.    That led to remembering that when I started school I was trained to change from being left handed to right handed because the desks were for right handed people.  After I tapped on a number of those long forgotten memories I went on to every man whose name I could remember that seemed significant.  I stopped tapping three hours later.  I was so high and energized I didn’t know what to do with myself.  I did determine that should I launch another marathon
EFT session I would do it in the morning so that I could enjoy all that
released energy during the day.  
 
The reason I’ve included that anecdote is to remind you that if you get an image from the past with negative energy connected to it, immediately tap it away.    That’s one less bit of low self esteem in the closet.

If, after the first round of tapping, you find the number is the same as when you started, close your eyes.   Drop your attention into your chest and notice what feelings are there regarding the subject.  Find the most powerful word that describes that feeling.  Perhaps anger was really rage, or hurt was really a feeling of betrayal.  Re-do your sentence with the new more empowered word.

Also, stick with the sentence using “feel” or “have”.   Never say” I am______”.  If you state “I am angry” you are owning that attribute not just feeling or having it.  Therefore, if you are, indeed, anger itself you can’t release it.

My introduction to this material was years ago through a course offered free on the internet by Gary H. Craig who graciously shared his extensive research with the public.   You can find his course on the internet and download it for study if you wish.  A group of us also sent for the accompanying videos which show actual sessions on both the individual and group level that demonstrate the amazing breakthroughs EFT has facilitated. Gary Craig’s work was based on Roger Callahan’s Thought Field Therapy  which connected psychology with acupuncture points.   It was a complicated system which Gary simplified into ETF. His website is www.emofree.com < http://www.emofree.com/ > .
 
EFT has gained in popularity and use over the years. It can be combined with hypnosis, muscle testing, affirmations, NLP (Neurolinguistic Programming), Educational and Spiritual Kinesiology and Reiki as well as other psychological and energy techniques.   There are many variations out there but all are based in the original work.