EFT, Emotional Freedom Technique is a tool that aims to free us from emotional blockages or “negative” energies, bringing us to a better health state and to a deeper awareness. This technique is based on the studies regarding the energy that flows within the human body, and represents an evolution of the technique founded in the 7oies, called TFT (Thought Field Therapy).
The concept of Energy has been universally known since ancient times, and it has been described as a subtle yet powerful force that operates together with the more dense physical body, which represents its material manifestation. Our body is made of, and permeated, by this energy; the human being is an highly organized organism guided by this force and this energetic system has developed in resonance with our anatomy and our environment along thousands of years. Each cell in our body responds to electrochemical signals in a highly specialized manner that allows us to live.
Every organic component in our body has an energetic counterpart and Traditional Chinese Medicine via the study of acupuncture and meridians (on which EFT is based) investigated the presence and movement of this energy in the human body. This energy can be viewed as the water of a river that flows in different paths represented by the meridians; this flow is dynamic with fluctuations that are physiologic and natural. However, there can be situations where there is a blockage of this flow, with a backlog upstream and a depletion downstream. This alteration in the flow creates unbalances in the whole organism leading to the pathological process. Removing this blockage (with its causes) will re-establish the correct flow bringing us back to a state of well-being and health.
Traditional Chinese Medicine has identified hundreds of points along our body (acupoints); these are reservoirs of thermic, electromagnetic and more subtle energies. These points can be stimulated with needles, such as in acupuncture, or with pressure, so to release and re-distribute energy. There are more than 400 acupunture points belonging to different energetic canals. The main of these energetic channels are the central and governing vessels, and the 12 meridians (one for each organ). These vessels form the central part of the whole human energy system. Each meridian not only brings vital energy to the related organ, but also reflects any pathological issue or unbalance with the organ or system it is linked to, representing a useful tool for diagnosis and treatment.
In EFT we use only 14 out the 40o acupunture points; these 14 points belong to the central and governing vessel and to the 12 meridians. In this way, we don’t miss on any of these fundamental energy channels. The aim of EFT is to tap with the fingertips along these points in order to re-establish the energetic unbalances that are present. Tapping these points represent what we call The Sequence.
What makes EFT so effective, fast and specific, is that alongside the tapping on these points, we engage and tune into the issue that is causing that unbalance. This is really powerful, as working with the combination of energy disruption together with the issue that is causing or triggering it, makes the whole process very deep, precise, and long lasting.
So the first step during the EFT process is to identify the problem, be it a memory, a thought, a physical pain or an emotion. With this issue, we create our Set Up phrase which is an accurate description of the problem. It goes something like this. “Even though I have this deep sadness because I think nobody loves, I deeply and completely accept myself”. This is the beginning: the recognition of the problem, and the acceptance of ourselves; without accepting ourselves and the problem, we remain stuck and the healing process can’t begin. We repeat this phrase 3 times while gently tapping on the Karate point. After this, we start tapping on the points of the Sequence keeping the problem in mind; to assist us in this we use the Reminder phrases, which are short bits of information regarding our issue; aim of these Reminder Phrases are to keep us tuned into the issue. For example they can be “all this sadness – feeling alone – none loves me”. We tap on the points of the Sequence (usually starting from the top one and going down, about 7 times per point) while we repeat these Reminder Phrases. We perform a few rounds of tapping and surely the intensity of our issues will have diminished. It is a good habit to evaluate the intensity of our problem at the beginning, on a scale from 0 to 10, so we can test after few rounds of tapping to see how the emotional charge, physical pain, belief has gone down, trying ultimately to reach a 0.
EFT seems very simply, yet its results are very profound (and even though I have given you a brief description of how it works, I suggest you use it only with experienced practitioners). It is a perfect way to work with the body-mind-energy unit addressing all aspects of the problem and allowing us to let go of emotional debris, finding a healthier space and flowing more easily in life.
