What is EFT Basics?

EFT Basics is a sometimes miraculous technique that shifts humans out of fear-based living, and into living within your greater innate potential.

It does this by using meridian-based acupressure, while focusing your words on limiting or negative aspects of your experience that are troubling or stressful to you.

It’s a self-help tool that empowers you to create change in your life. And there’s actually lots you can shift on your own, even when you know very little about the art of EFT.

It’s easy to do – so easy young children can do it (it’s actually a fantastic life skill to teach young children!)

The founder, Gary Craig, said to try it on everything. Life’s an experiment, so I encourage you to just begin where you are, and try it out. See what happens.

Before we jump into the pretty straightforward instructions on how to do EFT Basics, here’s an introductory video. It’s by Gary Craig, the founder of EFT. In seven short minutes, you’ll be up-to-speed and have what you need to at least begin.

Yup, it’s that straightforward. As a self-help tool, it’s the best I’ve found in close to 50 years of searching for tools for me. There are ‘bells-and-whistles,’ but with EFT basics and self-responsibility for your life, you can go a very long way. I hope you enjoy the journey.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=r5a1_lAhxpw

There are five basic steps in EFT Basics:

1. Focus on a ‘problem’

Focus on a ‘problem’ or stress you’re experiencing. This could be something physical (a headache or pain from banging your shin accidentally etc.) or some form of emotional stress (you’ve had a ‘bad day’ and are feeling overwhelmed; your boss or your partner just yelled at you and you’re feeling upset or angry; the weather is crummy, necessitating a change in your plans to go hiking and you’re feeling disappointed etc.).

The more specific you can be about how you’re feeling, and what your thoughts are about the stress/negative experience, the better. Really try to get some good and specific details – not just generalized statements. For example, “this excruciating, sharp and jagged pain in the left side of my neck, that feels red hot”… rather than just, “this pain in my neck.”

2. Rate your level of distress

Rate your level of distress on a scale from 0 to 10, where 0 is no reactivity at all and 10 is the most you can imagine. Write that down, to keep track of it.

3. The set-up statement:

The Set-up statement: Tap on the side of your hand, under your baby finger (often called the karate chop point), with the fingertips of the other hand. It doesn’t matter which hand you use for what – you can go back and forth between them if you like, or just tap on one karate chop point.

While you’re tapping there, say the Set-up statement: “Even though I have this ‘x’ problem (or Even though I’m feeling ‘x’) I’m still a good person and I’m trying my best here.”

Or, “Even though I’m feeling ‘x’, I still deeply love and completely accept myself.” The latter sentence is the standard set-up phrase used.

If you don’t/can’t love and accept yourself, no worries. You can add on a variation, like: “Even though I have this ‘x’ problem, and I don’t love and accept myself, I’d really like to learn how to love and accept myself.”

The purpose of this set-up statement is to put your current struggle or stressor within the bigger field of self acceptance, self-love. This is a message to your sub-conscious, which begins to re-program the fear or negative stress. It begins to help your subconscious feel safe in releasing this aspect of stress in you.

4. Now tap on your acupressure points

Now tap on your acupressure points as you either say aloud or to yourself, a reminder phrase of the stress. For example, if you’re feeling upset about (something specific you have identified in the set-up statement), you can just say “this upset feeling” when you tap the top of your head. If you have more details, add them in as you move around the tapping points.

5. Re-rate your level of distress:

Re-rate your level of distress: When you have completed one or two rounds of the tapping points, stop for a review. What number are you at now? Please don’t judge yourself here. Sometimes your level of distress goes down. Or, sometimes it goes up (you may have cleared the first layer and another layer can now show up). It may also sometimes stay the same number, but your feeling or belief will have changed. Whatever you discover (it’s an experiment) write down the number now. And tap on whatever you have discovered. You can repeat this process until your number is down to 0 – 2.

And that’s it! You’ve just practiced your first EFT Basics tapping session. Congratulations!

To read some of my blog posts about tapping (and Hacking Reality), tap here next.

If you’re curious to read about how tapping can help you clear long-ago ‘unfinished business’ (by using Hacking Reality) tap here.

To book a free 20-minute clarity call, in case you have some questions, tap here.

If you’re ready to book a session, tap here.