EFT
[ 28 June 2007 ]
This is a follow-up to my article from yesterday, Eating Disorders. To receive the full benefit of this piece, please read & watch the videos in order!
What is EFT?
Gary Craig (founder) talking about how EFT works:
So, here’s my personal experience with EFT. My boyfriend discovered it online & started using it. I thought he was mental, but was like, oh, whatever, it’s his prerogative, he can do what he likes. He kept raving about it, though, & trying to get me to use it. At the time, I was convinced that I was going to be a negative, cynical person with mental health issues for the rest of my life. I was resigned to my fate. I didn’t like it, but I thought it made me unique, so whatever.
He kept going on about how great it was, so I buckled under the pressure! I decided to use it on something concrete, physical — something I couldn’t be fooled into thinking had worked if it hadn’t. I chose my asthma as a starting point. I had had asthma since I was about ten years old, & while it provided me with excellent excuses for getting out of physical education at school, it really bothered me. Every morning, I would walk up a hill to catch the bus to work, & every morning, like clockwork, my breathing would get shallow & I’d have to stop & use my inhaler. So I did a few ‘rounds’ of EFT, tapping on meridian points with a couple of fingers while stating the problem.
The next morning, I didn’t get asthma walking up the hill. Or the next morning. Or the next. Okay, I know you’re going to think I am yanking your chain, but I’m not. It truly, absolutely worked. I was AMAZED. I couldn’t believe it. I kept waiting for it to reverse, or stop working, but it didn’t. My asthma was just… gone. I decided to start using it on other things, like the fact that I had hayfever all the time, & that I was INSANELY allergic to cats. After doing this, I happened to go to a party where there was a cat. I was fine around him, but ducked into the bathroom to do a little bit more tapping to make sure I didn’t get allergic. & I didn’t. It worked like magic.
You know where this is going, huh? The next thing I decided to use it on was my eating disorder. It took a lot of convincing. My boyfriend got on my case about it. I didn’t really want to let go of it. For a long time, it had been my identity, it was who I was. I didn’t remember who I was without it. Isn’t that sad? I thought that without it, I would be boring, normal, happy — almost a dirty word to me at the time. So, my boyfriend convinced me to tap on the fact that I thought anorexia was my identity. I did a few rounds, saying, “Even though I believe anorexia is my identity, I deeply & completely love & forgive myself. Even though I think I will be boring without an eating disorder & I don’t know who I’ll be, I deeply & completely love & accept myself.” Afterwards, I took a deep breath, then exhaled. I looked at my boyfriend. “Eating disorders are ridiculous,” I said. “I want to get rid of it.”
I made a list of all the parts of my body I didn’t like. Face, arms, stomach, legs, feet, etc. I went into the bathroom, closed the door, looked at myself in the mirror & tapped through it. Every body part. “Even though I hate my legs & think they’re fat & disgusting, I deeply & completely love & accept myself. Even though I think my legs are the most revolting thing I’ve ever seen, I deeply & completely love & forgive myself.” & so on, for all of them. Then I decided to tap on the anorexia itself, looking at myself in the mirror as I did it. (I know this might seem unnecessarily epic or dramatic, but at the time it seemed like the right way to do it, & I would recommend it if you want to try it.) “Even though I have been denying myself food for years, because I don’t think I’m worth it & I think I’m too fat to deserve food, I deeply & completely love & accept myself…” I did a whole lot of rounds on this, maybe 10, because I REALLY wanted to make sure it was gone. I cried as I tapped, watching myself, feeling these emotions wash over my body. Afterwards, I took another deep breath & walked back into the living room.
“Well, I did it. Let’s see how it goes,” I told my boyfriend. He asked me how it was, & I started to tell him, & then all of a sudden, I felt really sick. I ran for the bathroom, & threw up multiple times. Maybe five or six times. It was so strange, I am convinced it was my body’s way of saying, “I want this eating disorder shit out of me NOW”.
Again, you probably think I am yanking your chain, but I’m not. It happened exactly like that. Since then, I haven’t had a problem with food. If ever I’m feeling bad about my body, I tap on it & the feeling goes away, & I feel great. Here’s an even stranger thing: since I tapped it all away, my body has changed. My body actually looks better now than it did when I was sick. More toned. I think carrying around all that resentment & hatred actually manifested itself physically in my body.
Okay, now watch this. (Hahahaha, worst still EVER!)
Other things about using EFT:
Be as specific as you possibly can. Don’t just tap on “even though I’m unhappy”, tap on “even though my boyfriend puts me down” or “even though my clothes don’t fit”, etc.
Be persistent! Keep going! Tap on anything negative you can think of. It’s quite a strange process, I often find that after I’ve released something, I forget what it was to begin with. It’s like it just drops right out of your body… so sometimes it feels like you haven’t made a lot of progress. You will make huge progress, though, so stick at it!
Drink water before & after you tap. Just like having a massage, tapping releases toxins into your body, & you need to flush them out.
It can be really tiring, so if you’re feeling exhausted, have a sleep as soon as you can.
If you’re feeling anxious about ANYTHING, just tap the karate chop point until you feel it subside. I do this all the time, & you can even do it walking around the city, especially if you have headphones on ;>
When you’re tapping on an issue, keep going around & around until you feel like the emotions have subsided.
You can seriously use it for anything. Hating yourself, insomnia, inability to concentrate, etc.
If you’re currently in counselling or doing other healing, try using EFT in conjunction with it, I am sure you will have amazing results.
Everyone I know who has seriously applied EFT to their problems has made HUGE progress, even the really cynical people.
EFT has completely changed my life, no exaggeration. I can’t force you to do anything you don’t want to do. I’ve learned by now that if people don’t want help, you can’t do anything to make them better. If, however, you actually want to get better, do some experimenting with this & see how you go. & of course, if you have any questions, give me a yell!
Good luck!
Addendum: After writing this, I spoke to my friend Rod, who lives across the road from me & is an EFT practitioner. He’s been using EFT & helping other people for 8 years now… trust me when I say, the man is good!
I asked him whether he’d be interested in doing a little deal for readers of iCiNG, & he said yes! He’s offering a free half-hour telephone session to anyone who gets in touch with him via iCiNG! You can call him on Skype & it won’t cost you a penny!
If you’re interested in getting started with EFT but are a bit nervous, or if you’ve been using it for a while & feel stuck on an issue, having a trained professional to talk & tap it through with is really wonderful. I’ve done some work with him in the past & he’s a total pro.
You can email him here & see his website, Tap 4 Health for any additional information!
I hope you take him up on it, he’s FANTASTIC & has a cute Australian accent to boot!
Extra For Experts:
Using EFT for eating disorders
More EFT Information — another article I wrote on the subject, answering questions!
Super-love & cupcakes,
Gala
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hey gala;
we can’t watch the video of you at the end — it says we have to watch it on youtube? well, that’s what it says for me anyway.
this eft thing kind of reminds me of the secret (which i havent got around to watching the whole dvd of yet,). i like the idea of being powerful enough within yourself to make a strong change. it’s really amazing.
well done &thanks for sharing! :)
amy — Oh, thanks for telling me, I clicked the wrong button! That should be better. ‘The Secret’ is awesome… & used in conjunction with EFT it is A++++ good!
wow, that is really interesting. i think when i have a quite moment alone i am going to try this for my depression.
but much like you i am feeling like if i dont have depression, what will i have?
sarah — Glee, joy, bliss, happiness, ecstasy, mania, excitement, elation?! Tap on feeling like depression is your identity… it’ll help a LOT.
i shall let you know how i go :)
all those things sound like great things to have :)
This is quite cool! I’m so often dubious about stuff like this (especially when you go to the website and it says you won’t get the “whole” experience or whatever without buying something!), but hey, I have a lot of little personal snags and snarls which whinging about doesn’t change, and it can’t hurt to try EFT on them. Thanks! :D
Jorden — Obviously the people running the website need to make a living, but if it helps, I’ve never bought a single EFT-related product/service & it still works… :D
I 100 zillion % knew you were going to say EFT...because it works!
My ma is coming to Tokyo for the summer and we are gonna EFT her back pains/emotions away!
When I have done BIG sessions I get the same rejection reaction..except mine is a mind blowing migrain, vomit and black out, when I wake it has released.
I cannot tell you the past emotional traumas and consequential ailments EFT has released for me.
I’ve found love, I’m a believer!
Sappy? Yes! Minblowing? Yes! Life altering? YES! What more could a girl ask for?
It was so gorgeous to read your story- thankyou. I am also hooked on the real life examples on the emofree website. So powerful and exciting!
i think one of the people in that video is my boyfriend’s dad’s neighbor!!! i’m gonna have to ask her now. :)
you are such a motivated and inspiring person that i definitely will have to try it out! i’m always looking for new ways to get healthier as every time i go to the doctor she suggests nothing but useless prescriptions.
most people think stuff like this (acupuncture, massage therapy, etc.) is kooky (including a lot of the people i know) but the reality is that people don’t want to believe in it and don’t give it a chance.
i also love that it is simple and free. yay. :)
Wow.. this is kinda fun. It is relaxing. I find it really funny when I trip over the words as I’m saying it out loud… :) Half the time I end up saying something different from when I started!
Thanks for sharing this and your own private account with us, Gala :) it’s very new and different but worth a go!
Thanks so much for posting about this! I’ve been sick for SO long with something no one’s been able to diagnose (I’ve missed an entire year of school), and I’m definitely going to try EFT. I hope it can do what a bunch of doctors have been unable to do.
Wow, this seems really interesting! thanks so much, will definitely give it ago.
tokyomade — Oh WOW! That’s so awesome! I am always reeeally excited when I meet someone else who uses it. It’s the best thing ever! That’s so interesting the way that your body releases, I’ve never had anything as crazy as the vomiting since then. Usually I just get really tired or SUPER-hungry! I seem to have stopped yawning (which was always my reaction in the beginning)... I think my energy is well-managed enough now that my body doesn’t NEED to yawn. Anyway, good for you, I’m so stoked!
rachel — Haha, it would be hilarious if it was someone you know! You should definitely ask. I think the medical industry has so much to answer for, there is sooo much bullshit out there. I don’t think pumping your body full of drugs is really the answer, most of the time! It does have its place, but you know, you have to ask yourself, who is benefiting from all that stuff? It’s a bit scary really.
Jenny — Ooh! If you start saying one thing & end up saying another, stick with it! Allow yourself to say whatever you want, don’t self-censor. You will probably be surprised at what comes out. Good luck honey!
Kori — Gosh. I would suggest tapping on all the symptoms seperately, see what you can get rid of. Then maybe tap on “even though I don’t know what is wrong with me…”. I’ve found that sometimes I was so desperate to know EXACTLY what was wrong that it got in the way of my healing process. Maybe if you let go of the fact that you want to know what it is, that will help you. Keep us posted okay?!
What kinds of things do you say for physical problems, eg your asthma? Do you say, “I don’t have asthma”? Or do you say, “I am breathing freely and my body is filled with energy”? What I mean is, do you talk about the physical problem you have, or the way you’d like to be?
Good question bunny! I tend to talk about the problem because I find it easier, but really you can say whatever the hell you want. When I did it for asthma, I switched it up. I started tapping on, “even though I find it hard to breathe, even though my lungs hurt, even though I can’t breathe easily” & then a couple of rounds later I would say, “I find it easy to take deep, clear breaths, my breathing is steady, my lungs are strong” etc.
i was first introduced to eft 2 years ago now i think. i even printed out the entire manual & had it bound heh..
i’m the kind of person who responds better to things that make sense to me. therapy never made much sense because what can they really tell you that you don’t already know?
with eft, you go straight to the problem rather than treating the symptoms.
i think it’s pretty amazing that you had such a full on reaction to it. mine was such a gradual process that it took me a few weeks to realise just how different i felt.
you did a great job presenting this too btw.. high fives! =)
also, in regards to kori.. she might find that just by treating little issues in her everyday life that it has a positive impact on her physically.
oh, wow. Glee, joy, bliss, happiness, ecstasy, mania, excitement, elation…who doesn’t want that, right? this sounds really interesting, i can’t wait to try it out. i’m so glad it worked for you, and we have this fantastic website as one of the results! (i’ve even been pimping out cosmopolitan to my non-cosmo reading friends, since you’ll have articles in it soon!)
i think it’s a very common thing; to be so attached to mental issues and disorders that you’d rather have them wth you, to identify yourself as having them rather than letting them go. even if it’s bringing you down emtoionally, you think that you’d rather stay like that than be ::mock shudder:: happy. however you always have such bright articles, and your life looks so fun. how could i want to stay miserable and angst-ridden when i can have a beautiful life with icing to crown it? (wo0t, using slogans!)
hmm…this was long, but i really appreciate how this website has changed the way i percieve things!
xx
Wow…
I did a round with you on the video, and I got tingles all down my body….and it’s still tingling. I definitely intend to try this. I’ve never even heard of it. And another suggestion that I thought of for using it: menstrual cramps.
I’m really really amazed that after doing just one round my body is responding like this.
Thanks for the post. I’ve been reading your website ever since I saw it on Threadbangers, and I am a Icing ADDICT. :)
candice — YAY, I’m so excited that you use it! Good point about Kori too, I think you’re right that she will probably see an improvement in her health by tapping on little things. What I find amazing is how much everything affects people — every little thought is so laden with meaning that it can throw our entire systems out of whack. Yow!
nico — You’re so lovely! Thank you so much. I hope you give it a go since I am convinced it will be a life-changing experience. My advice is to tap when you know you’ll have some privacy, like in the bathroom or when you’re having a shower. You need to be able to concentrate as much as possible & not worry about potential interruptions.
Britt — Wow! That’s awesome. Try doing another round on the same thing, see if the tingles go away. Tapping is GREAT for menstrual cramps, it works like a charm. It’s also good for pre-menstrual psychosis, haha! xx!
Thankyou Gala! I’m a natural therapist and hadn’t heard of EFT until it caught my interest a couple of months ago. Now I’m hearing about it so often – it’s like the universe is nudging me going ‘Hey! you should try this!’ And now here you are doing exactly that!
I think you’re doing a wonderful thing sharing this, and I’m sure you’ll help countless people. xo
I’m an incredibly cynical person, but I think I might just give this a chance. Depression, social phobia and isolation have become my identity. I don’t like it, but I’m terrified of what where I would be without my problems. I don’t want to be defined by illness and a failed relationship anymore. I’m not really sure where to start though, I’ve been like this for so long that it seems normal to me.
I really want to get off antidepressants. I was forced to take them by my ex-boyfriend and they have done nothing for me at all. The trouble is that I get terrible withdrawal symptoms everytime I try to stop them, even if I gradually reduce the dosage. I wonder if EFT can help with this?
So thank you for posting this gala, and for being brave enough to speak so publically about your experiences. You’ve given me hope that I can get better too.
I’m gonna try this for many things, especially depression and sugar addiction.
i’m glad you wrote about eating disorders, because i know a lot of girls or even guys, do go through this. and because icing reaches so many people, the more people get to read about this, the better. i’ve never been bulimic, but when i went away to tokyo and did not have many friends at first, there was a time when i did feel awfully lonely, and i used food to substitute that pain. eating something yummy would make me forget, at least for a while.
i ate till i was too full, and then i ate some more. it was really bad and within a year i put on at least 10 kilos, which i am still trying to lose now. things got better and i made many friends who became like family. i’ve grown to accept myself, even though i had put on all that weight. i’ve grown to love myself for who i am.
and i agree with what you said, that you are enough, you do enough, you have enough. it’s true, but it’s until we learn to love ourselves that we can open our eyes to that.
i had my own way of finding “happiness” and had never tried eft. but whatever method it is, it’s all about being happy about yourself and your life, and if eft worked for you, i hope it works for many other people who read about this.
I have been making good progress with my eating disorder but I have been shrugging off the reality that first and foremost, I need to accept and love myself. So, this was a salient reminder not to lie to my body about “recovery” just because I am no longer grossly underweight. Also, my bout of anorexia has reaped a bastard slew of physical ailments as well as caused a relapse of an anxiety disorder which I now battle every single day. Gosh, there are so many issues to tackle and I am usually found to be painfully overwhelmed but EFT makes these problems seem so easy to manage, a tap at a time. I am definitely going to try EFT!
Thank you for sharing this, Gala. You are a sweetheart!
this is fantastic, gala – i think i finally get it, from watching your video. i am massively sceptical but also a bit of a mess (mostly physically but mentally too), and am going to give it a fair try.
Thanks for sharing this! I’m a bit skeptical, but it won’t kill me to try, so what the hell. At worst, my cats will make fun of me :)
This is interesting, I can attest to the relative uselessness of conventional counselling, and pretty much everything in that realm. I’ve tried Cognitive Behaviour Therapy (CBT) with little success and various anti-anxiety measures, and various medications (which, incidentally, i’m allergic to).
I find all of these things useless perhaps because they’re so transparent – counsellors are so “obvious” somehow. I don’t know, it can all feel so very very fake, counselling, CBT etc particularly in comparison to the real painful feelings one is dealing with.
I’m intrigued, though somewhat skeptical. It seems too good to be true – tap certain points for a few minutes and you can make all your problems disappear? Maybe I’m reading it wrong, how long does it actually take?
It seems too easy – surely these things, which i believe can be overcome on our own merits, take more perseverence, effort, dilligence? I hope I don’t sound too critical.
By the way, I’m the same Rachael (with an extra a) from yesterday, so in answer to how I got over my eating disorder, can I be very open?
It was an on and off thing which the person I was with (oh, to hell with ambiguous pronouns) – which my girlfriend tried to help me get over, with little success. We made each other unhappy, I think, and that was part of what kept it as a part of my life. It wasn’t a good relationship at that point; she was occasionally violent and extremely critical of my values (I was apparently conservative and boring). Eventually, that relationship ended fairly spectacularly – she broke up with me a few times over a period of about a couple months. Me, with my lack of self esteem and excuse-making (“she’s depressed, it’s not her fault”) allowed myself to get back together with her when it was a terrible, terrible thing. Those last few weeks/months were pretty awful, and my eating disorder pretty severe during them.
Essentially, she broke up with me one final time after some fairly horrible stuff, and I attempted suicide. I don’t want to go into detail, but I took an overdose and was in hospital for a week.
I had a lot of time to think while in hospital and once out. I was extremely miserable and couldn’t cope on my own for about the first month, but then it was very much a case of what doesn’t kill you makes you stronger, and I wanted very much to be alive, and the eating disorder became ridiculous and superfluous.
I still had reasonably terrible self-image, but I forced myself to eat properly, and eventually that view of myself changed, and I stopped feeling as though weight loss would be a good thing. So, essentially it took an event of that magnitude for me to overcome it.
I’m sorry this was so ridiculously long! Gala, you are truly inspiring, you are very much the inspiration behind my new and much much much less angsty blog and also the inspiration behind the re-decoration of my bedroom.
P.S. – While the eating disorder is gone, I’m still plagued by extreme anxiety and a self image which goes along the lines of “I’m disgusting and horrible and evil and hollow and I should be dead” but I’m working on it!
Tapping really helps! I plan on making it a part of my morning rituals. Something else that helps me feel good about myself (although it sounds juvenile, and about as un-theraputic as you can get)is just getting into my bra and panties, blasting a really happy song (my favorite one is ‘We’re Gonna Play’by Matthew Barber) and dancing in front of a mirror.the song makes me feel good, and the dancing gets my blood flowing. It’s really fun!
this sounds amazing! I just might try it for a few things. Can this also be used for severe back pain? Somebody I know has very severe back pain to the point where it is very difficult for her to walk, would EFT work for this situation as well?
Gala, I have learned so much since I began reading your blog.
I’ll be sure to try this out next time I feel bad about something.
swirlyange — That’s so interesting! It’s great that you’re aware of those things. I always think that when the universe appears to be pointing you in some direction, you should go with it. It’s usually for a good reason!
sarah bee — I hope you try it, it’s really an amazing thing. I would try tapping on identifying as a cynical/depressed person, then try tapping on “even though I feel like I need antidepressants…” The best thing to do is start with something like that & then just allow yourself to say anything you feel like as you tap. Even if that things is “I feel like a dick saying this”, just say it, everything is valid & ultimately helpful. Just pay attention to yourself while you do it! Good luck to you honey, I am sure with the help of EFT you will feel like you can decrease your dosage slowly & be absolutely fine. Just be persistent!
Opium — YAY!
Iconoclastic — That’s fantastic, EFT is great for managing all kinds of annoying little problems. I wish you great success!
lisa carbide — You’ll love it, I am sure it will work wonders for you. There is a great quote from Yoko Ono, which is, “The cynicism that you have is not your real soul.” Maybe you should write it on your mirror ;>
Lux — Yeah, cats can be cruel! Haha!
Rachael — How long it takes depends on the problem you’re tackling. Some people (including me) get rid of life-long shit by doing a few sessions in an evening. What I wrote about getting rid of my anorexia is the whole truth, that’s exactly how long it took me. I think it’s AMAZING but it worked, so I’m not complaining. Anyway, to answer your question, how long it will take depends on the issue you’re working on. Some issues are trickier than others, like say you have bad feelings towards your mother. Generally I would say you should make a list of the times she has hurt or upset you. Then start tapping on each instance. It might seem like a huge list but don’t be daunted, the point is that sometimes you’ll tap on the fifth instance & everything else will just collapse. You’ll no longer have any emotional reaction to it. It’s fantastic.
I think the phrase “too good to be true” is a dangerous one, sets a bad precedent. I hope you don’t think I’m being nitpicky, I just think everything we say/think affects us profoundly, more deeply than we thought imaginable.
I’m really really pleased that you’re doing better these days. Sounds like you’ve gone through a lot. Can I suggest trying EFT whenever you have feelings about being a horrible/evil person? It’s absolutely not true, & not doing you any favours… you’d be SO much better off getting rid of that tripe.
xxx
Nessa — That’s awesome! Good for you. I love to dance around my living room to really loud hip-hop, it makes me feel really good!
Moni — Definitely worth giving it a go. I have had back problems for years & since using EFT on them, my back doesn’t hurt anywhere near as badly as it used to be. (I had scoliosis.) I know that if I’d kept tapping on it, I could make the pain go away completely, but I guess I’m too lazy! Bad Gala!
amanda — Thank you :> If you feel bad walking around the city or something, just try tapping the karate chop point while you think about whatever is bothering you. You’ll feel the anxiety/unhappiness/anger lift very quickly. Good luck!
I gave it a go, being convinced out of skepticism by your enthusiasm and the testimonials in so many of the comments. I got really really thirsty afterwards and have been really thirsty since – bizarre! No idea if it has worked at all yet, since I haven’t been in any of the situations I tapped on. I also get the feeling that I need to tap on a few more related issues. I find it hard to concentrate on visualising a related memory and find myself slipping into more of a trance, I don’t know if that’s good, or bad!
Eternity — That’s fantastic! Drink as much water as you can stomach, & keep it up. Tapping will dehydrate you pretty quickly if you’ve hit something important. Slipping into a trance isn’t really good or bad, just try to focus on whatever it is you’re tapping on as much as you can, & be specific. But allow your mind to wander, say whatever you’re thinking as you do it, you might stumble across some interesting revelations. & I’m so happy for you, congratulations!
I’m usually the first person to coughplacebocough, but in all fairness, I think it might be worth adding EFT to my list of therapies. I’m open to anything that’s free and non-hierarchical and doesn’t involve herbs or crystals!
So far so good with it – haven’t done much yet but what I have done has calmed me down. I was rip-roaring irritated for the past week, and yesterday someone annoyed me and I did it in my car to calm me down. I did.
And today I am not irritable.
I got a book called “The Promise of Energy Psychology” to look more into it. And I’m downloading the main DVD because I simply don’t have $60 to spare on it. Bad me!
Gala- Thank you.
Thank you so much Gala. Today, I found myself extremely negative and sad because I was convinced my severe persistent acne will never go away after unsuccessfully going through thousands of rounds of different routines, dermatologists, and medications. Now, I’ll start tapping on my acne!
Any time! I am so happy to help you all out. I suspect I’ll be doing a follow-up post with more tips/tricks later on! Let me know how you all go.
Thank you so much for writing this, Gala. Like you, I am working on an eating disorder and I’d like to try this technique in concert with other therapy. One question: if it doesn’t show any difference the first time you tap, should you keep trying? Or are there certain people for whom it doesn’t work? I grow curiouser and curiouser.
I’m usually cynical about stuff, I’m not even religious, but I will try this. I don’t believe that so many people, including you, are lying! It sounds amazing, I hope it works with my pseudo-depression and my emotional issues…it’s just not fair for my bf to take all the stuff that’s going on with me for his own :P
thanks a lot again! your blog’s awesome :)
(sorry for my crappy english Dx)
I tried EFT for the first time today, and while making me feel dizzy, and somewhat sick, I have never felt more happy.
I usually don’t believe in this stuff, but this really seemed to work, maybe it is the tapping, and saying it, maybe it is just me making myself believe it.
Whatever it is, I feel the best I have in a long time.
Thank you Gala! Your articles are always so helpful. Honestly, I look up to you!!
I went through your video too! It was a lot better than reading the manual on Gary Craig’s website. I’m up for trying EFT for my procrastination habits and my negative self-image. Thank you Gala!
Very nice and thank you for the links!
Revelation: TARZAN was an early EFT user. When he beat on his chest, he was clearing himself!
This is really well timed and thanks again!
This seems pretty interesting, i’ve never heard of this before.
I’m pretty skeptical though… it sounds kinda… sketchy.
Although, i would love to try and get rid of my sweet cravings. x.x
After a meal- i always feel like i should eat something sweet…
And I really need to loose weight. ; ;
I’ll ponder this some more- but I’m not too sure.. it seems kinda like.. sketchy and wierd. lol, no offense, i dont want to offend you. Just saying what it seems like. ^^;
But i’m surprised by everyone’s reactions to this.. it really seems like it works. Do you believe its really the tapping? or do you think it’s just a ‘mind over matter’ thing?
i laughed after i did it. haha
you have such a beautiful voice, it´s so clear! Really interesting articles (i read the more recent one 2), i really want to try it.
Thank you for the video!
Hi Gala!
I’m really interested in using EFT for my M.E which I’ve had for about 12 years. I’m not skeptical or reluctant, the problem is that I don’t know what to say. For instance, when I’m in pain or feeling sick what should I say between even though… and… I love and forgive myself? Do you think it will have an effect on my M.E?
Hannie — I don’t know what M.E. is! Regardless, tap on the symptoms individually, & then anything you think might have led to you getting it. Family history, etc., or if it’s something you caught from someone else, maybe guilt or feeling like you ‘deserve’ to have it. Know what I mean? Hope this helps! Let me know if you have any other questions sweetie!
It’s so funny you recieved another commenter above mentioning m.e (it’s the british term for chronic fatigue syndrome) as i have and was wondering exactly what you hit hte nail on the head with. What is there without being ill? Not that you want to be ill just what comes after when you’ve been dealing with something like a long term illness!
Anyway i have tried this through kineasiology (which encompasses a lot of other alternative therapies) and your topic has completely reminded me of it enough to give it a go.
It is exhausting, but as you said you need to keep at it depending on how deep rooted a lot of things can be.
Just a quick question; you say your current issue followed by ‘i completely love and accept myself’. And then you go over all the points again expect in the positive? Like “i no longer feel exhausted and without energy” kind of thing?
Great articles i love your site :) x
lucy — You can do, but it’s up to you. I usually just go through the symptoms & then say I love & forgive/accept myself, but sometimes I’ll do a round saying what I would like to happen (i.e., with asthma, “I can breathe easily & deeply”). Also, I’ve recently been saying I love & TRUST myself & my body, which has been kind of a breakthrough… it’s really speeding up my healing at an amazing rate. Something to try :> Good luck darling!
I recently moved to London from Brisvegas and am starting a new job tomorrow (and I’m up late too, arrgh). I’ve just read the article about EFT and am going to try it before bed to get rid of my fear of f#*@ing up my induction and the mammoth voyage on public transport on the way there (both are making me sooo nervous). I’ll let you know how I go, I’m rather skeptical, but determined to try new things in 2008.
x bec
This is so fantastic!
I all ready go to an alternative chiropractor.
She does something similar, dealing with emotions and whatnot, only she does the tapping down your spine. She handles physical problems as well as emotional ones, such as dealing with so-and-so or asserting oneself.
I plan to bring up EFT and ask if that is the same thing she is doing. If it isn’t, I plan to bring it to her attention.
I’m thinking this could help me with my persistent adult acne that can’t be dealt with in traditional methods since my skin is also sensitive.
Hey :) This would be the first time I’m posting on the site, though I’ve been a lurker for quite some time now..
I just wanted to say that I intend to use EFT quite frequently, just to give it a go and see how it works out because i’ve been feeling rather anxious and nervous about things recently.
So i did a couple of rounds on feeling nervous around people, then went and sat down… but then i thought ‘why not do a round about how i dont feel nervous around people anymore?’... So I did :D
I have to say that when i was doing the round about not feeling nervous anymore i kept smiling to myself and grinning… I felt rather empowered actually. So i’ll see how it all turns out tomorrow morning :)
Loving your site, it never fails to bring a smile to my face :)
Hey Gala,
I just tried it along with your video, and I feel a bit better already..
I “tapped” on not being scared of what stupid people think and say to me. I feel a bit better already!
Thank you so much for the demo and keep up the great work!
xoxo
hey i read the eft manual, and the tapping spots are different to what you say, do you do a different kind of eft? or does ur way work better than the actual eft way? v interested! thanks!xxx
Melly — Yup, the points I use are different but I think they’re at LEAST twice as effective! Try both ways & see what you like best!
Gala- just wanted to say thanks. I’ve been dealing on and off with depression for about 6 months. I was pretty skeptical about the whole EFT thing, but on your recommendation I tried it yesterday. I’m feeling a lot more positive today. I kind of think it’s in my head but I’m actually feeling positive enough that I don’t care
I know this was posted like, over a year ago and you probably shall not read my comment, but I just had to give you a big “Thank you!” for this post!
I first read this last night (after never hearing a word about it!) and decided as my first order of business, I would tap on my fear of spiders. I did so about three times (for good measure) and felt better about the whole thing. But you know, thinking about a spider and SEEING a spider are two completely different issues!
Well, just about five minutes ago I walked into the bathroom to take a shower. I was just about to take my shirt off when I looked up and saw a spider hanging from the ceiling – right in front of my nose! But I didn’t freak, scream, cry, or run out of the bathroom like I usually would have. I calmly stepped back, grabbed a tissue, and squashed the crap out of that little bugger!
I dunno, I just felt so good about all this I thought I should share it with you!
Much love!
Good on you Lola! ;)
I want to thank you for sharing this. Ive been dealing with depression, social anxiety, and a eating disorder for years and this has helped me so much, even though I thought I could never get better. For the first time in a long time Ive had a really good day. EFT has given me a whole different perspective. Anyone who is doubting EFT just needs to give it a try with an open mind. I am so glad I found your site! Thank you sooo much.
Hmm. As a psychologist, I must say I’m rather skeptical of the power of EFT, especially for physical conditions. Ever since I read in Louise Hay’s book You Can Heal Your Life that the rare genetic disease Huntingtons, can (supposedly) be cured by thought, I’ve been extremely turned off this idea of self-healing.
However, there IS a lot of research out there that does show the power of the mind, in various forms, can be very useful for some things.
I gave it a go though, as I do like to try to keep an open mind ;) I just sat down and did several rounds on something quite concrete, using the negative framing, and afterwards got into the same sort of headspace as I would with meditation. After I finished I got up, felt quite emotional, and had a drink of water. I didn’t feel right, so I did a round that was more positive, and that seemed to sort of close it for me. Though now, straight afterwards, I have a headache and am suddenly hungry. Hmmm. We shall see.
I’m having EFT at the moment for a spider phobia and it is really helping lower my reaction level to it :) but ive got a way to go.