What is EFT? Gain emotional freedom with altering the way you think

The way we think and what we believe about ourselves and our life is defining the way experience it. Each circumstance that happens to us in life triggers thoughts and emotions. Patterns that have been built up for decades through past experiences. Those patterns define the way we experience this circumstance. If they are negative, our reality will become unpleasant through this circumstance. If they are positive, our reality will be enjoyable. To take control over the way we experience life and to gain emotional freedom and the control over our lives back we need to learn to control the way we feel and think. We need to let go of pent up emotions and learn to reprogram our subconscious mind so that the beliefs we have about ourselves and life are changed too. Today I want to introduce a technique called EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) to you that can be used to reprogram your subconscious and help you release pent up emotions.

What is EFT?

EFT, short for Emotional Freedom Technique is a method used in coaching or therapy to help people manage thoughts and emotions better. It uses a combination of tapping and talking to help you rewire the way you think and feel. EFT is based on a few psychologic and neurologic concepts: The Mind-Body Connection, the Cognitive Behavioural Theory, the Meridian Pathways.

The Mind-Body Connections states that our mind and body are connected. They are not two separate entities. Physical health and emotional health are intimately intertwined. The way we feel impacts our mental health and what we think impacts the way we feel. Our biochemistry impacts our mood and emotions, as well as thoughts and beliefs. With all of these factors combined, they play huge role in how we experience life.

A circumstance that happens to us in life enters the consciousness of the mind as information. Depending on how this information is perceived by the mind, signals get send to the cells of our body through the nervous system, those cells then communicate this information further to the body. For example if we fail this information will either get understood as “now I know what I did wrong so I will do xyz next” (positive information) or as “how could you fail, you should know better” (negative information). This information gets send to the cells they either understand “we feel encouraged and tell the muscles to try again” (positive responds) or “we suck and feel bad about ourselves and thus not try again” (negative responds). Obviously the way information is processed in the mind happens mostly automatic through patterns of beliefs we learned over the past. However we have the control over changing those patterns and thus remove negative information processing through EFT.

Cognitive behavioural therapy (CBT) is a common type of talk therapy. CBT helps you become aware of inaccurate or negative thinking so you can view challenging situations more clearly and respond to them in a more effective way. CBT can be a very helpful tool ― either alone or in combination with other therapies. CBT can be an effective tool to help anyone learn how to better manage stressful life situations and how change the way you think and thus the way you feel and experience life. CBT is a goal-oriented treatment method that takes a practical, hands-on approach to problem-solving. Its objective is to change your thought patterns and behaviour to improve your emotional regulation. CBT focuses on your thoughts, attitudes, beliefs, and images (cognitive processes) to change your behaviour and opinions, and how they relate to your strategies of managing emotional problems.

The Meridian Pathways are energy channels placed all over our body. Those energy channels are responsible for the vibrations that flow though our body. MP are impacted by thoughts and emotions a like. If we feel a lot of negativity, there will be a lot of negative energy flowing through our body. Stress and other physical or emotional reaction can cause blockages in our energy flow map which is often visible through either a tight feeling somewhere in your body or muscle stiffness or any pent-up emotions. We need to remove those pent-up emotions so energy can travel freely through our body again and we also need to alter the negative vibration so it becomes more positive again. Since everything in life is energy, the energy we vibrate on or send out is most likely the energy that we will also attract.

So EFT uses tapping which is causing the remove of pent up emotions and thus frees up MPs combined with structured talking to reprogram limiting beliefs and thought patterns and thus connects mind and body as a whole.

How does it work?

There are different variations of EFT and every practitioner uses it a little bit different. However it almost always starts at the Karate Chop which is the outside of your hand where your pinkie finger is. Then it follows a specific map of meridian points from head through the upper body. By tapping on each of those points and saying specific phrases out loud that are related to the current struggle one is facing or the belief one wants to change energy gets removed and the subconscious gets addressed. Typically one will do e few rounds for each belief, then stop and tune inward to feel on the energy flow of the body. Emotional release can happen immediately after only a few tapping rounds. To make the most out of changing the underlying belief most impactful one will have to repeat the same script for a few weeks or even months depending on how deep the issue sits.

Why does it work?

Already touched upon above, EFT works because it is rooted in scientifically proven practices. It is a combination of many methods that together become a powerful tool. However it can also be used alone. Simply tapping the points without saying anything can have a calming effect on the individual. Also, just reminding the affirmations used in tapping can be a wonderful practice to train your mind into thinking differently. However, the combination of both becomes a very powerful tool to learn to manage emotions and take control over your subconscious mind.

Who can benefit from EFT?

Literally everyone can benefit from it. Whether you just want to release pent up emotions or work towards reprograming your limiting beliefs EFT most likely be a great practice for you. Obviously, you have to be open and willing to work for it and also to maybe feel emotions arise that might be uncomfortable to feel at this particular moment. But once you are willing and open for whatever the EFT practice might bring to your life every person can take something valuable out of it. However, it is most effective for those suffering from reoccurring self-doubts, fears, worries or limiting beliefs in general that have to do with the self or how one perceives oneself, e.g. body image issues, heartbreak, low self-esteem, perfectionism, lack of self-love, grieve, fear, physical pain.

When to use EFT?

EFT can be used anywhere and anytime. All one needs is a practitioner (or the knowledge required to practice alone) as well as a quite space and some time. It can either be used as a “quick fix” to release pent up emotions when one is angry for example or feeling an intense emotion arise in a particular situation. Or as an intentional practice to rewire limiting beliefs and train the mind towards thinking more positive. Although EFT is not particularly harmful as it does not affect the energy flow negatively is it already flows perfectly, EFT can cause irritation and intense emotional states. One should be aware that as it goes for the positive, beliefs can also be trained into the negative. So, caution and skill is required to use EFT properly.

How you can use it?

As just mentioned, I would not recommend anyone using EFT without a certified practitioner if one has never done it before. EFT can cause pent up emotions to come to the surface and it is not seldom to have to cry or feel drained after a session as we are dealing with a lot of emotions here.

If you are curious and want to try EFT, I suggest do your research, look for practitioners in your region or try one of my EFT based programs. I would love to introduce you to a wonderful practice that helps you get control over your life back, so feel free to reach out for more information!