The Emotional Freedom Technique

As I was reflecting on how pro-foundly Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) has changed my life, I had to smile. I thought of all those "condition-ed" people (okay, I admit it, I was briefly one of them) who dismiss EFT because it’s way out of the ballpark of their belief systems.

One redeeming factor for the skeptical novice is that you don’t have to believe in it for it to work. (Do you believe in Advil?) You merely have to leap outside of your comfort zone, take a taste, and be flabbergasted by the results.

A. Emotional Freedom Technique is a gourmet blend of Eastern and Western wisdom in a "drug-free zone." It’s a gentle, lasting, incredibly powerful healing tool that will "knock your socks off" as it diminishes, and often totally abolishes, a diverse range of emotional and physical ailments. It’s called "Emotional Acupuncture" because while acupuncture accesses the healing points of the body’s energy meridians with needles, EFT generates astounding results by tapping on ten specific acupoints. We tap as we focus gently on our issues.

Gary Craig, a Stanford engineer, introduced EFT in the early 1990’s. He condensed and refined it from a much longer procedure called Thought Field Therapy. We now have this miraculous healing system literally at our finger-tips. In Gary Craig’s own words, "My jaw still drops at the results. I’ve lost count of the number of phobias, panic/anxiety attacks, traumatic memories, guilt and physical ailments that have been elegantly relieved (often in minutes)….Even though EFT violates just about every conventional belief out there, the results remain remarkable. EFT isn’t perfect, of course. We don’t get 100%. But it usually works well and the results are sometimes spectacular. It often works where nothing else will."

2. How Does It Work?

A. Albert Einstein revealed that every-thing is composed of energy. Western medicine, till recently, has ignored this enormous breakthrough. A simple way to explain how EFT works: Once a circuit is shorted you can’t turn on the light until the circuit breaker has been reset. EFT resets the circuits in a person’s energy system.

EFT is based on the premise that over 85% of all ailments, emotional and physical, are rooted in the emotional. Most of us can easily relate to this! Illness occurs due to a disruption in the person’s energy system, which is a souvenir of a negative, unresolved emotional memory.

Hurtful memories are stored faithfully in our sub-conscious, even as we valiantly attempt to ignore them. A sharp word spoken to ud 40 minutes or 40 years ago, or heavy-duty abuse, can be disrupting our energy system big time! That nagging backache, stiff neck or phobia are perfect candidates for EFT.

Notice the emotional source in the following scenarios. The EFT process will inevitably zero in on several tappable issues: a. Allison is anxious about meeting critical relatives at an upcoming picnic. She "coincidentally" gets sick the day before the event. b. As Patti’s relationship with her mother-in-law becomes more stressful, she suffers from migraines regularly. c. Seth was humiliated in class in fourth grade. He has been prone to morning panic attacks for the past five schol years. d. Rebecca is eager to apply for a position as a pre-school director, but instead of emailing her resume, she keeps procrastinating. Why? Here are three possibilities: 1. She’s embarrassed to seek a higher pay-ing job due to blocks regarding money. 2. Her "inner critic" is working over-time. 3.A past failure is eroding her confidence.

A. EFT is flexible & forgiving, so it’s hard to do it wrong. Most people have a 50% - 80% success rate just following the basics. Nevertheless, keep these pointers in mind:

1. Gary Craig generously offers a free digital manual on his website, www.emofree.com. Review it! Like with any skill, practice makes perfect.

2. Be specific! If you find that "EFT is not working" the issue you’re addressing might be too global. For example: If you’re trying to release the emotional charge from when your pet got hit by a truck, the phrase "this pain" may not work as efficiently as "this grief/guilt puppy pain".

3. Be persistent! Even though EFT is famous for "one minute wonders" many issues need patience and persev-erance.

4. It’s not easy to unearth your own core issues, which is vital to the process. Consider this analogy: No human being can ever see her own face, except by reflection. Sometimes working with an EFT Practitioner, who dispenses EFT from a palette brimming with custom-ized strategies, can make all the difference.

4. Why is EFT called "the hidden secret to the Law of Attraction"?

A."You can lead a horse to water, but you can’t make him drink." Many people study the Law of Attraction, but never get a wooden nickel closer to their goals. EFT is the only game in town when it comes to getting rid of limiting beliefs about money / feelings of unworthiness / vibrations of scarcity / or any fears, shame or guilt surrounding prosperity. Without EFT the Law of Attraction remains a pipe dream.

5. How does EFT compare to talk therapy?

A. Here are four eye-popping differ-ences:

1. In therapy you rehash the pain and take it back home with you – with EFT you release it. "No pain, no gain" is not an EFT motto.

2. Therapy deals with the negative memory, while EFT fixes the underlying energy disruption, and then proceeds to neutralize the memory.

3. You can do EFT on your own! It’s a "first aid kit" in your back pocket.

4. This makes it a no-brainer: Think in terms of weeks, not years.

Ultimately the resolution of life’s challenges comes from within. Experi-encing a therapeutic dose of EFT might be just what your "inner healer" ordered! To quote Gary Craig’s famous rule of thumb, "Try it on Everything!" Just be prepared to reprogram your belief system.