You’re going about your day when all of a sudden some anxious thoughts appear. What do you do? Do you take some deep breaths or talk yourself down the ledge of worry?

Imagine this instead: you enter a clean white room and lean back on a white leather recliner with your eyes closed. As needles enter your skin on all the right pressure points, you feel calmness overpower your vigilant fears. Your stress fades, and within minutes, your mind is in a state of simply being. Does this sound familiar? That’s right, I’ve just described the ancient Eastern art of acupuncture.

However, there’s a way you can reap all of the benefits of the ancient Chinese practice without all the needles.

Introducing the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT)

For centuries, the Chinese have been utilizing EFT as a way to release negative emotions. The art follows the principles of acupuncture by making physical contact with key neurological pathways in the body, also known as pressure points. By applying just the right pressure to these spots, the body conducts energy to alleviate stress and its related symptoms such as headaches, pains, and tension. Unlike acupuncture, EFT is 100 percent needle-free and requires a “chanting” practice in conjunction with physically touching pressure points.

Essentially, it’s the practice of replacing a “negative” feeling with a positive one or lessening the perceived negativity of a particular mindset or thought. You know what they say, “everything is perception.” EFT takes it a step further by asking the practitioner, “Why do I perceive that to be negative?” By confronting the thoughts head-on and addressing their roots, those who practice EFT can overcome feelings that are unconsciously limiting success, joy, positivity, gratitude, and abundance.

How It Works

Although there are different ways to practice EFT, the premise is the same: when anxious feelings arise, identify the thoughts that accompany the feelings. Then, tap a particular pressure point—either the beginning of the eyebrow, the chin, the underarm, or the head. Finally, reassess the feelings associated with that thought. Upon a few reps of tapping, practitioners report thoughts having less emotional power, and that’s just the first part.

The second part of the EFT exercise is critical to a well-balanced routine. After addressing the anxious or critical thought, assert the truth in its place while tapping on the pressure points. For example, if the anxious thought you identified is “I am worried about money,” the next step is to tap on the pressure points and repeat that thought to scale the negative feeling you get when thinking about money worries. Then, dig deeper, “Why am I worried about money?” Tap again. Deeper still, “What is the truth about my circumstances?” Keep questioning until you reach the core issue—usually a core fear or self-limiting mindset. Once you’ve identified this core belief, tap, and state the truth, “Even if I don’t have money, I am going to be okay.”

Free At Last, Free At Last...

Little by little, by using the Emotional Freedom Technique, you will unveil your own solutions to feelings until they are put in their rightful place so you can go on with your routine as normal. Remember, the giants we face are in our minds, and with the right guidance and some practice, the Emotional Freedom Technique can help provide exactly what it promises: emotional freedom. To learn more about EFT, contact a local therapist in our directory.