When I first heard of EFT and what it stood for, Emotional Freedom Techniques, I thought the name was a little silly and perhaps even over-promising. Emotional Freedom, what does that even mean? Is this a touchy-feely New Age thing or some type of meditation? Because I could never commit to meditation long-term despite all the benefits. Of course I’d prefer a 25 year old brain in a 50 year old body, but for those of us with monkey minds, it’s usually an excuse for a nap. If you’re a serious meditator, that’s great, but it’s not the easiest or most effective entry point to resolve inner turmoil in my opinion. EFT can feel like meditation at times, but the tapping fast-tracks the impact and results.
When I heard EFT referred to as emotional acupuncture and a self-help version of EMDR, I perked up because I had experienced both of those with some success. As a self-development devotee willing to try anything once, I signed up for an online course consisting of 6 weekly recordings and a daily tapping sequence. These recordings weren’t the least bit personalized to my life and they had me laying on the bedroom floor with tears streaming down my face. I mean those cathartic, beautiful tears of healing that feel cleansing and a little raw. I was honestly pretty amazed and pleasantly surprised. I would stand up and feel like a load was lifted. The course topic was finances and wealth and I never expected to connect to deep insecurities and needs around safety. Clearly a lot of people were dealing with the same issues which was hugely comforting, in addition to the fact that the actual tapping made me feel so. much. calmer. And not just in the moment, or for an hour or day afterwards like other things I’d tried. These results had staying power.
I started walking around in the world differently in small ways. My irritation baseline was much higher. Annoyances and people that used to set me off, didn’t so much anymore. I followed EFT thought leaders online and watched a lot more recorded tapping sessions. I was getting hooked on this experience of being less angry; opening to a new reality where I felt lighter and that life was a privilege and less of a drag. All the goal-setting, self-fixing, will-power, and even spiritually-oriented paths to wholeness I had attempted, were falling by the wayside.
Tapping was completely rebuilding my emotional foundation and I hadn’t even worked directly with an EFT professional. This is what the EFT community calls “borrowed benefits”, where you tap along on someone else’s issues because it still processes your own. I was skeptical about that claim initially but can attest to its validity after two years in the field.
I was feeling more energetic and peaceful and seeing results like never before. When I recognized the impact this tool could have in the lives of others, I decided to make this my new career. During the certification process I logged over 70 tapping hours, which is a lot of emotional processing and literal rewiring of the brain. To the point where I can identify what emotional freedom is now.
Emotional Freedom is no longer being held back by past wounds. Emotional Freedom is meeting the present day with feelings of optimism and enthusiasm. Emotional Freedom is having the courage to address difficult conversations and conflict with clarity and humility. Emotional Freedom is knowing that no matter what life throws your way, you’re going to be ok. And most critical of all, Emotional Freedom is achievable.
Don't we all need more of that?
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