In our attempts to escape emotional pain, we shut out the feelings that make living such a wonderful experience – the ability to love and feel loved, spontaneity and creativity suffer as a consequence. We lose the opportunity to know ourselves and discover the unique qualities that make us who we are, giving way to a dry and monotonous existence that lacks any meaning.
Sometimes we feel emotions that are scary and overwhelming. When this happens we try anything we can to avoid facing them. Once an emotion becomes stuck, it ceases to hold any purpose other than to keep a person frozen in time. At worst this can be totally devastating, especially after an intense trauma, and the person becomes trapped within the experience, unable to move forward.
Many of us do not have to contend with this level of emotional distress, but at some time in our lives most of us will come across an emotional stumbling block that we find difficult to overcome. Perhaps we are held back by our own fear, consumed with anger or locked into resentment and blame, or plagued with feelings of low self-esteem, intense grief or a sense of guilt. None of us are immune to any of these feelings.
It is these emotions that The Emotional Freedom Technique addresses. The purpose of this book is to introduce you to a technique that will enhance your life. We invite you to discover for yourself the versatility and freedom that EFT can offer you.
There is a subtle transformation occurring within the field of medicine and emotional healing. Alternative therapies and the theories that support them are attracting widespread interest and research as public demand increases. This has led to the introduction of new and exciting methods that complement the current models of healing. Alternative approaches are gathering momentum. A new awareness is growing that aspires to a more natural and non-invasive approach to healing the body and the mind.
Medical science has made enormous progress in the treatment of disease and life threatening illness. Yet, for all the technology and scientific research, it lacks a basic understanding of the true essence of an individual as a whole. How our thoughts, feelings, beliefs and attitudes influence our health has been largely ignored. However, within a holistic framework, the relationship between the mind, body and spirit is seen as fundamental in the role of producing health.
Many people are now familiar with the concept that the body can be healed through the mind, yet few people realize that you can also heal the mind through the body. At the cutting edge of this new paradigm is a technique known as The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) – a form of Energy Psychology that shares the same principles as the ancient art of acupuncture, which recognizes the existence of an inherent energy factor within all of us that is responsible for our overall health. This is the electrical/energetic blueprint of the body known as the meridian system.
The meridians are energetic pathways within the body that relay information to the entire system, as well as channelling vital energy to the organs and tissues of the physical body. It has been acknowledged that blockages within the meridian system can cause internal disruption and eventually lead to the onset of illness and disease.
Perhaps more subtle and less known is that the energy within each meridian also registers emotions, feelings and sensations. Every time we experience an emotion the body’s energy system is influenced to a certain degree. The meridian system and our psychology are intricately linked. Acknowledging this, EFT has been designed to directly interact with the energy system, rebalancing and stabilizing the disruption that occurs when a distressing emotion is experienced. This enables our energies to flow freely again, leaving us relaxed and at peace.
An EFT session involves gently tapping a sequence of meridian points on the body, with the fingertips. This simple yet powerful technique re-balances the energies of the body, releasing unwanted emotions, allowing an inner sense of calm to return. Perhaps one of the most miraculous effects of this treatment is the speed with which emotional distress can be resolved – sometimes in little more than minutes – creating freedom from emotional problems or issues that may have troubled you for years. In itself, EFT appears to hold the answer to many modern day emotional difficulties such as stress, phobias, insecurities, and depression.
To some extent each and every one of us is held back by our emotional responses, either through an inability to express our true feelings, or through emotional reactions we have little control over. Attaining freedom from unwanted emotions is the desire of all of us. To be able to quickly release fears, worries and negative emotions is an incredible ability.
EFT can be applied in any circumstance regardless of the emotion or situation. This is because we all have ‘feelings’ or reactions to every problem that affects us, regardless of whether it is a work-related problem, financial worries, an issue of self-esteem or the frustrations of dealing with a difficult teenager. EFT can address all situations that provoke an emotional reaction or contain an emotional component. In fact, EFT can be used to treat problems from the past as well as the present and future.
Past events, such as severe shocks or intense feelings of grief that still have an influence upon us, can be released. Future events that provoke anxious anticipation – job interviews or plane journeys, for example – can be resolved. Many people have also gained relief and experienced dramatic changes when applying EFT to physical ailments such as jet lag, tension, addictive cravings, as well as a wide range of physical disorders.
Part I of Emotional Healing in Minutes looks at the historical development of the Emotional Freedom Technique, and the theory behind it, discovering the wide range of applications that EFT can offer.
Part II will guide you step-by-step through the technique itself, enabling you to use it as a self-help approach to resolving many of the emotional and physical problems you may encounter in life.
Part III contains strategies to deal with a host of specific problems, from Phobias, Beliefs and Addictions, Physical complaints and Weight Loss, to issues connected with Relationships. Often people will wish to visit an EFT practitioner.
Finally, Part IV gives you the information you need to find the right practitioner and what to expect when you get there. Also contained in this section are invaluable trouble-shooting tips for those learning to use the technique.
The current applications of EFT have barely scratched the surface of future possibilities. It is a simple, safe and extremely powerful technique that enables every individual to access his or her own inner healing ability. Adults and children alike can benefit. EFT can be applied via a therapist (when dealing with deep trauma) or used for personal self-help. It is very easy to learn and, once grasped, it should take no more than a few minutes to carry out, wherever you are, offering you complete freedom at your fingertips. It really is a remarkable self-help approach that offers an entirely new way in which to resolve emotional distress and attain rapid relief from all manner of psychological limitations. We wish you every success and happiness.
There are many valuable therapeutic approaches being re-discovered today that all have one thing in common, namely recognition of an energetic component responsible for optimum health and well-being. Energy therapies are on the increase, offering new and alternative ways in which to achieve emotional harmony and physical health. The diverse range of energy therapies currently available includes:
Acupressure
Acupuncture
Cranio-sacral Therapy
Flower Essences
Homeopathy
Kinesiology