Energy Psychology Archives - Finding the Meaning in Everyday Life

Do I Really Tap?

Do I tap? The quick answer is yes. I do tap, but not as much as I would like to. I think about tapping often, but for some reason I don’t always follow through. There are probably lots of reasons. Sometimes I’m in a situation where tapping just wouldn’t be comfortable. Sometimes I feel like I don’t have time. In reality that would almost never be true. The more accurate answer is that I would like to have more time to tap on an issue at length and don’t want interruptions. Other times I’m just too upset to remember that I even know tapping. Yes, that’s a real thing. I’m not the only one this happens to.

Honestly, I used to do it a lot more. Several years ago I had many more problems and challenges than I have now. The past several years have been really good for me. I’ve made many lifestyle changes that have brought me great contentment and satisfaction. This has resulted in having less urgency to do tapping in my day.

It is important to state that I definitely believe that tapping works. I believe my life would be even better if I was using it on a daily basis. I’m working toward that. It would be ideal to do before I even get out of bed, but that probably isn’t realistic for me. Because I’m a creature of habit, it is very hard to change the pattern of activity when I’m not yet fully functional and haven’t looked at my to-do list. I’m usually on autopilot until I get into the shower. Perhaps a few minutes of tapping in the shower might be helpful for getting my day started. Tapping right before bed to declutter my mind and body from all the of “junk” of the day is great.

I now do tapping mostly around issues of physical pain, uncertainty about a plan or choice, and occasional feelings of insecurity. There is benefit from tapping when I am teaching it to clients and get to “borrow benefits” from tapping along with their issues. I don’t consider that my tapping, but it still helps. Other challenges that are waiting for me in my “tapping journal” include issues of aging, difficulty managing clutter, and negative comparisons of myself with others. Difficulty balancing my many activities, or difficulty letting go of some of my many activities, is also a topic for future tapping.

If you are a tapper, I’d love to hear how you use tapping in your daily life.

Never done tapping and want to learn more? Click Here.

Back to the Beginning – How I Got Started with Tapping

One of the questions I get asked is how I got started with tapping. After all, I am a traditionally trained psychologist. While that is true, I’m actually not all that traditional. When I had my private practice I used a lot of traditional methods, but I also used some non-traditional interventions such as martial arts to help clients overcome difficulties. I became a Reiki Master and studied Tai Chi and those also were part of my practice. It wasn’t that much of a stretch to get to tapping.

My tapping journey actually started with a whisp of serendipity. I wanted to get out of town for a conference, there was one in Florida about applied kinesiology (something I had been reading about), so I decided to go. The conference was good, but while I was there I was exposed to tapping, during a break in the action at the conference.

I was intrigued. When a tapping conference was announced in Flagstaff in the coming year I felt compelled to be there. In the meantime I purchased some training CDs from Gary Craig, the founder of the Emotional Freedom Technique, and started to get myself up to speed. Once in Flagstaff everything just seemed to fall into place. I got to see the masters in action.

I used tapping for myself and started teaching it to others in my practice as soon as I got home. Not everyone welcomed the technique. There are a lot of expectations that psychological treatment has to be hard work, so since tapping is so easy, there was a lot of skepticism. Once people tried it, nearly everyone saw results.

I continue to train and study and refine my technique so that change can occur even more quickly and completely. It is definitely my go-to technique for myself and others.

Need to learn more about tapping? Click here.

Everything Needs Exercise – Even Your Anterior Cingulate Cortex

Meditation is a form of mental discipline. There are many forms and styles of meditation. One is to follow or focus on your breath. Other people may meditate while focusing on an icon or object. Reciting a mantra can be useful for other people. Guided meditation in which one imagines a scene or event can also be used. The regular practice of meditation has been found to be useful in reducing stress, enhancing physical and emotional health, and improving life satisfaction.

It has become common knowledge that meditation masters like Buddhist monks can achieve amazing things through the power of their minds. Now scientists at Wake Forest Baptist Medical Center have identified the brain area involved. A report in Science Daily revealed that the anterior cingulate cortex that governs thinking and emotion and the ventromedial prefrontal cortex that controls worrying are both impacted by meditation. The activation of these two areas can reduce anxiety ratings by almost 40%. Just think of it – no medications, no side effects, no doctor bills, increased tranquility, and increased wellbeing.

Give it a try. I’ve included a basic meditation exercise for you below.

Following the Breath Meditation.

Sit comfortably. You can sit on a floor, a cushion, or a chair. Avoid positions that are so relaxed that you might fall asleep.
Close your eyes. This will help to reduce distraction. If closing your eyes causes anxiety for you, gaze gently at an object.
Take a few deep breaths. Then, breathe naturally. Some people find it helpful to breathe in through the nose and out through the mouth.
Focus on your body sensations including the points of contact between you and the world. Is there warmth, tingling, pressure, or vibration?
Focus your attention on your breathing.
Whenever your mind wanders away from your breath (and it will!), gently return to noticing your breathing. It is not necessary to judge these thoughts or reprimand yourself for your mind wandering. The ability to disconnect from our thoughts takes practice.

Namaste.

The complete Wake Forest study can be found at:

F. Zeidan, K.T. Martucci, R.A. Kraft, J.G. Coghill. Neural Correlates of Mindfulness Meditation-Related Anxiety Relief. Social Cognitive and Affective Neuroscience, 2013; DOI: 10.1093/scan/nst041.

Book Review – Energy Tapping: How to Rapidly Eliminate Anxiety, Depression, Cravings, and More Using Energy Psychology

Energy Tapping: How to Rapidly Eliminate Anxiety, Depression, Cravings, and More Using Energy Psychology by Fred P. Gallo and Harry Vincenzi was one of the first books on Energy Psychology (EP) that I read and I’m delighted to have re-read it again several times. In addition to being a great introductory text for EP work and tapping, this book has features that truly set it apart from many other books in this genre including a chapter about energy toxins, a great description of the beliefs and their impact on feelings and behaviors, and perhaps the best chapter anywhere on psychological reversal and self-sabotage.

Beyond the basics of how to do tapping, the authors provide easy to follow instruction and numerous case examples so that the reader can feel confident in addressing a variety of emotions and situations. The page formatting and easy to understand graphics add to the experience and the ease of use. I highly recommend this book to anyone interested in improving their life circumstance. From a seasoned health provider to the lay person, this book has something to offer.