Tapping: Changing Problems into Possibilities

falling tree bramchesI like tapping. No, I love tapping. It often baffles me that people are so resistant to trying it. Excuses are numerous, but one that used to ring true to me was “Tapping can’t change anything. The problem is still there.”  Maybe yes, but maybe no.

Let’s say that you are traveling along the road when you come upon a tree that is down and blocking yor path.  You are right that tapping is not going to make the tree go away for you.  It will still be there after you are done tapping. So what is the point of doing tapping in this situation?

Most people experience some degree of upset or frustration when their plans must be altered suddenly. The word “detour” often has negative emotions attached to it.  Tapping could be used immediately to decrease the frustration or negative feelings that arose when you first saw that the path was blocked.  Tapping could also be used for the automatic negative thoughts that because evident such as “Now, I’ll be late” or “I’ll never get there”, or “I’ll be stranded out here forever.”  This type of negative thinking is seldom productive and, in fact, blocks our ability to creatively problem-solve and move forward.

There may be enough room to go around the tree. You might be able to back up, turn around, or go another route. The blocked path could be a gift because an even bigger obstacle or danger is around the next turn. If your energy system is all messed up you might miss the opportunity to feel thankful that you didn’t end up in an even bigger disaster.

Bottom line….you are absolutely right.  The tree is still there. But your perception of the tree and the total situation can change dramatically with the use of tapping.  The relief will be obvious.  Happy tapping.

Using Tapping for Sleep

Cat SleepYou would think that I would immediately think of tapping whenever I have a challenge.  I really wish that were true. I would suffer so much less that way. But, like many people, I go about trying to solve my problems in the “usual” way first.  I have had some trouble sleeping at night. The way I was thinking about the problem suggested at least three things were interfering with my sleep. First there was a temperature problem. My bedroom was way too hot.  In fact, my house was too hot. Temperatres during the day had started getting into the 90s and my house was turning into a little oven. I don’t sleep well if I’m not in a cool room.

A second issue was a frequent cough and plugged up sinuses. I have been sick recenty and my respiratory system doesn’t particularly like the climate here in New Mexico. Open windows and doors, heat, and blowing fans weren’t helping my dryness problem. I would start to fall asleep and then awaken when I started coughing.

The third issue that I identified was emotional. I was angry and frustrated about the swamp cooler, the dryness, and the illness. Thoughts like “if people were just competent I wouldn’t have to suffer” (waiting on repairs for the swamp cooler), “I wouldn’t have to deal with this if I were back in Ohio”, and “if I don’t get some sleep soon it is really going to get ugly” were prominent.  To add insult to injury, at the time I was spending a majority of my day helping other people overcome their insomnia. I was angry that I might have to resort to using those techniques for myself and I didn’t want to. (My inner 2-year-old was definitely in control.)

So there I was…awake, miserable, and angry. It was almost like one of those cartoon lightbulbs lit up over my head.  So I started tapping.  At first I wasn’t sure what I was tapping about.  I just knew that I was miserable and that I wanted it to stop. Then I focused on feeling hot.  After I had tapped a few rounds about that I started tapping about my lungs settling down.  I tapped while I focused on my rising panic about not sleeping.  I also tapped about how angry and frustrated I was with the whole situation. I even threw in some tapping about feeling stupid because I didn’t think of tapping sooner.

All of that tapping sounds like a lot, but in reality it probably only took about 10 minutes until I was calm, relaxed, and comfortable enough to fall asleep. There are a few lessons here that I feel are important to highlight,

1.  I just started tapping.  I didn’t need clarity about what I was tapping for in order to get started.

2.  I didn’t do any real setup statements or formal reminder phrases. I didn’t need them.  My body, mind, and spirit knew exactly what I needed in the moment.

3.  I had to stick with it for a little while in order to get results.

4.  It worked.

Happy Tapping.

Tapping: Changing Problems Into Possibilities

I like Tapping. No, I love Tapping. It often baffles me that people are so resistant to trying it. Excuses are numerous, but one that used to ring true to me was “Tapping can’t change anything. The problem is still there.” Maybe yes. But maybe not.

Let’s say that you are traveling along the road when you come upon a tree that is down and blocking your path. You are right that Tapping is not going to make that tree go away. It will still be there after you are done tapping. So what is the point of doing Tapping in this situation?

Most people experience some degree of upset or frustration when their plans must be altered suddenly. The word ‘detour’ often has negative emotions attached. Tapping could be used immediately to decrease the frustration or negative feelings that arose when you first saw that the road was blocked. Tapping could also be used for the automatic negative thoughts that became evident such as “Now I’ll be late”, “I’ll never get there”, or “I’ll be stranded out here forever.” This type of negative thinking is seldom productive and, in fact, blocks our ability to creatively problem-solve and move forward.

There may be enough room to go around the tree. You might be able to back up, turn around, and go another route. The blocked path could be a gift because an even bigger obstacle or danger is around the next turn. If your energy system is all messed up from the negative response you might miss the opportunity to feel thankful that you didn’t end up in an even bigger disaster.

Bottom line – you are right. The tree is still there. But your perception of the tree and the total situation can change dramatically with the use of Tapping.