If you have been tapping for any time at all, you have become convinced of the value tapping brings to the table when talking about anxiety, depression, anger, and frustration. What you may not have experienced is the relief you can get with physical symptoms. In the past I’ve used tapping to manage the fear, pain, and helplessness associated with physical therapy.
As you will see in the video, tapping may not directly change the physical problem, but you can still get relief. In my case, tapping was useful in quieting the negative self-talk related to my injury. In addition, my my was reduced because my muscle tension was reduced. I strongly suspect that the tapping will enhance physiological healing as well.
What is the first thing you think of when you see a bee? Is it the potential for being stung? Or perhaps it is the important role they play in our ecology. There is much we can learn from the spirit, role, and behaviors of bees. Join me in a tapping meditation.
Someone told me recently that they have a hard time reading the tapping exercises and doing the tapping at the same time. I listened. Here is a tapping video of the fox tapping meditation I posted recently so that you can perhaps follow along more easily.
The fox is known as the magician and the keeper of magic. It is also said that the fox possesses the gifts of shapeshifting and invisibility. They often live at the edges of forests and in the border areas. There are 21 different species but we almost never see them in the wild. Even though we don’t see them, they may have a lot to teach us.
We are not
going to use a problem statement (MPI) or do the setup (karate chop), but
instead are going to hop right into the tapping meditation. Take a few deep
breaths and let them out slowly.
Eyebrow…Fox
Side of Eye…Concealment
Under the Eye…Fox
Under the Nose…Camouflage
Chin…Fox
Collarbone…Knowledge
Under the Arm…Fox
Top of Head…Silent
Eyebrow…Fox
Side of Eye…Keen senses
Under the Eye…Fox
Under the Nose…Recognizing opportunity
Chin…Fox
Collarbone…Trusting instincts
Under the Arm…Fox
Top of Head…Finding and accepting blessings
Eyebrow…Fox
Side of Eye…Sexuality
Under the Eye…Fox
Under the Nose…Cunning
Chin…Fox
Collarbone…Protector of family unity
Under the Arm…Fox
Top of Head…Adaptation
Eyebrow…Fox
Side of Eye…Swift thought and action
Under the Eye…Fox
Under the Nose…Decisive
Chin…Fox
Collarbone…What message do you have for me?
Under the Arm…Fox
Top of Head…Open to the wisdom of the fox
Eyebrow…I like the idea of being silent
Side of Eye…Becoming like the wind
Under the Eye…And being undetected in my observation of others and situations
Under the Nose…The downside is that I can feel I am not worth noticing
Chin…Sometimes I think I am too visible
Collarbone…Striving for recognition
Under the Arm…Experiencing jealousy or envy
Top of Head…Or putting myself in a position to be attacked
Eyebrow…The fox has the ability to shapeshift
Side of Eye…And choose when to be visible
Under the Eye…And when to be invisible
Under the Nose…It also can move silently
Chin…And not reveal its intentions to anyone
Collarbone…I need to learn more of this
Under the Arm…And I call upon the wisdom of the fox to teach me
Top of Head…I would like to be more mindful of how I interact in the world
Eyebrow…And learn to control my aura
Side of Eye…To be more harmonious with my environment
Under the Eye…And the people around me
Under the Nose…This totem teaches us
Chin…That we don’t have to reveal everything we know
Collarbone…This is another skill that I seem not to have developed
Under the Arm…I used to feel bad
Top of Head…When I wasn’t noticed
Eyebrow…But maybe that is just my inherent and unrecognized fox energy
Side of Eye…Working its magic
Under the Eye…Once recognized, I could learn to control it
Under the Nose…And enjoy being silent and invisible
Chin…When it suits me
Collarbone…And becoming visible when I think it is important
Under the Arm…Claiming the energy of the fox
Top of Head…Exercising my fox-ness.
Take a deep breath and let it out gently. If certain thoughts or feelings came up, be sure to write them down, or continue tapping with them now. As noted above, the fox tends to be invisible so I haven’t had very many personal experiences with them. I find them intriguing and am excited to seek out more opportunities to learn from them.
A couple of situations and tendencies did pop into my awareness and will need further tapping. I became aware of my tendency to call people out on things, just to let them known that I know what they are up to. This has not always worked to my advantage. To divulge the knowledge just so they don’t think I’m naive or gullible is not very fox-like. I also became aware of how my previous tendency to stay in the background is at odds with my desire to be known as an author. Obviously, to sell books and make a living I will need to be more in the spotlight. Some tapping about how that could be congruent with fox energy will be quite interesting I think.
You can find a video of tapping with this animal here.
I do believe that it is important to choose your thoughts wisely. And yes, you can choose. Today while swimming I had the opportunity to practice choosing my thoughts. I wish I could have tapped at the time, but swimming and tapping at the same time exceeds my coordination skills. I went to the gym today, expecting it to be empty since it was July 4th. It was quite surprising to see that it was packed, but then relieved that the pool wasn’t.
I swam in one lane for a while. When the person in the lane next to me left, I moved over to the middle lane (my favorite). I was on lap 22 when I saw another woman swimming in MY LANE. I’m used to sharing, but I don’t really enjoy it. Usually swimmers at least let you know that they are joining your lane. It seems like a safety and courtesy thing to me. I didn’t know she was there until we almost crashed.
That started a cascade of negative thinking. Why did she have to pick my lane when there was room to join a different lane? She is rude. It got really personal like she did it just to make me miserable. Then, I remembered something my friend Zach said to me once. He told me that not everything was about me. Remembering that comment caused me to re-evaluate how I was thinking about this situation.
I started with a statement of gratitude (in my head because I still had my face in the water swimming) that I had been given the opportunity to swim 22 laps without needing to share my lane. Then I chose another statement of gratitude that I am able to swim 22 laps and general gratitude for my health. Another gratitude statement about being able to afford to go to a gym that has a pool where I can swim popped in too.
As soon as I started feeling good about myself that I was able to turn my thoughts around, those other negative thoughts popped back in. This pattern continued for all 33 laps. When I was purposely engaged in the positive thoughts I enjoyed my swim but when I allowed the negative thoughts to linger I did not. While I wish that the negative thoughts didn’t even occur, I am pretty excited to have had the experience of feeling good when I choose my thoughts wisely. Just imagine how effective it would have been if I was also tapping while choosing my thoughts. Mind Blowing!
There seems to be a prevalent belief that life is hard and that we should just accept it. I’m not sure where that belief actually comes from, but that prior programming is likely to get in the way of having the life I desire. As with all prior programming, tapping can eliminate or decrease its impact on my life.
Say this problem statement, “Life is hard.” Rate the intensity you feel on the 0-10 scale.
Setup (karate-chop point) – Even though life is hard, I deeply and completely love and accept myself. Even though life is hard, and anything that seems easy is therefore suspicious to me, I deeply and completely love and accept myself, including my old ways of doing things – those old, really hard ways. Even though life is hard, I am open to the small possibility that not all things have to be hard.
Eyebrow…Life is hard
Side of Eye…It is supposed to be hard
Under the Eye…If it isn’t hard, I’m probably not working at it enough
Under the Nose…If it doesn’t feel hard, I’m probably slacking
Chin…Everyone knows that hard is better than easy
Collarbone…That good old Puritan work ethic. Its got to be hard
Under the Arm…Life is hard
Side of Eye…The harder the better
Under the Eye…Maybe I can make it even harder so that I can feel good about how hard it is
Under the Nose… Maybe I could make it so hard that no one could succeed
Chin…Now I’m just being silly
Collarbone…At least part of me knows that it doesn’t really have to be hard to be good
Under the Arm…I’m trying to remain open to clarity about this
Top of Head…I’m trying to remain open to the possibility that easy can be good too.
Take a deep breath and let it out. Check the intensity of your original problem statement, “Life is hard.” Write down your new rating then continue tapping with these, or similar reminder phrases until your intensity around the problem statement is significantly reduced.
The transformational power of the snake totem is exemplified
by the shedding of the snake’s skin. It is a physical rebirth process.
Additionally, it teaches us that we can transform most things that come into
our lives, for better or worse. We can create opportunity out of loss, passion
from hardship, or vitality from illness. Consider the ways in which you have
engaged in the process of transformation. Are there things in your life or
personality that you would like to transform now?
I wanted to give you a sneak peek from my upcoming book Unleash Your Primal Power: Totem Tapping for Health and Happiness. This came from a chapter dedicated to the different characteristics of the snake. Think of a specific hardship you are facing right now or expect to be facing in the near future and then start tapping.
MPI: “I’m facing this hardship.”
Setup (Karate Chop Point) – Even though I am facing this
hardship right now, I choose to remain open to learning how to use this
experience to create a better opportunity. Even though I am facing this
hardship right now, I choose to remain open to using this experience for growth
and prosperity. Even though I am facing this hardship right now, I choose to
remain hopeful and full of expectation for the great things that are coming
next.
Eyebrow
This hardship
Side of Eye
Things are really hard right now
Under the Eye
And I’m having trouble seeing past this moment
Under the Nose
All I can focus on
Chin
Is this hardship
Collarbone
And how bad it feels
Under the Arm
This hardship
Top of Head
Stuck in this negative viewpoint
Eyebrow
I’m having a hard time
Side of Eye
But I choose to remember that things can transform
Under the Eye
Into something wonderful
Under the Nose
This hardship
Chin
And I choose to remember that things can transform
Collarbone
Into something special
Under the Arm
This hardship
Top of Head
I can transform it
Eyebrow
Seeking transformation
Side of Eye
Things will change
Under the Eye
Transforming hardship into something wonderful
Under the Nose
Things do change
Chin
Transforming hardship into something special
Collarbone
Transforming hardship into something better
Under the Arm
Things change
Top of Head
I claim this transformational power
Take a deep breath and let it out gently. What thoughts about your hardship came up? Did you have any thoughts about how you would like it to transform? How can the transformational power of the snake assist? Write those things down in your tapping journal and continue tapping until you feel resolution.
What is it you are really ordering when you go to a restaurant? Do you order food or are you ordering comfort? Many people who struggle with weight are ordering comfort. They are not thinking about how they will feel nourished. They are not thinking about how they will feel healthier.
Setup (Karate Chop Point) – When I go to a restaurant, I don’t really order food, I order comfort. I think about how I will feel more than how it will nourish my body. I am pretty sure I would be healthier if I thought about nourishment when eating and thought about comfort when I am doing other things. Even though I have food and comfort somehow confused, I love and accept myself and am thankful that I am finally getting some clarity about this issue. It seems that I have confused food and comfort in the past; however, I am excited about a new way of thinking about this. Even though I have confused food and comfort in the past, and I am feeling just a little stubborn about giving it up, I love and accept myself anyway.
Eyebrow…I need comfort
Side of Eye…And I do it with food
Under the Eye…I have confused food with comfort
Under the Nose…And I would like to find a way to deal with that
Chin…I want comfort
Collarbone…I haven’t been good about getting it except through food
Under the Arm…I want that to change
Top of Head…This need to get comfort through food
Eyebrow…I have a need to get comfort through food
Side of Eye…Even though I want comfort
Under the Eye…I choose to let food be food
Under the Nose…It is ok to enjoy it
Chin…But it doesn’t – CAN’T – fill up the empty spot inside of me
Collarbone…It is ok to want comfort
Under the Arm…It is ok to like food
Top of Head…I choose to seek other ways to get comfort in my life
BONUS TAPPING: Begin tapping on the spots. Repeat the word “failure” aloud. Continue tapping while focusing on the thoughts and feelings associated with failure as it relates to your eating habits.
When I put
out a survey a while back I asked whether you wanted a tapping exercise about
the cardinal or about the rabbit. The
survey was a tie, and I already gave you the one about the cardinal. Today we will consider the rabbit.
I’d love to do some tapping videos about animals you are interested in. Let me know what you would like to see next.
What are tappable offenses? While calling it that may not sound particularly kind or loving, I want to catch myself in tappable offenses, defined as those things I say to myself that limit who I am or what I can be. A tappable offense almost always begins with the words “I am” or “I am not.” These words have amazing power and work at the subconscious level, which is estimated to be somewhere between 80-95% of all of the processing that goes on in our brains.
The term tappable offense doesn’t feel negative to me. It acknowledges that I have said something to or about myself that is “offensive” and that it is tappable. That means that I can do something about it. It is also very positive when I can actually catch them rather than let those negative limiting beliefs run unchecked through my subconsious for very long.
Once I noticed how often I do this, I decided to make a list (in my tapping journal) and wanted to share a few of them with you to inspire you on your own transformational journey.
I am too old
I am not a technie
I am stupid
I am an introvert so I can’t do that
I am not wealthy
I am tired
I am not pretty
I am not fast (related to swimming)
I am too fat
I am lazy
I am too short
I am stuck in my job
I am never going to achieve my goals
I am too anxious to put myself out there
I am unlovable
That list was generated with negative self-statements I made within just 2 short days about myself. I am often able to devise a counterargument for some of them pretty quickly. However, the fact that the statements showed up means that on some level they are true for me at least some of the time.
In their present form, they represent wonderful problem statements, aka most pressing issue (MPI) to start of some rounds of tapping. Make a list of your own, and write it down WITHOUT JUDGING. Then make 3 columns. In one column write down all of the proof that your problem statement is true. Include past experiences that you believe support this position. Then in the second column write down all of the evidence, including experiences, in which this problem was not true. If you are like most people the second list will be shorter than the first.
In the third column, write down all of the thoughts, feelings, and experiences that you would like to have that could prove that the MPI is untrue in the future. Describe your hopes and desires for how you might handle any of the past situations if they would happen again in the future (words like grace and dignity popped into my mind). Then, start tapping.
You can make your setup statement by tapping on the karate chop point and stating your problem statement, followed by the words “I deeply and completely love and accept myself” or “I am open to new thoughts, feelings, and experiences.” After you have done that 3 times while tapping on the karate chop point you can begin the tapping rounds.
You can use the things in the first column of your list as you tap through the points as many times as it takes for the problem statement to start feeling less true. Then alternate the first and second column “proof” as you continue to tap through the points. Once you are pretty sure that you have erased this issue from your negative and limiting beliefs library, tap through the points again using the things that you wrote in column three.
I plan to put together some videos that address some of the issues I included earlier on my list soon. If you have specific issues you would like to have a tapping script for, just ask. Stay tuned.
