Tag: Tapping

I Feel So Overwhelmed

Its embarrassing to admit this, but sometimes I feel so overwhelmed that I forget to tap.  I hate it when I suddenly, after way too much angst, think about tapping.  Here is a short tapping exercise to get you started when you find yourself doing the same thing.

Say this statement aloud, “I feel overwhelmed.”  Rate the intensity or truth of the statement on a 0-10 scale where 10 is very true.  Write the number down for later.

Repeat this setup statement three times while tapping on the karate chop point.  “Even though I feel overwhelmed right now, and that’s my excuse for not tapping, I deeply and completely love and accept myself and all of my feelings — even my excuses.

Begin tapping, using a different reminder phrase at each of the tapping points.

Eyebrow…I feel overwhelmed

Side of Eye…So I can’t tap

Under the Eye…I feel overwhelmed

Under the Nose…I feel so overwhelmed that I can’t even do anything

Chin…I can’t even tap because I’m so overwhelmed

Collarbone…I feel overwhelmed

Under the Arm…I AM overwhelmed

Top of Head…You would be too if you were me

Eyebrow…I have good reasons to feel overwhelmed

Side of Eye…I am overwhelmed

Under the Eye…So it’s okay if I’m stuck

Under the Nose…Well, maybe its not ok with me

Chin…Tapping is pretty easy

Collarbone…I could probably tap, even though I’m so overwhelmed

Under the Arm…And I feel pretty good after I tap

Top of Head…It just might work

Take a deep breath and say the original statement again, “I feel overwhelmed.”  Rate it on the 0-10 scale.  Was there any change?  If your new rating is above a 3, continue tapping with the statements above or use your own words about what you are feeling until the intensity or truth of the statement comes down.

Tapping Exercise – Head in the Sand

Do you have a tendency to bury your head in the sand and try to ignore problems?  If so, this tapping exercise from my upcoming book Unleash Your Primal Power: Totem Tapping for Health and Happiness might be just what you need to get started on a path of managing things more directly.

Begin tapping on the karate chop spot and use these words as your setup:  Even though I would rather play the ostrich and stick my head in the sand, I deeply love and accept myself.  Even though it feels like it would be easier to ignore my problems and hope they will go away on their own, I love, accept, and forgive myself.  Even though I would prefer not to see the problem so that I don’t have to do anything about it, I accept the reality of my situation and accept all of me.

Eyebrow…Playing ostrich

Side of Eye…Sticking my head in the sand

Under the Eye…Playing ostrich

Nose…Ignoring my problems

Chin…Playing ostrich

Collarbone…Hoping these problems will magically disappear

Under the Arm…Playing ostrich

Top of Head…I don’t really want to deal with this

Eyebrow…Playing ostrich

Side of Eye…I know it doesn’t really work

Under the Eye…Playing ostrich

Nose…I have to pull my head out of the sand sometime

Chin…Playing ostrich

Collarbone…I might as well face it

Under the Arm…Playing ostrich

Top of Head…I can do it now

Take a deep breath and let it out.  Notice what you feel.  You are likely to need to repeat this several times or add your own words about playing ostrich and how it has shown up in your life.  Drop me a comment and let me know how it worked for you.

Happy Tapping.

Tao Te Ching – Verse 8

river flowing gently
SAMSUNG CSC

Take a look at this translation from Tao Te Ching: The Definitive Edition by Jonathan Star.

The best way to live is to be like water for water benefits all things and goes against none of them. It provides for all people and even cleanses those places a man is loath to go. In this way it is just like the Tao.

Live in accordance with the nature of things: Build your house on solid ground. Keep your mind still. When giving, be kind. When speaking, be truthful. When ruling, be just. When working, be one-pointed. When acting, remember – timing is everything.

One who lives in accordance with nature does not go against the way of things. He moves in harmony with the present moment always knowing the truth of just what to do.

In Dr. Wayne Dyer’s book Change Your Thoughts Change Your Life: Living the Wisdom of the Tao he offers this translation of the same verse:

The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to. It flows to low places loathed by all men. Therefore it is like the Tao.

Live in accordance with the nature of things. In dwelling, be close to the land. In meditation, go deep in the heart. In dealing with others, be gentle and kind. Stand by your word. Govern with equity. Be timely in choosing the right moment.

One who lives in accordance with nture does not go against the way of things. He moves in harmony with the present moment, always knowing the truth of just what to do.

A few things stood out for me when reading these two translations.

  • Let it be easy
  • Good things are for everyone, not just the people I like or the people who are like me
  • Your word, what you say, is a representation of who you are
  • Some things may be right, but this may not be the right time
  • Stop trying to force things to happen
  • Be who you are. Don’t try to be somebody else
  • I have an inner knowing and I need to follow it

These are not necessarily things that are easy to grasp, easy to implement, or comfortable to contemplate. That is where tapping can be a big benefit.  We can tap to minimize resistance. We can tap on feeling uncomfortable. We can tap about specific incidents in which we failed miserably in these lofty goals. We can tap about our uncertaintly about whether we could every achieve such a state of enlightenment.

One of my favorite ways to get started when reading spiritual texts of any kind is to start tapping while I am reading it. I believe that it helps with understanding and begins to melt away resistance. When I tap while reading I also seem to be more alert to changes in my body that can signal that a particular passage requires a deeper investigation or has particular applicability for my life.

Try it.  Pick one or both of the translations about and just start your tapping. Switch to a different tapping spot whenever you feel like it. Notice what you are feeling. If you want, you can stop to jot down some notes any time you feel moved to do so. Then, resume your tapping when you are done.

As always, tapping that includes your own words, thoughts, and experiences will be the most beneficial.

Happy Tapping.

Lack of Success Does Not = Failure

If you perceive all instances where you were not successful as failure, you are probably pretty miserable. Most people do not get something right the first time.  Most people do not evey get it all right the second time.  Do you think that Edison invented the light bulb on his first try? If he had decided not to try to second, third, and hundredth time because he had “failed” we would all still be living in the dark.

It is not true that not trying protects you from failure either.  Not trying could be perceived as failure.  Further, there is no truth to the belief that failure leads to embarrassment. It is time to challenge that automatic thought.

Tapping is a great tool to use to change this type of thinking.

Say the following statement aloud. “If I don’t try, I don’t risk the embarrassment of failure.” Rate how true you believe this statement is on a 0-10 scale where 10 = completely true, and write it down.

Repeat this statement three times while tapping gently on the karate chop point. “Even though I believe I can avoid the embarrassment of failure by not trying anything – I choose to love, forgive, and accept myself and all of my limiting beliefs.”

Start tapping:

Eyebrow – I don’t want to feel embarrassed

Side of Eye – And I will feel embarrassed if I fail

Under the Eye – So I keep myself safe by not trying at all

Nose – But it doesn’t really keep me safe

Chin – And it doesn’t avoid failure

Collarbone – And I am embarrassed anyway

Under the Arm – I believe I will fail

Top of Head – I know I will fail

Eyebrow – I can predict the future

Side of Eye – My failure is certain

Under the Eye – My failure is absolute

Nose – No it’s not!

Chin – Not trying is failure too

Collarbone – It is safe to try

Under the Arm – I can be successful

Top of Head – I KNOW I can take risks and succeed

Take a deep breath and check the intensity of your original statement. “If I don’t try, I don’t risk the embarrassment of failure.” Rate the truth of the statement again on the 0-10 scale.  Continue tapping with these or similar statements until your rating is quite low (below 3).

What happens inside you when you think about the number of times you have “failed” at something before? Is it a negative feeling? Is it a positive feeling? Is it neutral? My hope for you is that it is either neutral or positive, but I suspect you will really feel more negative.  I know that my response is usually negative.

So you have “failed”. I say GOOD!  That means you have tried something.  Do you have a number in your head for how many times it is okay to fail at something before you should give up?  Is that number the same as the number of times that you think it is okay for other people to try something before they give up?  If there is a difference, try to understand why.  It will likely be another belief that you will want to tap on in the future.  Be sure to write it down in your tapping journal for later if you don’t have time right now.

Happy Tapping.

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.