9 Easy Steps to Help You Practice Tapping

Written by Alexandra Kafka, Urban Yoga Lab’s founder.

Why tapping is necessary?

So much of the time, we feel like we have little control over our negative emotions and consequently over our own lives. In fact, there are times we wish there was a magic tool that would help us to face our vulnerabilities and fears at the very same moment they seem to appear.

You might have noticed how intense can be the consequences of our mindless and automatic behaviours every time we are sad, angry, stressed, or frustrated. Is there any way out of this repetitive self-harm? How can we escape from these patterns that we might have been trapped with for years?

This takes us to ‘Tapping’ or the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT Tapping). Tapping Therapy has its origins in traditional Chinese medicine, aiming to harness the body’s natural energy or chi. The practice is connected to the 100 meridian Chinese philosophy points that correspond to 100 key points of vitality in the human body. These points, when activated, create a whole network of channels through which human energy circulates. Unblocking our energy channels and accessing these unused sources whenever we need them can lead us to a much happier and more-balanced life.

Can EFT tapping help with anxiety? How long does it take for tapping therapy to work? Can tapping help you sleep? We gathered everything for you!

How does the tapping therapy work?

At first, all you need to do is focus your attention on the negative emotion you might be experiencing (read our blog post about How to Make Peace With Your Difficult Emotions). This might be a stressful event, a bad memory, an unresolved issue, difficulty dealing with a certain issue, and so on. Next, while keeping your focus on this challenging emotion, you need to use your fingertips to tap 5-7 times on 12 out of the 100 body’s meridian points.

How to get started?

• Before you start your EFT Tapping practice, acknowledge the issue that you find challenging and put your whole focus on it. At this point, it is recommended to give a rating to the intensity of the feeling on a scale from 1 to 10.
• Now, create your own setup statement. This statement should include acknowledging the issue you experience, then follow with a short sentence related to an unconditional affirmation of yourself as a person. For instance, “Even though I have this problem (e.g., anger), I deeply and completely accept myself as I am.”
• Perform the setup statement starting from the Karate Chop point on your left hand (the Karate Chop point is located on the opposite side of the thumb). Take the four fingers (starting with your index and middle fingers) of your right hand and tap firmly but gently on your Karate Chop point at the outer edge of your left hand.
• Next, repeat the setup statement three times aloud, whilst tapping the Karate Chop point. Then, take a deep breath.
• Finally, tap 5-7 times on each of the remaining eight points in the following sequence:

Step-by-Step Tapping Procedure

1. Head (TH): The crown, centre, and top of the head. Tap with all four fingers on both hands.
2. Eyebrow (EB): The inner edges of the eyebrows, closest to the bridge of the nose. Use two fingers for this.
3. Side of eye (SE): The hard area between the eye and the temple. Use two fingers and touch this area gently, so you do not poke yourself in the eye!
4. Under eye (UE): The hard area under the eye where it merges with the cheekbone. Use two fingers in line beneath the pupil.
5. Under nose (UN): The point centred between the bottom of the nose and the upper lip. Use two fingers.
6. Chin: This point is right beneath the previous one and is centred between the bottom of the lower lip and the chin.
7. Collarbone (CB): Tap just below the hard ridge of your collarbone with four fingers.
8. Underarm (UA): On your side, about four inches beneath the armpit. Use four fingers.
9. Head (TH): And back to where you started, to complete the sequence.

Tips:

While you tap on each meridian point, it is recommended to repeat a simple reminder phrase, such as “my anxiety”, “my interview,” or “my financial situation.”

Take another deep breath and check how intense the anxiety is in comparison to a few minutes ago? At this point it is recommended to give a rating on the same scale you did before, i.e., 1-10.

In case the challenging emotion’s intensity is still higher than 2, it is suggested to do another round of tapping. Keep doing this tapping therapy until the anxiety is gone.

Make sure to go through Urban Yoga Lab’s services page and book a practice session with one of our many experts!