A Spiritually Enlightening Online Magazine.     March Theme: "In Touch"     Volume 1 Issue 3     ISSN# 1708-3265

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EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique), developed by Gary Craig, is one of the new Meridian Therapies using traditional Chinese acupuncture meridians. It uses "tapping" on a specific set of acupuncture points, rather than needles or pressure.

The theory underlying all Meridian Therapies is "the cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body's energy system."

In EFT, you tap on specific points while keeping the problem in mind, thus disconnecting or clearing the negative emotions from the body; often in a rapid and dramatic way.

EFT is easily adapted to remote or proxy (surrogate) use. You can apply it not only to yourself, but also to your animal companions. Let's learn the short human technique.

First, bring the problem to mind. If it is a large or deep-seated problem, such as a phobia, it's best to focus on one very specific aspect at a time. A big issue like "fear" is not specific enough. Select just one aspect or incident, such as "I am afraid to go down stairs at night."

Now, focus on this aspect in your mind.

Next, assess the level or intensity of the problem. Decide where, on a scale of 1 to 10, the problem exists. For example, you may have a "7 out of 10" headache.

In people, there are often hidden rewards for behaviours or illnesses; rewards which may not even be consciously known. In order to remove these potential blocks, EFT uses a "set-up" statement, phrased this way:

"Even though I have this (state your problem), I deeply and completely accept (love, forgive) myself."

Lightly rub the flat of your hand in a small circular motion around the "sore spot" (see illustration) while repeating the set-up statement.

There are 13 points in the full EFT protocol, but this shortcut using 7 key points will work for most issues. At each tapping point, you'll repeat a key phrase summarizing the problem in your mind, such as "this headache."

A "reminder phrase" keeps the problem in the forefront of your mind and establishes the connection to the physical body.

While tapping, say the reminder phrase once at each point. Tap gently with 1-3 fingers, about 5-10 times, on the following spots (either side is fine):

• Eyebrow - At the start of the eyebrow, upper inside edge of the eye socket.
• Corner of Eye - At the outer corner of your eye.
• Under Eye - Just below your eye, directly below the pupil if you are looking straight ahead.
• Under Nose - The indentation between your nose and upper lip.
• Chin - The crease between your chin and your lower lip.
• Collarbone (Thymus) - Using your knuckles, rap on the top of the sternum (breastbone), which is over the thymus gland.
• Under Arm - This point (not shown) is generally in line with a man's nipples on the side of the body; somewhat lower and toward the back for a woman (usually under the bra line). This point will often be very tender, so go easy! It may be easier to rap this point with the side of the hand on the same side, or to reach around to the opposite side with your fingertips. Do whichever is easiest for you!

Tap firmly, but gently. You may be doing multiple rounds of tapping on an issue, so be kind to yourself.

After completing the tapping sequence, take a deep breath, and reassess your discomfort intensity level. Usually, the problem will be much reduced or completely gone. If the level is lower, but not zero, reformulate your set-up phrase with slightly different words, such as "this remaining headache," and tap again.

Minor problems can usually be cleared up with 1 or 2 rounds of tapping. EFT can be used for any physical, mental or emotional problem.

Doing EFT on Animals

When you're doing EFT for an animal, you don't tap on the animal. While animals do have meridians and points, these vary among species. Instead, use 'surrogate tapping'.

When you focus your attention on an animal, you connect your individual energy systems together. When you then focus your attention on a specific aspect of their energy system, and you change your system by tapping, you are also changing the animal's system through the connection. You tap on yourself to create changes in the animal. Here's how:

First, focus on the animal and create a phrase, which describes the problem. For instance, "Max jumps up on everyone," or "Fluffy won't use the litter box."

Next, insert the problem statement into your set-up phrase: "Even though (Max) (jumps up on everyone), I deeply and completely love, accept, and forgive (him)." Repeat the set-up phrase three times while rubbing the Sore Spot. Then repeat your reminder phrase (i.e., "Max jumping") at each tapping point in the sequence. Take a deep breath.

You can repeat the treatment with different set-up and reminder phrases. As you work, you'll find your intuition will suggest different ways of wording the problem, or bring up other aspects. Feel free to experiment! For chronic problems, many rounds over time, exploring different aspects, may be needed.

EFT can be applied to any kind of physical or emotional problems. For example, aspects a guardian might work with for a cat spraying indoors could include:

"Even though Fluffy feels a need to spray, I deeply and completely love and accept him."

"Even though Fluffy wants to mark his territory…"

"Even though I get upset when Fluffy sprays…" (This and similar aspects address your emotional issues, which can add to a problem by increasing the overall stress both you and the animal may be feeling).

Try EFT on everything - you'll be absolutely amazed how well it works!



Dr. Jean Hofve has been a holistic veterinarian for more than 9 years. She founded SpiritEssence in 1995, which remains the only line of essence formulas for animals created by a veterinarian. Dr. Hofve does health, nutrition, and behavior consultations through www.littlebigcat.com.

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