TAPPING SOLUTION Flashcards
What are the meridians?
Meridians are the basis of the ancient Chinese medical system of acupuncture.
They are defined as energy channels that carry the vital life force, or qi, to the organs and other systems of the body.
Running up and down either side of the body, each meridian is associated with a different organ:
stomach, gallbladder, kidney, and so on.
What’s the so-called “endpoint” of each meridian?
Each meridian has what’s called an “endpoint,” a specific location on the surface of the body where you can access the energy channel.
This point can be manipulated using acupuncture needles or simple touch (acupressure) to balance or unblock the energy flow through that particular meridian.
What is EFT?
“Emotional Freedom Techniques.”
The EFT sequence was designed to hit all the major meridian endpoints, regardless of the issue.
A man named Gary Craig, one of Dr. Callahan’s students, determined that the sequence of the tapping isn’t as important as simply doing the tapping. After learning and using Callahan’s algorithms, he created a single sequence, which is the basis of EFT.
Where does the stress response begin?
In the amygdala.
How does stress (internal & external) respond in your body?
Your adrenaline pumps, your muscles tense, and your blood pressure, heart rate, and blood sugar all rise to give you extra energy to meet the challenge.
The ongoing fight-or-flight response leaves us worn down, sick, upset, overweight, stressed out, and just generally unhappy with our life situations.
The stress response in the body takes the same form, whether the trigger is external or internal (a negative memory).
Note:
The body’s defense systems are turned on to support either fighting or fleeing from the danger. Daily life is filled with small fight-or-flight experiences and your body is preparing you to fight or flee.
Where can the amygdala be found?
The almond-shaped amygdala (the word comes from the Greek for “almond”) is one of the components of the limbic system, or midbrain.
The limbic system is the source of emotions and long-term memory, and it’s where negative experiences are encoded.
The amygdala has been called the body’s smoke detector. It signals the brain to mobilize the body in the fight-or-flight response.
What does tapping do?
Tapping on the meridian endpoints sends a calming response to the body.
The amygdala recognizes that it’s safe and turns off the alarm—deactivating the brain’s arousal pathways.
Tapping while experiencing—or discussing—a stressful event counteracts that stress and reprograms the hippocampus, which compares past threats with present signals and tells the amygdala whether or not the present signal is an actual threat.
What does the stimulation of meridians do?
Research at Harvard Medical School over the past decade has shown that stimulation of selected meridian acupoints decreases activity in the amygdala, hippocampus (another part of the limbic system), and other parts of the brain associated with fear.
How does tapping retrain the limbic system?
When you think of something that causes you anxiety or other uncomfortable feelings, the thought sets off the amygdala fire alarm.
Tapping as you trigger your fight-or-flight response sends the message that the amygdala can deactivate, even though the threatening thought is still present.
With repetition, the hippocampus gets the message: this thing that was previously filed as “dangerous” is not, in reality, a threat.
What is the hippocampus?
The hippocampus is the structure in the limbic system that controls contextual associations.
Name the eight steps of EFT tapping.
The Tapping Quick Reference Guide:
- Choose your Most Pressing Issue (MPI).
- Rate your MPI using the 0-to-10 SUDS.
- Craft a setup statement, using your MPI to fill in the blank:
Even though __________________, I deeply and completely accept myself. - Speak your setup statement three times while tapping on the karate chop point.
- Tap through the eight points in the EFT sequence while saying your reminder phrase out loud.
Tap five to seven times at each point, starting with the eyebrow and finishing at the top of the head. - Take a deep breath.
- Rate the intensity of your MPI using the 0-to-10 scale.
- Repeat, or move on to a different MPI.
How do you work with the Most Pressing Issue?
The MPI is the issue, problem, or challenge that dominates our mental and emotional space in the present.
Ask:
What am I most stressed or worried about?
What is bothering me the most right now?
What is the most pressing issue in my life?
Write the MPI down. Pick one to start with. Define it a little further.
Ask yourself deeper questions again and again to narrow down your specific feelings.
What does SUDS mean?
The Subjective Units of Distress Scale is a 0-to-10 scale where you level the distress the MRI brings up for you.
A 10 would be the most distress you can imagine;
a 0 rating would mean you don’t feel any distress at all.
How do you start with the basic setup statement?
The basic setup statement goes like this:
Even though ____________________ [fill in the blank with your MPI], I deeply and completely accept myself.
Once you have your setup statement, the tapping can begin.
You’ll start by saying it three times, all the while tapping on the karate chop point.
What is the reminder phrase?
The reminder phrase is short—just a couple of words and serves to keep your focus on the MPI so you don’t get distracted.
You will speak this phrase out loud at each of the eight points in the EFT sequence. For example, if your MPI has to do with the anger you feel, you might tap through each point in the sequence saying, “This anger … this anger … this anger …”
It also acts as a barometer, helping you determine along the way how true the MPI feels to you.
Once you get used to tapping, you can change your reminder phrase as you tap through each point.
