What tapping is and how it works

Tapping, or EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), is a self-support technique: you tap lightly with your fingertips on certain points of the face and body while saying what is troubling you and speaking words of support to yourself.

Where tapping comes from

Traditional Chinese medicine links the tapping points to the meridians. The modern form of EFT was introduced by Gary Craig in the 1990s, and many practitioners have popularised it since, including the Ortner family in their book «Rewired».

How it works

When we recall an anxious situation, the body reacts as if the danger were happening right now. Tapping combines two things: you honestly name what you feel, and at the same time you give your body a gentle calming signal. This experience can help the brain gradually learn to meet anxious thoughts and memories with less tension. The memory stays, but its emotional charge changes.

The main points

• side of the hand (the «karate chop» point)
• start of the eyebrow
• side of the eye
• under the eye
• under the nose
• chin
• collarbone
• under the arm
• top of the head

What one practice looks like

1. Decide what exactly is bothering you: a situation, a thought, an emotion or a sensation in your body.
2. Tapping the side of your hand, say a setup statement: «Even though I feel [this], I accept myself».
3. Move through the points, saying a short phrase about what you feel on each one.
4. In the next rounds, move on to phrases about safety and new possibilities.
5. Take a breath and notice what has changed.

What to expect

Some people feel relief after the very first time; for others it takes regular practice. Tears, yawning or sighing during a practice are normal — it is how the body lets tension go. Tapping is self-support, not treatment: if things feel very hard, please talk to a professional.