Sit comfortably. Check in with yourself and determine on a scale from 0 to 10, ten being the most intense and 0 being nothing at all, how much discomfort you have. This is called the SUDS level. SUDS stands for The subjective units of disturbance scale. Notice the location, the size and the shape of the pain. Choose a number from 0 to 10 that represents the intensity of the pain as you experience it right now. If the pain inhibits your movement, without hurting yourself, check to see the SUDS level when moving. Remember this number as your beginning SUDS level for your pain. You will know EFT is working because the number will go down after a round or more of EFT. When you are asked to access your SUDS check in on the location, size and shape of the pain to tell if it has shifted at all. And test it by moving your body, if you like, because EFT will sometimes also effect the range or motion or the ability to move comfortably and freely, as well.
The first part of EFT is the Set up phase. This phrase is called the set up phrase because it sets up and aligns your conscious and unconscious to overcome psychological reversal, or the experience of being in conflict with yourself. State the set up phrase aloud three times. You will fill in the blank with whatever issue you want to focus on with EFT. Specify the type of pain you have when your fill in the blank for the set up phrase. The phrase is: Even though I _____, I deeply and completely accept myself. For example: Even though I have this sore shoulder, I deeply and completely accept myself. Or even though I have this headache, I deeply and completely accept myself. Or even though I have this itching poison oak, I deeply and completely accept myself.
Now say the phrase aloud for yourself and fill in the blank with your type of pain: Even though I have this ———- I deeply and completely accept myself.
Using your pointer and middle finger on your dominate hand you will begin tapping the karate chop point on your sub-dominate hand. The karate chop is in the middle of the fleshy area on the outside of your palm between your pinky finger and the wrist.
While you continuously tap on the karate chop meridian, say the set up statement aloud three times… Tap and say it now.
The second part of the of EFT process is the tapping procedure.
Using those same two fingers on your dominate hand, tap with a moderate speed and intensity of pressure, about seven times on the inside of one of your eyebrows, right where your eyebrow begins close to your nose. While you tap and say, aloud, one time, This____pain.” Be specific like ” This headache pain”, or “This shoulder pain”. Each time you tap on a new meredian, say the short statement aloud one time.
Now, in the same way, tap on the side eye. Remember to say the short statement.
Now tap under your eye. Now tap under your nose.
Now tap under your mouth between your lower lip and your chin.
Now tap on your collar bone towards the middle on either side at the base of your neck.
Now tap under your arm, about four inches below your arm pit.
Now tap on the outside of your thumb where the flesh of the thumb and the nail come together.
Now tap on the pointer finger where the nail and flesh of the finger come together.
Now tap the middle finger, the same place, skip ring finger and then tap on the same area between the finger and the nail, on your pinky finger and say your statement aloud, one time. Did you say the short statement one time while tapping on each mereidan?
Tune into your pain. What number represents the intensity of how much intensity you feel now?
The number will usually be lower. Keep this SUDS number in mind.
Now you will learn the third part of EFT, the Nine gamut process. It is called the nine gamut because you will do a sequence of nine activities in the process. This part of EFT balances your brain.
Remember that you skipped tapping on the ring finger a few moment ago? Now you will tap on the meridian connected to that finger but you will tap on the back of the hand on the “nine gamet spot” which is on the fleshy area on the back of your hand between your pinky and ring finger tendons. Continuously tap on this meridian and think about the pain. Now while you tap, look straight ahead. Close your eyes. Open your eyes. Keep tapping. Keeping your head stationary move your eyes down hard right to the floor. Now move them down to the floor, hard left. Now circle your eyes to the right, all the way around…. and circle your eyes to the left, all the way around. Keep tapping through this whole process.
Now you will activate your right brain functioning by humming a little bit of a song that you know. Let’s use a simple one like Row Row Row your Boat. Ready.. keep tapping and hum with me. Hum.
Now count to five aloud, quickly. Now hum again…. Now stop tapping and relax. What is your SUDS level now? You can test the SUDS level by moving your body with care. Don’t push yourself or your limits when you test the SUDS.
In the fourth and last phase of a round of EFT, repeat the original sequence of tapping and say the short phrase one time for each meridian.
Now tap the inside of the eyebrow, and say your phrase, aloud.
Tap the side of your eye. Now under your eye, Under your nose. Under your mouth, The collarbone, Under the arm.
Now tap the thumb meridian, the pointer finger, the middle finger skip the ring finger and tap on the pinky. End by tapping the karate chop. Check your SUDS level. You have just completed a full round of EFT.
Repeat the four phases of EFT in the second round of EFT following the same protocol. Only this time you will slightly change your phrasing, acknowledging the shifts. For the set up phrase, you will tap the karate chop continuously and say three times. “Even though I still feel this (fill in the blank)_______pain, I deeply and completely accept myself.
And while tapping on the sequence of meridians, , say, Remaining (fill in the blank)_______pain.
A reminder that a full round of EFT includes:
Getting the Suds level.
Speaking aloud the Set UP Phrase three times while continuously tapping the karate point.
The Tapping sequence, which always includes saying the short statement one time for each meridian.
The Nine Gamut.
The Tapping Sequence.
End with the checking the SUDS level.
Keep repeating this sequence until your SUDS is at a 0 or a tolerable level so you are free to go about your day and activities more comfortably. While you tap, you will most likely notice that the issue changes from pain to an emotional aspect of the issue. For instance, pain could turn to anxiety or to sadness or to hopelessness. Pay attention to your feelings, and your state of being and if the focus of your experience shifts, simply go with the new aspect and create a new set up phrasae. You can stop in the middle of the tapping sequence and start again with the new set up like… “Even though I feel anger that I live in pain, I deeply and completely accept myself, Or even though I feel depleted and exhausted from so much pain… Or even though I feel sad that I lost my old life because I live in pain….. ….” Be honest with yourself and audacious and go with whatever aspects come up. Following the aspects is the art of EFT and will push your success rate up the percentage scale.
Instead of using a basic set up like “this pain”, you can state more elaborate phrases that capture more of the subtleties of your experience, such as ” Even though this shoulder pain is driving me crazy… I still deeply and completely accept myself.” Or, “Even though I resent that I can’t ride my bike anymore because of this knee pain …”. Or “Even though I am worried that I will never be pain-free….” Be honest with your feelings and concerns and tap on those.
The EFT process will organically bring to the surface the deeper issues around the pain. Keep tapping and clearing the feelings and issues as they emerge.
What can I do if the SUDS does not go down? Focus on the pain and ask yourself, “what emotion do I associate with this pain?” Get the SUDS level on the emotion and tap on it. For example: “Even though I have this anger in my back pain, I deeply and completely accept myself.” Or “Even though I carry this grief in my jaw pain, I deeply and completely accept myself.”
How long of an EFT session is effective? Tap until you feel the pain subside or at least until you feel more relaxed. Periodically, during the day, when you can take the time, tap on any related issues that are emerging around your stresses and daily routine. It is really important to tap out any triggers that in the past would have caused you tense up with stress or worry. Stress contributes to physical and emotional pain. Don’t limit this tapping process for physical pain.
There are shortcuts to using EFT that you may use as long as the SUDS level is going down.
One short cut is to eliminate the nine gamut. You can always add it in again if your progress slows down.
You can successfully use EFT on habits, low energy, phobias, anxiety, grief, guilt, and negative thoughts and beliefs. You can apply EFT to anything and everything. For more training and support on using EFT contact HCH about our classes, and low-fee clinic. You can also download the EFT manual for free on the EFT web site.
And remember to keep tapping. EFT will help you only if you use it.
