Tapping: The healing touch
As you may know, I have been studying to become a certified yoga therapist with the International Association of Yoga Therapist (IAYT). As part of my practicum, I am required to teach a series of yoga therapy classes.
I introduced one tool, “tapping,” or EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) last week to both of my current group classes. Tapping has proven results to reduce stress, lower cortisol, improve sleep, reduce anxiety, relieve pain, increase productivity, and much more. Tapping puts the body back into the parasympathetic (rest and relaxation) nervous system. The is allows the immune system, digestive system, reproductive system, and endocrine system to function as they should. It is powerful holistic healing technique that resolves a range of issues. Tapping is based on the combined principles of ancient Chinese acupressure and modern psychology.
The basic tapping technique requires you to focus on a negative emotion coupled with a positive counter thought. The negative can be a fear, a worry, a bad memory, or any unresolved problem. A sample saying may be something like this: “Even though I have this (issue), I deeply and completely accept myself. Tapping on these nine meridian endpoints, while addressing the root cause of distress, sends a calming signal to the brain. This allows you to feel relaxed and in control. A landmark study published in 2012 in the prestigious Journal of Nervous and Mental Disease found that EFT Tapping lowered cortisol significantly more than traditional talk therapy or resting, lowering the stress hormone cortisol by 43%.
I met with all the participants individually before the group class in order to conduct an initial assessment. Through the process I learned that one participant had been utilizing the benefits of tapping. The other day, as I was teaching tapping in my yoga-therapy-for-stress class and touting the positive effects of EFT. One student looked at me as if to say, what exactly is this, and I could tell she had no use for the tool. I said, “I know one participant here has done some tapping--would they like to share their experience?” I could not have asked for a better testimonial. The student said something like, “I went to a workshop on tapping 10 years ago and learned about the technique, but it didn’t resonate with me. Then about eight months ago, I started tapping, and I am absolutely amazed at how much it has calmed my nervous system.”
She continued to praise the positive effects of tapping. Of course, as the teacher, I had to say that I didn’t pay for that testimonial. We continued to tap, and as we got to a point under the eye which corresponds to the stomach meridian, my student politely asked, “Would it be okay if I added something?” I enthusiastically said yes to that, and she said, “If you ever have a stomachache, digestive issues, try tapping here, just tap here, and it goes away.” I promised again that I hadn’t paid her.
If you are interested in learning how to tap, check out the Tapping Solution YouTube page and try a few rounds of tapping. The tapping points are easy to pick up and can be done seated. There is also a Tapping Solution App you can download to your phone or iPad that has some free tapping meditations and to unlock hundreds more tapping meditations, a paid subscription is available. On the app you rate your feelings before and after the session, which helps you track your progress.
If you are in the El Paso area and wish to participate in future yoga therapy workshops for anxiety and stress or insomnia, please do not hesitate to drop me a line at ashton@ashtoncannon.com
Ashton Graham is an educator, book publisher, photographer, cowgirl and yoga teacher. She is currently studying to become a yoga therapist and lives on a ranch in West Texas. Visit ashtoncannon.com to learn more.
Read more Maintaining Balance:
This article originally appeared on Las Cruces Sun-News: Tapping: The healing touch
