If you said "yes!" to all of the above, you are part of a rare minority practicing good physical and emotional hygiene. If you answered "no” to the last question, you have a lot to look forward to.

Tapping refers to two revolutionary techniques in the fields of personal growth and psychotherapy, Thought Field Therapy (TFT) and the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT.) TFT was developed by an innovative psychologist, Roger Callahan, PhD. While treating a patient with a severe phobia of water, Dr. Callahan discovered that tapping on specific sequences of points on the acupuncture meridians rapidly relieved fears, blocks, angers, guilt, upsets, traumas, self-sabotage, addictive cravings, etc. He followed up this discovery with years of research, and created the system now known as Thought Field Therapy.

TFT is amazingly effective, but can be somewhat complex to learn and apply. Enter Gary Craig. With an engineering background, Craig looked at Callahan's TFT system and wondered if there was a way to create a simpler, easier to learn system. After conducting his own research, he developed the Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), the 'user-friendly' version of Thought Field Therapy.

Most of us take very good care of our faces, our mouths and our bodies. But how many of us take good care of our emotional body? We slather ourselves with suds, dowse ourselves with deodorants, and wash our mouths out with mouthwash, to prevent bad breath and body odor. But we have become all too willing to accept and live with ‘stinky’ emotions, whether in others or ourselves. (You know what I mean: those people with destructive anger or guilt, those living in abusive relationships, with ‘toxic’ shame, deep-seated fears and resentments, chronic anxieties or dark depression, etc.) And we walk around, pretending not to notice the naked Emperors all around us.

We all sweat. We all get dirty. We all get bad breath (if we don’t brush our teeth.) And so we need to wash and brush and floss every day. Every day there are mistakes, accidents and screw-ups. Every day people push our buttons. Stress happens. So, every day we need to do something to release that stress, resolve triggered emotions, and restore ourselves to balance and well-being.

What to do with our feelings?
Feelings are valuable feedback. Feelings are meant to be felt. Once felt and acknowledged, we can use them as valuable input, learn from them, and move on. For many of us, however, feelings hang on like storm clouds in Seattle, for days and weeks and months. Then we feel sticky; we become 'emotionally constipated;’ we pile up our secret storehouse of hurt, fear, anger, guilt and resentment. Sooner or later, these spill over to our relationships, hurting the ones we love. Or, they might erupt within our bodies, as cancers and skin disorders and heart attacks and other psycho-somatic dis-eases.

How can we deal with our feelings consciously and healthily? There are many ways. These include talking it out with a friend or counselor, journaling, directly expressing our thoughts and feelings, pounding pillows and crying, etc. Although these methods may help us feel good and serve to release feelings, they often do not resolve our feelings. And this is where tapping comes in.

Tapping (EFT & TFT) does several things. It desensitizes the emotion and the sense of being emotionally overwhelmed. It stimulates the flow of chi (energy) in the meridians, and balances our whole subtle energetic system. It releases endorphins, our own natural feel-good chemicals, and triggers the relaxation response. (Just as we have a fight or flight response, which gets us uptight and stressed out, so we also have a relaxation response, which relaxes and renews and rejuvenates us.) It releases tension and locked-up energy in the muscles and tissues. It triggers profound energetic, perceptual and cognitive shifts so that we start seeing, thinking and feeling differently. It shifts our neurophysiology, and leaves us feeling calm, relaxed, whole, peaceful and happy.

What is EFT good for?
EFT is used to relieve fear, blocks, upset, trauma, and any kind of stress or emotional baggage. It can help relieve aches, pains, tensions, headaches, PMS, and menstrual cramps. It may assist people in overcoming food cravings (including cravings for cookies and chocolate!) and drug addictions, as well as allergies and sensitivities. On the positive side, people who use EFT may achieve better grades and test (and golf and tennis) scores. EFT may help improve academic, athletic and musical performance. It can enhance self-confidence and self-esteem, and create superior physical and emotional health and deep well-being. The uses of EFT are as varied and creative as the humans who use it.