EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) Tapping for Mothers
Have you heard of Tapping yet? It’s also known as EFT: Emotional Freedom Technique.
You lightly tap certain points on your face and body to watch fears and anxiety disappear.
Sounds kind of woo-woo wacky, right? Read on…
I first heard about tapping when I watched a video about it by my business mentor Marie Forleo.
I found it fascinating but at the time I wasn’t experiencing any fears or anxiety, so I put it in my back pocket for another time.
Then a lovely Project Me follower, Diana Tower, got in touch to offer me a free Tapping for Mothers session via Skype. Diana specialises in helping overwhelmed, stressed out mamas clear their minds, get out of their own way and feel happier and calm. What I found particularly interesting is her ability to help mothers with fears and anxieties.
The timing was perfect. I had our annual family ski trip coming up and I knew I needed a strategy to help me cope.
Weirdly, my anxiety was getting worse every year and I risked passing on my fears to my kids as they witnessed me freeze up (and dissolve into tears) on the slopes.
We had our next ski trip to Switzerland in two weeks time and I suddenly decided NOW was the time to try this tapping thing!
And just one session was all I needed. It was some kind of small miracle.
After completing a pre-session survey, Diana had the information she needed to get started.
She advised me to have a box of tissues handy for when my emotions let loose, but nothing prepared me for how fast I’d turn into a blubbering mess!
She instinctively knew which questions to ask me to unearth my TRUE fears about skiing. Often it’s like peeling back an onion several layers until you get to the actual core of it all.
It turns out my fear of skiing was actually serving me an ulterior purpose.
With my eyes closed she guided me through the various tapping points on my face, chest and head. She gently asked me questions and once the floodgates opened I began putting two and two together about when these fears began and what they meant.
It all came out of me without even thinking about it. Soon instead of crying over skiing I was crying over how envious I was of my friend going to India every year during the same week as my ski trip. While I was suffering on cold icy slopes she was on warm sunny beach doing yoga!
Diana asked me how that made me feel.
Insanely jealous! Begrudging of my hubby who ‘makes me’ go skiing and doesn’t ‘let me’ do what I want to do.
Bingo. She switched tracks and began to explore my feelings of not getting to do what I want – and identifying what it is I do want.
It turns out I want desperately to go on a yoga retreat.
But I don’t ask for that because I feel too afraid to. I worry my husband will think I don’t want to be with him because I want to do something without him. (Well actually I’d love to go on a yoga retreat with him, but he’d hate that.)
Bingo! I have to go skiing because he wants me to enjoy skiing with him. But he would never go on a yoga holiday with me. Deep underlying resentment I was not even aware of which was manifesting itself into an actual fear of skiing.
The fear was serving me! It was my subconscious fighting for my right to do what I want to do.
Wow.
Next she guided me through tapping to give myself permission to ask for what I want. To find my voice and the right words to tell him how I feel in a way he will respect. Our marriage is so good that it seems I’m afraid to do something that will mess things up.
By this time I was full blown Ugly Crying.
But Diana tapped me out the other side and by the end of our session, I felt lighter. Like a huge load had been lifted.
I gave myself full permission to enjoy our family ski trip. I didn’t need to be afraid anymore.
And you know what? It was our best ski week ever. I felt confident. No more tears! I decided how long I wanted to ski each day and took a day off when visibility wasn’t good without feeling ashamed about it.
Now I’m looking for a great yoga retreat…. (I ran an amazing Project Me retreat in Ibiza, but it’s my turn to be the guest!)
What anxieties and fears are holding you back?
Tapping helps you to recognise what’s really behind it. Bringing it up to the surface means you can acknowledge it – then release it. That’s why it’s called Emotional FREEDOM Technique. It frees you up!
I tap on my own anytime I’m feeling stressed-out or anxious, and I now tap on my thymus gland every morning as a waking up ritual that sets me up for a great day ahead.
Update: Diana Tower is no longer offering 1:1 Tapping Consultations (boo hoo!), but here’s a link to the Marie Forleo video that first introduced me to EFT Tapping. It’s well worth a watch to learn this technique you can easily do on your own. Here’s a link to my own tapping video where I demonstrate Morning Thymus Tapping.
In the comments below, let Diana and I know what you think. Have you ever tried Tapping or is this the first you’ve heard of it? Which fears or anxieties would you like to be free from?
Photo credit: Kate Wares
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I’ve heard about tapping but hadn’t really understood what I’d use it for. Now I think I have a better idea and I’m very intrigued!
Thanks for sharing your inspirational story with us Kelly. I’ve never skied but if I decide to try it, I may need to book a session with Diana before I go because the thought of it terrifies me!
Whoopsie doodle…I meant to post a reply to your comment Samantha but ended up posting a new comment. (See below).
Cheers,
Diana
Hi Samantha,
Glad to hear Kelly’s post helped you see how you might use EFT. Tapping can be used for so many things that it can be difficult to explain and understand at times. I have heard of it being used for PTSD, stress, headaches and other physical pain, anxieties, fears and as a daily relaxation practice. It really is a “Jack of all trades” technique.
So many people are in your shoes too. When I ask people if they have tried EFT, my number one response is, “I’ve heard about tapping BUT…” fill in the blank.
…I’ve never tried it.
…I don’t feel comfortable doing it alone.
…I didn’t like the class/presenter/practitioner.
…I feel a bit weird about tapping my face and body.
As for figuring out how or when to use EFT, just think about any situation that your dread or makes you feel comfortable.
I use it before I have to make a stressful phone call, before I need to bring something up with my husband that might not go over well, and I especially use it when my son is having a tantrum and I am losing my sh*t!
I specialise in relationships (including the one you have with yourself) and it has been a huge help for me and the women I work with.
Maybe I’ll see you in Kelly’s “Back to Me” program and we can peel the onion a bit together. 😀
Cheers to your sanity!
Diana
Love this! Diana is AMAZING. I’m so glad I got to do a 1:1 session with her during the first edition of your Back to Me! Program. My session was equally intense and brought so much clarity. Looking forward to going through the program again!!! I need it!
Hey Patty,
I really enjoyed our session together from the previous program. We did have to crack out the kleenex a bit but it’s those kind of sessions that I live for.
Not to make people cry, but to touch on something that is deep inside someone and that is hurting them without them even registering it. We get so used to living with the way we feel, that we don’t even question it sometimes.
I’m looking forward to jumping into the new course in a couple weeks with a new set of mamas (and some returnees) and helping more wonderful ladies peel back the layers and shine a light on what is holding them back.
All the best,
Diana
I’m happy I also got to witness you shedding your fear of public speaking during our live tapping demo at the Project Me Ibiza Retreat. I was bawling my own eyes out as I watched the whole thing unravel. You’re amazing Patty!!!!! xoxo
Just wanted to say a big thank you to Kelly for sharing her perspective of our tapping session. It was an absolute pleasure working with you Kelly and seeing the shift in your mind and even your body was amazing.
As an EFT practitioner I have a unique perspective of a session. I absolutely love helping others dig deeper and look at issues that they might be too afraid to look at alone (like panic attacks about skiing in this case).
Thank you for allowing me to introduce your mama’s to the benefits and simplicity of EFT and I especially look forward to getting to know everyone that signs up for your “Back to School, Back to Me” Program.
I’ll see you on the inside Kelly…and I hope to meet many more of your fabulous readers. If everyone is as genuine, interesting and real as the women who did your last program, I know we are in for an amazing 4 weeks.
All the best,
Diana
Thank you Diana! Thanks to you, Tapping is now a part of my daily ritual and one of those tools I pull out of the bag anytime. I’m not sure what people think of me sometimes in my parked car, tapping away at my face…!
I’m excited to have you as part of my programme and I know you’ll open up this great technique to more and more women who need it.
Everyone should give Tapping a try! 🙂
I LOVED this post, Kelly! This sounds so fascinating and valuable to me even if I weren’t a mama! Your program is going to be ah-mazing. Diana, I’d love to stalk you a bit more. We seem to have similar gifts with different names! 🙂
I’m glad you loved it Gervase! And yes, do hook up with Diana. You two are both definitely gifted. x
Oooo, nothing makes me happier than a bit of internet stalking from a fellow mama…well…in a playful fun manner that is. Not in a creepy, close the curtains because you are camped outside my house right now with binoculars watching me type, sort of stalking.
Ooooo lookie here…your photo is a link to your website…just like my photo is a link to my website. *click*
OMG…I LOVE your site. I’m digging what you are putting out there lady. You are so right…similar gift different name/approach. 😀 Let’s chat sometime and take over the world!
[…] away any fears or anxieties that block you in achieving your goals. You’ll meet wonderful EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) practitioner Diana Tower who specialises in helping mothers to overcome these hurdles. She has […]
Oh my gosh, this couldn’t have come at a better time, Kelly and Diana!
Working out is my stress relief—if I don’t get to workout, I’m miserable. I feel grumpy, lethargic and irritable.
The bummer is, I’m having a hip replacement come this Christmas…so the method for maintaining my sanity has disappeared! (Yep you guessed it, I’m grumpy, lethargic an irritable, lol!)
I can’t simply go for a run anymore to relieve stress. I’ve tried meditating, but I’m so high energy I have a tough time staying still. (Yes, something else I need to work on.)
So I thought tapping would be great for me, because it’s physical. I can move while doing it.
This sounds awesome! Can’t wait 🙂
xx
Mariah
Wow – I know what an active mama you are Mariah and how your entire business is around fitness, so this is a true challenge for you on many levels.
Good for you for identifying that lack of working out = stress (+lethargy, bad moods) and for seeking out an alternative that can help combat this until you’re back into those running shoes again.
I’m happier than ever that you’re our guest fitness expert in my Back to ME! programme so you’ll be in the FB group and can benefit from Diana and her Tapping wisdom. I really think you’re going to love it!
See you inside… 🙂
Hi Marian,
That must be SO frustrating. To know that your primary form of stress relief is off the table. Uggg…I can just feel how much of a bummer that is for you from your writing.
I am thrilled to say that tapping could be the secret weapon against your perception of the situation though.
I am sure there are many other layers and beliefs lurking around in your coconut about this as well and you can use EFT to shine a light on them, tease out the roots and tap the crap out of them so you find acceptance and calm regarding the entire situation.
I’m sure that would allow you to shift your mindset and relieve some of the grumpy lethargic issues you mentioned.
Hell…you have a belief that is staring me in the face. “I have to exercise or else I will be grumpy, lethargic and irritable”.
You could explore that belief and see how you can shift it or make it not so cut and dry.
I totally hear you about meditating. I KNOW its good for me but I find it SUPER hard to just do nothing. Tapping, like you said, has the physical aspect to keep your hands busy while you send a signal to your brain that you are ok and that you can relax.
If you’d like help figuring out how to apply tapping to this situation just let me know. I’d be happy to show you how to peel the onion.
Cheers,
Diana
That photo’less Diana is me. I put in a different email so it didn’t show a pic of me.
So just incase you were wondering. It is I…Mama D. 😉
[…] my life. I stay in bed and either listen to a guided meditation on a phone app, do some Tapping, write in my gratitude journal, or read one of my positive books. I have a toolbox of inspiration […]
Hi Diana – I have just started Project Me and saw your video. I once saw a hypnotherapist in London who charged crazy amounts of money for one session and he gave me some simple tapping techniques which i did not follow through of course as I had felt ripped off and disappointed by our session! I now wish I had. I feel enormous amounts of stress around my relationship with my husband that seems to be impacting on my life in all areas. This is why I am doing Project Me. When we argue or I am frustrated with not being able to communicate with him I feel huge physical symptoms of stress, not to mention mentally feeling cross and depressed. It is a drain on my energy. So i know I have to learn to break the cycle which is why I want to try tapping.
Harriet
Hi Harriot,
First of all I am so sorry to hear that you had that experience.
I’ve never done hypnotherapy. What had you been expecting or hoping for?
I know that it must have been extremely disheartening to pay a large amount for something and not feel that it was worth it.
I am even more sorry that this caused you to “pass” on tapping until now.
Well my friend…the time has come to experience tapping for yourself with the guidance of someone who makes it simple, sassy and fun (not to mention effective).
If you’ve been to my site you will see that I’m creating video tutorials and audio tapping meditations to help show people how to tackle EFT on their own…DIY.
I would highly recommend using my guide/course…
“Tap the Sh*t Out of Your Husband: The Non-Violent Way to Regain Intimacy and Connection, Without Dragging your Man-Child to Therapy.
http://colouryourmindset.com/tap-the-shit-out-of-your-husband/
This process did a 180 to my marriage and it could help you reduce the stress you feel about arguing with your husband and also help you communicate better when you are frustrated or angry.
If you need any help with tapping OE the guide be sure to let me know. 😉
Cheers to your sanity Harriet!
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[…] Journaling. I’ve been doing this since I was ten to vent my frustrations or challenges on paper, then allowing my pen to continue as ideas and solutions flow to the surface. This year I’m going to use my journal as a tool for tapping into my intuitive answers before I seek advice from others. The answers lie within me – I need to give myself the space to bring them out. I’ll start a journal entry with, Why am I feeling (anxious / frustrated / down / angry)? What is this about? – then see where it takes me. I’ll keep doing this too with Tapping. […]
Nice post. Thanks for sharing I got good information of Emotional Freedom Technique.
Hi. My sister in law has been tapping for years and I now find myself in a dire medical situation and this has ( finally) opened me up to the possibility of this helping me,
Kelly I remember you from The Parent Practice years ago…
Is there a local eft coach to sw18 ??? Xx
Hi Gail, I remember you too and I’m very sorry to hear of your situation. Tapping would be a positive way to get your emotions into a strong place. Diana Tower is no longer doing remote Tapping sessions (she lives in Spain), but I am going to contact her now to see if she has any recommended colleagues. I’ll be back in touch asap. xx
[…] know it sounds utterly bonkers, but I learned about morning thymus tapping from an EFT (Emotional Freedom Technique) practitioner at the very first Project Me Ibiza retreat in 2015 and I’ve been doing it ever […]
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Thank you very much for this wonderful article. I read the whole article. This will be the inspiration for the mothers. It will help them to be always happy.