The Tapping Solution

02How To Tap Your Way To Freedom

How exactly do you perform this unusual technique, and what are the specific steps you need to follow to experience relief? Learning the mechanics of Emotional Freedom Techniques is incredibly straightforward, and once you memorize the sequence, it becomes second nature. Nick Ortner refers to this foundational process as "The Basic Recipe." It is a simple, repeatable formula that you can apply to absolutely any problem in your life, whether it is a nagging headache, a deep-seated fear of public speaking, or a frustrating lack of motivation. Let us walk through this process together step by step, breaking down the physical points and the psychological components that make it so effective. The very first step before you even lift a finger to tap is to clearly identify the problem you want to target. Specificity is the secret ingredient to successful tapping. If you are feeling generally stressed, you might experience some overall relaxation by tapping on "this stress," but you will achieve profound, lasting shifts by getting highly specific. Instead of general stress, pinpoint exactly what is causing it: "the anxiety I feel in my chest about the presentation I have to give to the board on Thursday." Once you have identified the specific target, you need to measure its intensity. We use a simple tool called the Subjective Units of Distress scale, or the SUDS level. Rate your discomfort on a scale from zero to ten, where zero means you feel completely calm and neutral, and ten represents the worst possible distress. Taking this initial measurement is crucial because it gives you a tangible baseline to track your progress. Our minds are notoriously quick to forget how bad we felt once the pain is gone, so writing down your starting number keeps you grounded in reality. Now, we move to the physical tapping process, which begins with the Setup Statement. The Setup Statement is designed to acknowledge the problem honestly while simultaneously affirming your own self-worth. It typically follows this exact structure: "Even though I have this insert specific problem, I deeply and completely accept myself." You repeat this phrase out loud three times while continuously tapping on the Karate Chop point. The Karate Chop point is located on the fleshy outer edge of your hand, the part you would use if you were actually going to karate chop a block of wood. You can use two or three fingertips of either hand to tap on the opposite hand. The pressure should be firm but gentle, similar to drumming your fingers on a desk. Why do we say the Setup Statement? When we are struggling with an issue, we often carry a secondary layer of shame or guilt about the fact that we have the problem in the first place. We judge ourselves for being anxious, or we feel weak for experiencing chronic pain. The Setup Statement cuts through this psychological resistance. By stating "I deeply and completely accept myself" despite the flaw or the struggle, you disarm your inner critic and create a safe environment for your nervous system to heal. After completing the Setup Statement, you move through the sequence of eight meridian points on the body, tapping about five to seven times on each point. As you tap through these points, you state out loud a simple Reminder Phrase. The Reminder Phrase is just a short snippet of the problem, designed to keep your mind focused on the issue while you stimulate the acupressure points. If your Setup Statement was about the Thursday presentation, your Reminder Phrase might simply be "this presentation anxiety" or "this tightness in my chest." Here is the exact sequence of the tapping points: 1. Eyebrow: The inner edge of the eyebrow, right where the hair begins near the bridge of your nose. 2. Side of the Eye: On the hard bone directly on the outside corner of the eye. 3. Under the Eye: On the hard bone directly under the pupil of the eye. 4. Under the Nose: The small space between the bottom of your nose and your upper lip. 5. Chin: The crease or indentation between your lower lip and your chin. 6. Collarbone: Locate the U-shaped notch at the top of your breastbone, go down about an inch, and out to the side about an inch. 7. Under the Arm: On your side, about four inches beneath the armpit roughly where a bra strap sits on a woman. 8. Top of the Head: Directly on the crown of your head, tapping in a small circle to cover the various meridian points located there. You tap through all eight of these points using two or three fingertips. You can tap on the left side of your body, the right side, or both sides simultaneously; the meridians run symmetrically down both sides, so it does not matter which side you choose. As you move from point to point, you keep repeating the Reminder Phrase. "This anxiety... this tightness in my chest... I'm so worried about Thursday... this overwhelming fear." This constitutes one complete round of tapping. After finishing the top of the head, take a deep breath in, and exhale slowly. Now, tune back into your body and check your SUDS level again. How intense is the anxiety about the presentation now? Perhaps it has dropped from an eight down to a five. Or maybe you notice that the emotion has shifted entirely; the anxiety in your chest might have transformed into a feeling of frustration in your stomach. Emotions are fluid, and tapping often peels back the layers of an issue like an onion. If the number has not reached a zero or a one, you simply adjust your Setup Statement and tap another round. Your new Setup Statement might be: "Even though I still have some of this remaining presentation anxiety, I deeply and completely accept myself." One of the most common hurdles beginners face is the fear of focusing on the negative. People often ask, "Aren't I just reinforcing the bad feelings by talking about them?" The answer is a resounding no. You are simply giving voice to what is already happening inside your body. If your basement is filled with garbage, pretending it smells like roses will not clean it up. You have to look at the garbage, acknowledge it, and actively haul it out. Tapping on the negative truth is the mechanism by which we haul the emotional garbage out of our nervous system. Only after you have significantly lowered the emotional intensity of the negative feelings do you begin to tap in positive affirmations and new possibilities. By following this Basic Recipe, you possess a universal key that can unlock and resolve almost any emotional or physical challenge you encounter.

Continue reading with LeapAhead app

Full summary is waiting for you in the app

Continue reading