What I often hear from my clients is, “I’d like to tap on myself but I don’t know what to say.” Not to worry! Tapping is a most forgiving process.
The first thing to know is that the words themselves are to help you tune into the emotion you’d like to clear. If you’re already feeling the emotion, you can actually tap down the points without any words at all to gain a sense of calm.
Another technique you can use is ranting. What I mean by this is just talk, free associate while you tap on first the karate chop spot and then tap down the rest of the points. Say anything you want to say like, “I’m so mad at my boss, she doesn’t treat me right, I’d like to leave that job, I used to like going to work but not anymore, I wish I could give her a piece of my mind” and on and on. Yell if you like, express whatever you’re feeling while you tap.
Or, as you’re tapping down the points, maybe you’ll say, “I’m sad and I don’t know why, I have this feeling of unexplained sadness, wish I could cry but there are no tears, don’t know why I feel sad, I want to feel better but don’t know how so I’ll just tap on my feelings and see what happens, I feel this sadness in my ____(locate the feeling in your body),” etc. Continue to rant, saying anything that comes into your mind, until you feel a lessening of your emotion. This is an easy answer when you just want a release. This exercise can help to clear your mind and emotions.
Saying the words out loud while tapping is freeing. Those words have probably been going round and round in your head anyway, and it can feel relieving to hear them spoken. However, concentrating on the emotion without tapping can sometimes ratchet up the feeling with no resolution. Speaking the truth of how you feel plus tapping on acupuncture points is a good way to dissipate unproductive emotion.
Of course, you can always use the basic tapping method as well. You don’t have to recite any magic elaborate words while doing classic tapping either. Merely set up the tapping sequence by tapping on the karate chop point while telling the truth of whatever you’re feeling at the moment, something as simple as “I’m sad that my husband told me I’m lazy, and I love and accept myself and this feeling.” Then begin tapping down the points, saying “I’m sad” as you tap on the top of the head, “I’m sad” as you tap on the eyebrow point, and then simply “I’m sad” as you tap down through the rest of the meridians. Tapping affects the amygdala, sometimes called the fear or emotion center in the brain. Tapping can lessen or erase fear, leaving us free to make wise, loving decisions. If you tap rather than make an emotional decision, you’ll be proud of yourself for resolving difficult situations in an adult, thoughtful, balanced way.
