As we enter the melting period, ie: the end of winter, I reflect on how long and grueling it felt for me. Just this morning I mentioned to someone that January felt like at least 2 months to me, if not 3. I know I've experienced seasonal depression before and am left confused about how much of that may have been the cause of my low winter feelings. Either way, I intend to build up and be aware of a plethora of personal, stress-relieving resources for next winter, including the application of self-care and the willingness to ask for support when it's needed.
One of the resources that I used this time, which I believe was a big part of helping me to pick myself up and keep going, was EFT: Emotional Freedom Technique. EFT is a branch of
energy psychology. Energy psychology is a field that considers the
relationship of energy systems to mental and emotional health, as well
as behaviour. Founded by Gary Craig, an American engineering graduate
and ordained minister, now retired, EFT’s guiding principle is that
negative emotions disrupt the body’s energy. EFT manipulates the body’s
energy field, with the goal of creating harmony and balance.
EFT combines
tapping on particular points, as recognized in traditional acupuncture,
focusing on an emotionally debilitating issue and repeating affirming
statements that promote acceptance of oneself despite challenges and
shortcomings. The idea is that negative thoughts and feelings get stuck in the energetic system just as toxins periodically get "stuck" in the body, calling for a nutritional detoxification process. Consider EFT to be an emotional detoxification process. Quite simply, where a high emotional charge exists in association with a dysfunctional belief system ("I'm not good enough"), event or trauma, EFT, in application, works to diminish this emotional charge in order that you cope more effectively with life and your own personal healing.
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| Me Tapping In To A Better Life! |
For example, during the winter, I got caught up in feeling responsible for others' feelings - probably as a way of avoiding my own. For a while, I was consumed with what a few people in particular were thinking and feeling, especially in relation to me, and this became draining and defeatist. I was not able to properly function because I was allowing my obsessive thoughts to pervade every part of my life. Daily application of EFT helped to bring the emotional charge around my obsessiveness down so that I could objectively look at my situation and logically compute that hey, this is this person's journey and here's mine - I am only responsible for myself and obsessing about others who may or may not even have issues with me is a waste of precious energy that I need to heal myself and care for my son. This moved me to take care of things that needed to be taken care of inside my relationships in a matter-of-fact way, which brought healing and renewal.
EFT can also be applied to old, traumatic events that have never fully been healed such as death and loss, accidents and abuse. It's difficult to move forward when we haven't shed light into and healed the wounds of the past. This is not to encourage you to stew in past wounds but rather to shed light upon them, heal them and move forward. EFT is a phenomenal way of healing wounds both from the past and the present. It also helps to eliminate jitters around public speaking, difficult conversations, traveling or anything where fear seems to be taking over.
One of the most beautiful things about EFT is that once you've learned it, you can add it to your personal tool box forever! I recommend having a session with a skilled EFT practitioner to start so that you can talk the process through and gain the skills necessary to use it on your own. Further, it's helpful to be with someone who can offer fresh perspectives to something that may be old and festering in your life.
Sharon is our skilled EFT practitioner here at Prana Holistic. Please call us today if you'd like to learn how to apply EFT in order to rid yourself of possibly debilitating emotions that may be blocking you from thriving in your life.
Roberta Shepherd for Prana Holistic
