In this video, Buddhist monk, Pema Chodron, talks about Maitri, the need for unconditional friendship with oneself.

This is a very important part of self-healing. It is only when we can accept ourselves unconditionally that we  can heal.  Otherwise we are contnually fighting ourself, creating a war-zone in our body and igniting stress that releases all the stress hormones that are not conducive to healing. Self healing is holistic healing. It is about healing every part of us, not just our body or our mind. It is about becoming whole.

The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a form of natural healing that works by acting on the body’s energy system. The acupuncture meridians are invisible channels that carry energy throughout the body. When the body is balanced and healthy, energy flows freely through the meridians,. Physical, mental oir emotional health is negatively affected when the energy becomes blocked, stagnant, or weakened.

EFT Point - Under The Nose

An imbalance in a person’s body can result from stuck emotional responses such as: excess anger, over-excitement, self-pity, deep grief and fear. Emotions are normally short-lived as the person feels and then releases them. But when emoitions are resisted, they tend to hang around. 

Acupuncturists place needles in some of the 400 acupuncture points along the 20 meridians to get the energy moving again. However, it was found that just applying pressure to the points is as effective as using needles. In EFT the ends of the meridians are tapped while the patient repeats phrases related to the problem being worked on. Generally the emotions associated with the problem are addressed in these phrases, rather than the physical problem itself. The tapping helps the energy to start moving again, and the emotions can then move on.

Emotions such as anger, fear, and grief (often termed the ‘negative emotions’) can stress the physical body if they are not released. .(Since all emotions are helpful messages from the body telling us whether what is happening in our life is serving us or not, I prefer the term ‘uncomfortable emotions.’ ) Moving the emotions by tapping, removes the stress and allows the cells to heal.

Focusing on the emotions felt while tapping,  also removes the connection between the event and the emotion.  At the end of a successful session, clients no longer feel an emotional charge when they think of the event.

Research into EFT has shown it to be effective in many conditions including phobias, and post-traumatic stress disorder.  It is easily learned by individuals and so can be an inexpensive treatment – and one that seems to have no side effects.

PhotoCredit:  Thetappingman