I was lucky to discover the secrets of “tapping” in under grad. I studied in a very competitive academic environment – the stakes were high, the assignments took forever to complete and the fear of failing haunted me day and night. This led to insomnia, excruciating headaches, palpitations, anxiety and finally depression. I tried over the counter medication, prescription pills, soothing bath tubs, creative visualization, but nothing worked better than tapping. After my first 15 minute tapping session I was amazed to see instant results. The headache vanished, I could sleep imperturbably, my pulse normalized and I felt so energized. I continued with the brief tapping routine for another month and reaped its benefits. I became much more centered, focused and calm about the outcome of events. My mood swings ceased, I was happier with a clear sense of purpose.

And all I did was to rub my hands together for a minute or so and then to “drum” or perform karate chops on some vital acupressure points on my chest, neck, face, head, back, abdomen, hips and legs. Even more intriguing, I used my own energy (bio field) to facilitate this self-treatment. Basically, I stimulated the main trigger points found on the surface of the body, that once catalyzed benefited the entire organ system. I discovered how the stimulation of certain acupuncture points could bring about changes in emotional states as well as physical conditions. I loved the fact that I could do it anywhere, it wasn’t time consuming, and it was so easy to pick up. It taught me to become responsible for soothing or calming myself, instead of waiting for another person to change their mood, attitude or behavior so I could feel better.

In the Western world “Meridian Acu Stimulation” or tapping falls under the category of Emotional Freedom Techniques but its origin leads back to ancient Egyptian pressure points and Chinese acupuncture – a technique that uses needles to activate energy pathways. Throughout the years the method is labeled as “Emotional acupuncture”, as it targets the emotional blockages and tests the body for information about its own needs. Substituting simple manual pressure for the acupuncture needles, tapping simply applies instant pressure to the acupuncture points, by “percussing” or “drumming” on them. This makes the technique very accessible and non-invasive. You can never really go wrong or hurt yourself. In Behavioral Kinesiology the basic tapping practice is accompanied by affirmations and positive intentions or thoughts that are verbally directed to a certain physical zone in need of emotional release. In such cases, the tapping can be beneficial in eradicating negative emotions and afflictions such as fear, doubt, guilt, suspicion, etc.

Personally, I have also used this technique to overcome a deeply etched phobia. For years I couldn’t climb up steep and high mountains or even ride a rollercoaster without precipitating an anxiety attack. Although, I had tried many anxiety reduction techniques the process was fruitless and quite discouraging. Tapping on strategic spots on the body while repeating key phrases out loud allowed me to shift my mind and overcome the pattern. It not only cheered me up, but permanently eradicated the acrophobia I had been battling for years. I then included the “acu-tapping” into my yoga practice and would offer it as a prelude or an ending to every routine. I also explored ways of tapping with different body parts, like thumping your buttocks in a reclining bridge pose, dropping into your heels in mountain pose, tapping with the tops of the feet and hands simultaneously in cobra pose, as well as many other variations of integrating tapping, breath-work and asana practice.

Remarkably, Meridian Tapping in all it major forms, including Emotional Freedom Tapping has radically changed the psychological treatment protocols for traumas as well as for many other emotional problems previously considered treatable only by lengthy and partially effective procedures. Indeed, tapping today seems to have come at the forefront of new Vibrational Technologies that take advantage of the natural law of Attraction. We are becoming conscious that our solid bodies are a condensation of vibrating consciousness. This living energy has patterns… colors, sounds, and textures… that pulsate as a dynamically evolving creation of our awareness. As we build awareness of our reactions to ourselves, to others, and to the world, we can use Tapping to chase the “stress and strain” away. We can train our body and mind to feel surprisingly confident and calm, no matter what. In such a state we have access to choices we simply cannot “tap” when stressed. We can choose to set and maintain healthy boundaries with others. We can choose “be”, over “should”. We can choose love over fear.

This simple Yogea tapping routine integrates different ways of acu-pressure point activation and will leave you energized, lucid, relieved, confident and serene. It offers a tool kit to effectively calm or soothe yourself emotionally, mentally and/or physically. The practice starts with simple tools to activate the personal bio-magnetic field and generate warmth in the hands, palms and finger tips. The drumming then takes you on a journey throughout the entire body commencing with the breast bone to stimulate the thymus gland and boost the immunity, moving through the neck, face, back of the head, solar plexus, lower abdomen and the groins legs to promote vitality and facilitate emotional release. It even extends into “percussing” the ground and tuning your frequency with the geomantic vibration of the Earth. The tapping further travels to the heels and buttocks in reclining positions as you activate the chakra system and open up the main meridians to channel life force.