Tapping 101

Basic Tapping Sequence for Anxiety

As discussed, Tapping can be used to help a variety of challenges – so try it on everything! Here's the method for how to use it. In this example, we'll focus on general anxiety.

You can also follow along to our Releasing Anxiety Tapping meditation. After 260,000 plays of this Tapping meditation, the average reported reduction of anxiety was 41% in 9 minutes.

The basics of the Tapping process are simple

• Always begin Tapping on the karate chop point while you repeat the setup statement to yourself. This allows you to be honest with how you feel and sets you up for the Tapping process (more on the setup statement below).
• Begin Tapping while focusing on how you feel or on the problem. By doing this you send a calming signal to your brain, allowing you to think of the problem without feeling stress in your body.
• When you feel better, you can move to more empowering thoughts. The same way you need to weed a garden before you plant seeds, you have to release the intensity of what you're feeling before more empowering thoughts can take root.

Lets break down the steps:

• Identify the problem on which you want to focus. It can be general anxiety, or it can be a specific situation or issue which causes you to feel anxious.
• Consider the problem or situation. How do you feel about it right now? Rate the intensity level of your anxiety on a scale of 0 to 10, with zero being the lowest level of anxiety and ten being the highest.
• Compose a setup statement. Your setup statement should acknowledge the problem you want to deal with, then follow it with a phrase of acceptance. This helps neutralize judgements you have around how you feel and allow you to be more honest with your Tapping.

Setup statement examples:

"Even though I feel this anxiety, I accept how I feel"
"Even though I'm anxious about my interview, I accept myself and how I feel."
"Even though I'm feeling this anxiety about my financial situation,
I honor my feelings and give my body permission to relax. "


Get ready to begin Tapping!

• With four fingers on one hand, begin tapping the Karate Chop point on your other hand. The Karate Chop point is on the outer edge of the hand, on the opposite side from the thumb.
• Repeat the setup statement three times aloud, while simultaneously tapping the Karate Chop point. Now take a deep breath.
• Now, tap about 5 to 7 times each on the remaining eight points in the sequence described below. As you tap on each point, repeat a simple reminder phrase, such as "my anxiety" or "my interview" or "my financial situation" to help you mentally focus on your issue.

Eyebrow Point (EB)
Where the eyebrows begin, closest to the bridge of the nose.

Side of Eye (SE)
On the bone directly along the outside of either eye.

Under Eye (UE)
On the bone directly under either eye.

Under Nose (UN)
The area directly beneath the nose and above the upper lip.

Chin Point (CP)
This is the area just below your bottom lip and above the chin, right in the crease.

Collarbone Point (CB)
Starting from where your collar bones meet in the center, go down an inch and out an inch on either side.

Under Arm (UA)
On your side, about four inches beneath the armpit.

Top of Head (TH)
Directly on the crown of your head.

And take another deep breath!

Now that you've completed the sequence, focus on your problem again. How intense is the anxiety now, in comparison to a few minutes ago? Give it a rating on the same 0 to 10 scale. Did you notice a shift?

If your anxiety level is still higher than 2 or 3, you can do another round of tapping. Keep tapping through the sequence until the anxiety is gone. You can change your setup statement slightly to take into account your efforts to fix the problem or your desire for continued progress.

Examples:
"Even though I have some remaining anxiety, I accept how I feel and choose to relax."
"Even though I'm still a little worried about this interview, I deeply and completely accept myself." And so on.

Now that you've focused on dispelling your immediate anxiety, you can work on instilling some positive feelings in its place. This approach is different from traditional "positive thinking." You're not being dishonest with yourself. You're not trying to obscure the stress and anxiety inside yourself with a veneer of insincere affirmations. Rather, you've confronted and dealt with the anxiety and its corresponding negative emotions, offering deep and complete acceptance to both your feelings and yourself.

The same way you need to weed a garden before you plant seeds, you have to release the intensity of what you're feeling before more empowering thoughts can take root. That's what makes Tapping so much more effective than the "positive thinking" techniques that many of you have already tried.

Here are some example phrases to guide you:
"I have faith in my ability to change."
"I am joyful about these positive changes."
"I am accomplishing so much."
"I enjoy the calm and peace that I have."
"I love the person that I am."
"I am becoming a more relaxed and joyful person."

You can use these positive phrases with the same sequence of Tapping points described above.

Here are some tips to help you achieve the correct technique.

You should use a firm but gentle pressure, the same as if you were drumming on the top of your desk or testing a melon for ripeness.

You can use all four fingers, or just the first two (the index and middle fingers). Four fingers are generally used on wider areas, while just two can be used on sensitive areas, such as around the eyes.

You can tap one side of the body or both at the same time. The meridian points are symmetrical on either side of the body.

Congratulations! You've completed your first Tapping sequence.