Heart-zooming is a technique I want to share with you. It’s a way to bypass our differences in thoughts or words and connect at the deepest place with people we come in contact with. And it works great with animals, too!

Here’s how it works:

I’d love to hear how it goes for you. Please let us know by leaving a comment below.

Relief from Physical Pain Changes Everything!

You know how pain can impact your life in so many unpleasant ways. Tapping can be such a great tool to get relief. Here are some tips to make your tapping most effective to get the results you want. Listen in and tap along.

(Just click on the white arrow in the black circle of the player below.)

Let us know how this works for you by leaving a comment below.

Tapping is the most amazing tool to take care of critter encounters — and other injuries. It really improved my day at the beach on the 4th of July. Here’s what happened:

I was standing in the wet sand. Somehow a little jellyfish found my toe to park himself on. I felt pain on the top of my second toe and looked down to see a little clear blob sitting there. Ouch!

I know how painful, swollen and itchy a jellyfish sting can get, and I had no interest in that. So I immediately started tapping, thanking my body for kicking in and easily absorbing the jellyfish hello with no repercussions whatsoever.

Here’s How The EFT Went:

I skipped the setup because I was totally tuned in to the issue already. I just jumped straight into the positive healing tapping.

IMPORTANT NOTE: It’s critical to first set aside any anxiety or worries and any form of anger or blame (annoyance, frustration, irritation, self-blame, feeling stupid) before you start tapping in these positive phrases. Otherwise, it can interfere with the effectiveness.

If you need to take a few minutes to tap away those negatives, do that first. After a little practice doing this first aid tapping you’ll find it easy to just set aside those concerns without taking the time to tap on them, because you’ll trust this process. Either way, you need to have them out of way for the EFT to be effective.

Now for the tapping phrases I used:

• Thanks, jellyfish, for stopping by. Nice visit.
• Now take your goodies with you.
• Thanks, my sweet toe, for returning to normal so quickly.
• You do such a great job of carrying me around.
• I ask my immune system to jump right in there and neutralize the jellyfish juice. [Notice I didn't call it venom or poison or anything with a negative tone to it.]
• My toe is starting to feel smooth and normal.
• Thanks, body, for responding so quickly.
• I can feel the pain evaporating.
• I’m sending any swelling out to sea now.
• Thanks, toe, for your wiggly self.
• You’re healing up right now.
• I’m honored to be the chosen one, little jellyfish.
• I’ll remember you in a positive way — just another critter enjoying the beach. [This is to help keep any fear or anger out of the picture, leading to faster healing.]
• The pain is completely disappearing.
• I can feel the swelling subsiding so fast.
• Thanks, toe, for returning to normal right now.
• So long redness. Bye-bye itching.
• Don’t need you. Don’t want you.
• Thanks, body, for doing such a great job of recovering.
• I really appreciate you.
• My toe feels fine, and I’m so thankful for that.

I know I looked a little strange standing on the beach tapping, but that’s OK with me. I’m sure stranger things have happened at the beach.

Love The Results

I came out of it with just a little mark on a very happy toe. No itching, no swelling, no pain and no redness. Just a little mark where the skin had been broken to remind me of my visitor.

This is a great way to use EFT on the spot for a fall, a twisted ankle, a cut, a burn, a bee sting — any kind of injury. I’ve used it for all those things — for myself and those around me. Your fingertips plus knowledge of EFT = the perfect first aid kit!

P.S. Be sensible (disclaimer): This is not intended as a substitute for any medical attention you may need.

When you want to let go of something, is your language saying that? Or do your words contradict your intention to release it?

Here’s what I’m talking about. If you’re saying you want to release the pain in your back, are you calling it “my back pain?”

A Better Option

You’re better off to refer to it as “the back pain” or “the pain in my back.” This may seem like nit-picking or just semantics, but it’s not. It’s a big deal. Because with your words, you’re expressing your relationship to the issue you’re talking about.

And not just to other people. You hear your own words, spoken out loud or just heard internally. When you say “my pain” or “my problem,” you’re reinforcing your connection to it. And actually the strength of your possessiveness about it. That’s not serving you if healing is your goal.

So start to disconnect from your issue by disconnecting with your words. Put a little space between you and that issue by un-claiming it. Stop using the words “my” and “mine” in reference to it. It’s not a matter of denial. It’s just a way to start the process of releasing.

Fuel For EFT

As you begin to shift your language like this, notice what feelings and thoughts pop up. The process can really bring some interesting things to the surface. Maybe it feels scary to let go of the “my” part of it.

Ask yourself what that feeling’s about. Is it:

• Losing part of your identity as being someone with that problem?
• Losing some attention that you get as a result of that issue?
• Losing some connections with great care providers?
• Connections with fellow sufferers?
• Fear that the problem won’t ever change?

Whatever beliefs or concerns show up are all tappable issues – perfect fuel for EFT. So write them down and include them in your tapping session.

Don’t Forget

And whatever you do (or don’t do), be gentle with yourself and exercise self-kindness about it all. OK? Forget any self-blame about what you’re “doing wrong.” It’s not about that. It’s about making a new choice that serves you better. That’s all.

What’s your take on this? Leave a comment and let us know.

Physical pain is so life-altering — especially when it doesn’t let up. And it’s a real energy drain. But you don’t need me to tell you that. EFT is such a great tool for relieving pain. If it hasn’t been working for you, maybe you’re missing some aspect of it. Here are some ways to get the best results for yourself when you’re tapping to release pain.

Immediate Relief

When you have pain, one way you can help yourself is to simply tap on the symptom of pain itself with straightforward EFT. You know – Start with the setup: “Even though I have this pain, I want to love myself anyway.”

Then tap on the pain, being very specific as to its location – for instance, “this pain in the front of my right knee.” For many people, this is a highly effective way to reduce the level of pain – and maybe even get rid of it completely – especially if it’s a new pain, or something temporary like hitting your thumb with a hammer, or banging your knee on something.

Getting To The Core

Chronic pain can be a different story, and often a complex issue. This means it has different aspects or layers to it and it might take some different approaches to release it. Especially if your goal is to clear it so it doesn’t return.

Here are the steps to make that happen:

1. One way to start is by looking back to when the pain first started. What happened? Was there an event directly connected to the pain – like an injury or illness? Good – there’s some tapping information. Use EFT on that event, clearing any emotional charge connected to it.
2. Now take ANOTHER look and ask “What was going on in my life at that time, or just beforehand?” The answer to this question may hold the key to the reason the pain is still hanging around. Was there a major life event – a move, a death, an illness of a loved one, a separation, a loss, a failure, or something else that caused major unwanted feelings? Use EFT on that event to clear the trauma and lingering effects of it. This can have a profound positive effect on your pain relief. Even if you see no connection whatsoever.

   We can’t always tell what’s linked to what in our body-mind-heart-energy system. But you can trust your body to tell you what it is when you ask the questions. And if you get no answer, then here’s what you can do: Tap on the willingness to know what would be helpful. And see if you’re getting some clarity about some other links to the pain you experience. This is excellent information – a great starting place for doing EFT – either on your own or with a practitioner. If you want some help with this, listen to the tap-along on Moving Forward With EFT Radio – EFT For Pain.

3. Next, investigate all your feelings about the pain itself. And write those down. For example: anxiety about what’s causing it, worry about what the future could hold, sadness about what it has kept you from doing, feelings towards health care providers and medications or therapies, etc. Pay particular attention to anger and all its forms – frustration, irritation, impatience, feeling pissed off, feeling really mad. And the target of the anger – people, circumstances, your body, side effects of meds. And be sure to look at any way in which you’re blaming yourself – what you should or shouldn’t have done, how you think you contributed to it or caused it to go on, etc. List all of these feelings and then use EFT to release them.
4. Now take a look at all your beliefs about the pain. These could stem from what you’ve read or been told by your doctor or other people,from reading, or from your own experience. The source doesn’t matter. Just make a list of them. For example: The pain is caused by x______; it will take x____ amount of time to go away; everyone with this condition experiences pain; I’m expecting too much to ask for it to go away; I should get used to it; etc. Then do EFT on those beliefs.
5. And this last step can show you some tapping information that may really surprise you! Imagine what you would be doing if you didn’t have the pain. Really get into it. Fill in the details of your scenario. Then ask yourself what’s in the way of that happening. And really listen – once again, be willing to know. You may find some hidden blocks here. There may be some unrelated fears or beliefs tangled up in there and that’s actually what’s keeping the pain hanging around. You just never know until you look.And of course, use EFT on those obstacles – whatever limiting beliefs and unwanted feelings show up. Be sure to release any kind of self-blame or self-scolding connected here, too.

So those are some ways you can tap to help with pain to completely release it. I’ll review them quickly again, in a nutshell. You can tap on the intensity or charge associated with these things:

1. Any event directly connected to the origin of the pain.
2. What was going on in your life at the time the pain started (or just before it).
3. All your feelings about the pain.
4. Any beliefs about the pain.
5. Imagine your future without the pain and tap on any obstacles that come up.

Remember that you can always tap for the willingness to know if you come up with a blank on any of these steps.

Bonus Tip

Here’s one last tip for letting go of pain. Stop claiming it! You’ll notice that in all the references to pain, I said the pain. I didn’t say YOUR pain, and you don’t want to say MY pain. Quit owning it and help it to move on out by disconnecting from it first with your words and then with EFT.

A reader asked the other day if EFT can be used for gluten intolerance that celiacs experience. That inspired me to pass on this great tapping technique to deal with any kind of sensitivity to substances – including hay fever. There’s really no need to resign yourself to a lifetime of bad reactions.

EFT is the perfect tool to eliminate sensitivities and allergies. This includes reactions to foods, pets, plants, fumes — any substance that your body reacts to in a negative way. No matter what the trouble-causing substance, the approach is pretty much the same.

Where To Begin

First, ask yourself when the allergy or sensitivity first appeared. Then ask if anything traumatic occurred in your life around that time — or within the few months beforehand.

If not, ask yourself if you experienced any trauma directly connected to the substance you’re sensitive to (cat scratch, choked on milk, etc.). Then use EFT to clear that trauma — either on your own, or with a practitioner. Eliminating the effects of that related event often results in the end of the allergy.

If There’s No Remembered Trauma

If nothing occurs to you in answer to those two trauma questions, try the following:

1. Place the substance or food in a container of glass, metal or pottery (not plastic or paper). For airborne allergies, place a bowl of water outside for a few hours, or wave a damp towel around in the air to collect particles. Then pour the water into a jar or put the towel in a bowl. For dust, pet hair, carpet, etc., gather a little and put it in a jar with a lid on it (or have somebody else do that for you).
2. Then hold the container in your lap (for tapping with both hands) or simply touch the container with one hand while tapping with the other. Please note: When tapping, you can refer to “the substances in this jar”, or the “stuff on this towel” – You don’t have to know what it is causing the problem to be able to clear it.

Start Using EFT

• Do your setup 3 times: “Even though I have this allergy/sensitivity to this ______ (substance), I love and accept myself anyway.”
• Tap Round 1: “This sensitivity to ________ (substance).” (A round is a complete cycle of all the tapping points.)
• Round 2: “I ask my body to release this sensitivity now.”
• Round 3: “I ask my body to easily accept this _______ (substance) as safe and healthy.”
• Round 4: Alternate the positive and negative. “This sensitivity…,” “I ask my body to…”
• Round 5: “I now have a completely healthy relationship with this _______ (substance).”
• Great option: Tap a few more rounds of gratitude for this healing, etc.

Persistence Pays

You may need to repeat this process every day for a week to totally clear the sensitivity. If you’re still concerned about a possible food sensitivity, you can always tap on it before you eat it, too. Just put one hand on the plate, and tap with the other hand. Use the phrases suggested above.

True Stories

I’ve used this process myself with great results. I experienced sinus problems from outgassing from something in my home – new carpet, padding, and/or linoleum. I didn’t know which was causing it, so I sat on the floor where all three came together. I held one hand on that spot while I tapped with the other. After one session, all sensitivity was gone for good. My sinuses cleared right up. Great!

While visiting New York City, I experienced a mystery rash which spread a little each day. After about 5 days, I decided to try this. I set a bowl of water outside for two hours to gather airborne particles (pollen, smog, etc.). Next, I gathered dust from a storage area I’d been working in and added that to the water.

I poured the water into a jar, held the jar on my lap, and followed the above sequence — twice a day for two days and the rash disappeared! I’ll never know exactly what the cause was, but that’s OK with me.

Try this and let us know how it works for you in the comments below. We’d love to hear your story!

When you have a physical challenge going on, chances are good there is some emotion connected to it. Conversely, sometimes if you’re tapping on an emotional issue, you’ll feel pain or tension somewhere in your body.

So How Do I Tap?

EFT is very flexible. You can focus on either the emotion or the unwanted physical sensation. If one way gives you faster results, you can stick with that. Or switch back and forth between the body and the heart — the physical and the emotional.

You can also do a little detective work to find out the connection between the two.

Starting with the Physical

Sometimes you’re only aware of a physical problem. Maybe it’s back pain. Or tension in your shoulders. Or congestion in your chest. Regardless of the apparent cause, you can use EFT to help yourself. Really! That means it doesn’t matter if you caught a cold, have spinal stenosis, or your neck hurts because you slept wrong last night. You can still feel better by tapping.

You can start with tapping only on the symptom — the physical sensation. If you can clear the problem that way, great! But if you can’t get to zero, ask yourself a few questions:

• Was there a disturbing thing that happened shortly before this problem started? The emotional charge from that event may be tangled up in your energy system with your physical problem. So use tapping to clear the emotions of that event. See if your physical problem is reduced or gone.
• If this symptom could talk, what would it say to me? Just get quiet and tune in to the pain (or whatever) and ask that question. You may be very surprised with the answer. After you get over the surprise, use tapping on your answer.
• If the location of this problem could talk, what would it say? For instance, ask your back or shoulder or head what it has to say. Then tap on that.
• Get literal. For example, if you have a pain in the neck, ask yourself who in your life is a pain in the neck. Then tap on your issues with that person. If your stuffed-up head feels like it’s going to explode, ask yourself what situation in your life makes you feel like like your head would explode when you think about it. Then use tapping on that issue. If your ears are plugged up, ask yourself what you don’t want to hear. See what I mean?

Starting with the Emotions

If you know you have strong feelings connected to the cause of the problem, you can start there. Those emotional blocks can keep that pain or cold hanging around. Did a trauma cause your back ache? Did you have surgery on your shoulder? Are you mad at the person who gave you the cold?

Tap away those emotions and you may get good relief from your physical problem. Even simple things like being frustrated because the cold is wearing you out can make it worse. So use EFT on any emotional component you can find.

Tap on the Physical to Avoid Emotional Pain

Sometimes a physical problem started from a really painful event. Tapping on a physical sensation is a great way to avoid re-traumatizing yourself. Just stay focused on the body symptom and tap it all the way down to zero. For instance, if your stomach tightens up just thinking about that awful accident, just tap on that stomach tightness. Stay with it and tap it down to a zero intensity level.

It may not completely clear the all the emotions from that event. But it will reduce the emotional charge on it. Then when you go to focus directly on that event, you’ll be starting at a much lower intensity level, and it will clear quickly.

Physical Symptoms Changing During Tapping

It’s really common for physical feelings to move around — right while you’re tapping. Maybe a frontal headache moves to the base of your skull. Or your shoulder pain moves to your mid-back. Or the right side of your nose was stuffed up, and now it’s clear. But your ear is stopped up.

Another thing that can happen is that the quality of the sensation changes. Pain might turn to tingling. A focused stabbing pain may change to a spread-out dull ache. Tension might turn to itching. It’s pretty wild how your system morphs one thing into another.

It’s a good sign! Those changes are proof that you are shifting the energy. It’s on its way out. Whether the symptom is moving or changing, just keep tapping. Gary Craig (founder of EFT) calls it “Chasing The Pain.”

Just stay with your tapping all the down to a zero intensity level. Then come back here and let us know how it went for you by leaving  a comment.

When your tapping session is successful, acknowledge your progress. Take a bow! Stand up and be counted! Whether you tapped on your own or worked with a practitioner, YOU were the one who let go of something. So take some credit. You made the decision to move forward. You had the courage to venture into the unknown. And you allowed your body-mind to move closer to its natural state of perfect mental, spiritual and physical health.

Not Just A Feel-Good Thing

I’m all for feeling good, and certainly giving yourself an “atta-girl” feels great. It produces more healing, as those positive neuropeptides and brain chemicals cascade throughout your system. But acknowledging each success with tapping is more than that. It helps in other ways, too. You’re affirming to your system that this releasing action of tapping is what you want.

Flexing Your Tapping Muscle

I’m sure there are detailed explanations of how this acknowledging works. I can’t explain it; I just know that it DOES work to help your system release more quickly as time goes by. Using EFT is something like using a muscle — the more you use it, the more effective it is. And recognizing that you’ve been successful in clearing out a problem is like taking notice of how great your workout just was at the gym. It somehow primes your body-mind for an even better session next time. Maybe faster; maybe deeper; maybe less painful. And it increases the chances that you’ll use tapping again.

No Teacher Like Your Own Experience

When you acknowledge your tapping success, you’re building your own history of success and courage. That’s invaluable for you when a crummy issue surfaces that you may be reluctant to deal with. If you’ve consciously registered your tapping wins in your memory, you know you can release that stuff. You don’t have to take someone else’s word for it. You have it your OWN experience. It’s a great motivator to clear out some more old junk.

Notice Little Changes And Shifts

After your session, make a conscious decision to notice little changes in reactions to things, attitude shifts, even physical changes. They may seem completely unrelated to the issue you worked on. But we never really know how intertwined our many aspects are, do we? It can be really astounding to watch what affects what, and what behaviors are connected to what old beliefs or incidents. Keep an eye out for those, and pay attention to what people close notice about changes in you. Acknowledge these shifts, too.

Way To Go!

Tapping is a fantastic tool. And skilled tapping practitioners can help you produce some great results. There’s no denying that. But YOU’RE the one participating, so give yourself the kudos you’re due. It will help make your sessions more effective in the future.

And building your victories account can really help when you need a little extra courage to clear out one of those ugly things that can show up. You’ve been keeping track of how tapping has worked for you, and the changes that have resulted. That gives you that extra faith you need that it will work again!

What do you have to say about this?

Today a friend asked how to use EFT to help with a stomach problem, and that’s what spurred me on to let you all know about this healing affirmations list.

I have been using this technique and sharing it with clients for a long time. In fact, this list of affirmations is my primary healthcare provider! I nip things in the bud when they first show up, and stay really healthy this way. Thanks to EFT Master Lindsay Kenny for the basis of the list, which I have fine-tuned to maximize results.

Tapping in these healing affirmations is a way that you can help yourself heal from any kind of physical issue* — whether it’s pain, muscle tension, flu, or a chronic condition or disease. Your body is eager to operate in its best state of perfect health. It is just waiting for the signals to do that. It’s astonishing what your system can do on its own with some conscious nudges from you focusing on good outcomes.

Just insert your body’s challenge in the blanks as you tap on these affirmative sentences. (Click here to download a copy of the list.)

There is no set-up phrase needed. Just tap, moving to a new point with each phrase. Feel free to add your own phrases. Be specific (e.g., “pain behind my left knee”).

• I give myself permission to release this ______ and anything connected to it.
• I ask my body to release this ___________ and anything connected to it.
• I ask my body to send healing energy to my __________.
• Thanks, body, for responding so quickly.
• I allow my body to correct this condition and restore my health.
• It’s natural for my body to be healthy and strong.
• I’m grateful for the health I do have.
• Each of my cells knows how to heal this condition and anything connected to it.
• I ask my body to heal itself now.
• My system has a natural wisdom for healing, and I ask my system to heal itself now.
• Thank you, body, for hearing my requests and responding.
• I ask my body to relax and eliminate this _______ and anything connected to it.
• I trust my body to reverse this __________ condition and anything connected to it.
• I know my gift of wholeness and health is already on the way.
• I trust that my body knows how to heal this condition.
• Well-being is natural for me. Thank you, body, for restoring well-being.
• Optimal health is what I expect and what I want.
• I ask and trust my body to release this __________ and anything connected to it.
• I’m grateful that my body let me know I had this problem. Now I ask my body to release the __________ that made me aware.
• I ask my body to completely heal this ________ .
• Thanks, body, for responding so quickly.

If you want to go deeper using EFT for healing, you’ll find further techniques you can use at EFT For Physical Issues.* And to get the most from your medications, check out EFT for Great Medication Results.*

Here’s to your very best health! Let me know how it goes for you by leaving a comment below.

——————————————————————
*Please note: These techniques are not intended as a substitute for advice from your healthcare provider. But they make a great addition to any health regimen.

Beliefs are simply thought patterns. Thought patterns are created from thinking the same thought over and over again. That’s it! That’s all that beliefs consist of.

However, the consequences of beliefs are far from simple. Beliefs drive our behavior, our actions and our decisions. They are powerful and ultimately determine our level of happiness, effectiveness and satisfaction.

The good news is that beliefs aren’t permanent. They are changeable. They are disposable. You CAN let go of them – no matter how long you’ve held them.

Powerful Beliefs

When beliefs get really strong is when they’re anchored by emotion. They get embedded at a deep level – especially when we’re young. It’s just the mechanics of how our brains and energy systems work.

So if your belief arose from a teaching by someone you felt strong emotion towards – good or bad — that belief can be solidly entrenched. It can seem like the truth, not just a belief.

If your belief comes from a thought pattern about an event hooked to big emotions, the same thing can happen. For example, if you were razzed when you flubbed your speech in 7th grade, you probably hold the belief that public speaking is humiliating. The shame and embarrassment you felt was a strong emotional link to your thoughts about the event (the speech). The resulting belief can feel like absolute fact.

A strong belief can also grow out of lots of repetition of the same thought, too — even if there wasn’t a big emotional connection. So if you hear “Our people don’t dress like that” enough times, it can feel like the undisputable truth. Even when logic tells you something different.

But no matter how strong the anchor, or how powerful the belief, it CAN be released. If a belief is not serving you, and you don’t want it driving your life anymore, you can let go of it. There are various ways to do this, but I recommend EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques). It’s the fastest, most effective tool I know of to eliminate unwanted beliefs.

You Don’t Need To Replace Beliefs

And you don’t have to replace one belief with another one. Many people get stuck here. They think they first have to come up with a new belief system. They need a new ideology, or another person whose belief system they can adopt before they’re willing to release their old one.

It’s just not necessary. There’s a myth that before you can let go of an old belief, you must have a new one lined up to plug into that spot. But the truth is, left to your own true essential heart self, you would always choose good thoughts. You would choose the positive choice every time. So you don’t have to shop for a new belief to guide your behavior.

Look at innocent little kids. They always go for the good stuff. They’re attracted to it. And YOU would go for the good stuff naturally, too — once your limiting beliefs are out of the way. That’s what your true nature is. Don’t let that belief replacement myth stop you from releasing beliefs that don’t serve you.

If you want some help letting go of beliefs that are keeping you stuck, that’s my specialty. Give me a call at 805-835-5566 or email me at janet [at] janethilts.com and we’ll discuss how we can move you forward.