How many of you reach for a cookie and say to yourself "I shouldn't be eating this cookie" but eat it anyway?  And that one cookie turns into maybe 4-6 cookies or the whole box?  Then you feel lousy and feel sick to your stomach.  You are depressed.

What are you medicating?  What are you not addressing that is eating you up inside?  You didn't even want the cookie but you needed that oral satisfaction for some kind of compensation... the pain from all the loss in your life...all the wasted time...all the unhealthy choices you made in your life.

Many of you are juggling work with taking care of a family, cooking, supporting a household and giving so much of your energy to other people and don't feel appreciated. Is this burden of responsibility causing overwhelming anxiety for you?  Maybe you're just bored and waiting for someone to come into your life so you don't have to be alone anymore?  Does this resonate with you?

So to be alone with that cookie/cookies, doesn't really satisfy "the lack of" space.

But what if... you allowed more space inside yourself to be filled up with deep appreciation for just the human being that you are? Appreciation that you have feelings and that you are doing the best you can for this moment given all your knowledge and experience in your life?  Hmmm...interesting how we never appreciate ourselves for the things we HAVE done that we're proud of. We only look at what we failed at.

Now getting back the the symbol of the cookie...

Take a cookie in your hand and smell it and on a 0 (don't want it)-10 (you really want the cookie) point scale measure the intensity

Now put the cookie down

Tap on the Karate Chop Point (side of hand)

"Even though I want this cookie and I'm not hungry but I'm bored, I love and accept myself anyway"
"Even though I don't really want this cookie and I feel guilty that I'm about to eat it, I accept who I am and how I feel"
"Even though my truth in this moment is I don't really care, I'm going to eat it anyway, and that's ok with me, no one is watching, I accept and love myself anyway"

Tapping Points

Eyebrow- I feel guilty eating this cookie
Side of eye- I shouldn't feel guilty
Under the eye- But I do
Under the nose- Do I really want this cookie? No one is watching
Chin-I feel anxious cause I know I will regret it
Collarbone- Don't tell me not to eat this cookie
Top of head- I know I'm going to want another one

Close your eyes and take a D-e-e-p  B-r-e-a-t-h

Rate your intensity 0-10     Notice the shift

"Even though a part of me wants this cookie, I choose to make a healthier choice"
"Even though a part of me really wants this cookie, the truth is I'm not hungry"
"Even though I just want comfort right now, I choose to make a comfortable healthier choice"

Eyebrow- A part of me wants this cookie
Side of eye- It's never satisfying enough
Under the eye- I'm not hungry
Under the nose- What if the truth is, that it's not the cookie I want?
Chin- I don't really want this cookie
Collarbone-I choose to release this pressure that I have to eat this cookie
Side of ribs- It feels soooo much better releasing the pressure
Top of Head- the truth is I don't want this cookie and it feels good to get back on track!

Close your eyes and take a d-e-e-p b-r-e-a-t-h...

Measure again on intensity scale and notice if the numbers went down. Keep tapping if they are staggering until you make the right choice for you.

A Healing Meditation for the Gulf

Carna Zacharias-Miller created a tapping meditation to send healing to the Gulf region. I wish to share this meditation with you. Carna suggests that you say the words out loud since invocations and healing blessings are more powerful this way. Begin by tapping on the Karate Chop spot for the “even though” statements, then tap through the points as you continue. You can listen to the podcast and download the meditation portion at www.eftfree.net/podcasts (scroll down).

A Tapping Process for Healing

Tap on the Karate Chop Point

Even though we feel shocked, sad and angry about the Oil Spill in the Gulf,
we choose to stay calm and balanced and loving anyway.

Even though this brings so much pain and hardship to many, we open the door to healing now.

Even though there is so much negative energy coming from this and spreading way beyond the region
we decide to send waves of light and love to the Gulf and into troubled hearts everywhere.

Tap through the points

We invoke the universal power of physical healing and spiritual wholeness now

We invoke the power of Mother Earth to clean and restore herself now

We invoke the courage and intelligence and willingness to work together in all people around the world

We open the door to profound change in the Gulf region and everywhere else now

Sending giant waves of love into the Gulf region
Sending giant waves of healing light into the Gulf region

Sending love and healing and courage to Louisiana
Sending love and healing and courage to Mississippi

Sending love and healing and courage Alabama
Sending love and healing and courage to Florida

Sending love and healing and courage all over the country
Sending love and healing and courage all over the world

Compassion, support and healing to the waters of the Gulf
Compassion, support and healing to the ecosystem of the Gulf

Compassion, support and healing to the marine life
Compassion, support and healing to the plants

Compassion, support and healing to the birds
Compassion, support and healing to all animals

Wrapping all the people in the Gulf area who lost so much, in golden light and love.
Sending them courage, perserverance, and spiritual guidance

May this be a lesson we learn well:
Renewing our stewardship of all life on this earth
Pledging to honor and protect all life on this earth

May the blessings be.

created by Carna Zacharias-Miller
www.EmotionalWellnessCoach.com

A final note: this process can be considered a form of surrogate tapping for the environment. At a time when we feel so helpless, it is something that we can do. At a time when we feel such anger and sadness about the tragedy, it is a way to transform that energy into healing care and positive vision. Surrogate tapping is powerful and our combined energies may make a difference. I would love to hear your experiences with this — comments are welcome.

[The name has been changed for privacy]

Mary came to me in shock that her boyfriend of 10 years left her. She was devastated. She wanted to do EFT to get in touch with her overwhelming feelings that she’s alone now.

They were living together and she thought that after she finished Law School they would get married and everything was fine. They had some problems that she thought they could work out in therapy like “controlling issues”.

Suddenly, he decided he didn’t want to be in a relationship with her anymore and she just couldn’t believe it. She said “he acted as if nothing was wrong for such a long time”. "He must have been planning this for a while". She said "I trusted him and didn’t think he was capable of doing this to me".

He said all the right things to her, “I want to marry you someday and have a house together and a family” but his actions weren’t showing it. She just kept staying with him hoping that the “marriage thing” would happen eventually. He put her through law school and she’s grateful for that, but she was so angry that he never kept his word.

She doesn’t know what happened. How could a man that has been committed to you for so many years and without telling you why, needs to move out? Did he have another woman? Mary didn’t know. Mary was so in shock, depended and looked up to this man as if he was god and could do no wrong.

So here’s how we started out session… we did EFT and tapped on the shock and devastation of him leaving her and the pain was in her gut.

Her shock was way past 10 and crying

(Karate chop point)

The Set-Up Phrase

"Even though I am in shock and devastated that he left me after all these years and I feel it in my gut, I love and accept myself with compassion and kindness."

"Even though the shock of him leaving me is overwhelming to me and it's in my gut, I accept all my feelings and who I am."

"Even though I am completely devastated that he lied all along and left me, I’m doing the best I can to cope given the knowledge I have right now."

Reminder Phases

Eyebrow- This shocked and devastated feeling in my gut

Side of Eye- I still can’t believe he left me

Under the eye- I trusted him always

Under the Nose- I stuck by him so many years

Chin- I’m devastated

Collarbone- I should of listened to the signals

Side of ribs- I didn’t see them

Top of head- Even though I didn’t catch the signals and I’m in shock I love and accept myself anyway.

Mary said it felt good to bring these feelings to the surface. It brought up all kinds of feelings she didn’t even know existed. The tears rolling down her eyes. Still high numbers

We tapped on another aspect (issue) that came up.

“Even though I want to punish him and have him know he lost a good thing, I don't want to let go of this anger, I love and accept myself anyway".

"Even though I want to make him suffer because of the pain he put me through, I appreciate and honor all my feelings".

"Even though I want him to know he lost a good thing when he hears I'm in a great relationship, I accept myself completely".

Eyebrow- I want to punish him and suffer

Side of eye- He lost a good woman

Under the eye- I'm a great woman

Under the nose- Didn't he see that?

Chin- How dare him not see I'm a great woman

Collarbone- I'm a great woman and I don't want him to forget that!

She took a deep breath and I asked her to put her hand on her heart knowing that even though he left her, she is a great woman and will get back on her feet and come to peace about this one moment at a time.

Her numbers went way down. I asked her to place her hands over her gut and she said she felt much better. We continued tapping on "maybe I don't need to make him suffer""I'm done with suffering" and a light bulb went on in her head. She realized that she just needs to get on with her life and come to peace with this. Her numbers went all the way down.

Carol Look finding root causes with EFT