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Homework for Functional Yoga Therapy
EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) / T
apping

Instructions:

Please read the following Introduction and view the links in the blue box below.

EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) or Tapping is a fast and gentle way of discharging emotional distress, traumatic memories and negative thoughts.

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EFT stimulates specific acupressure points by tapping on them with fingertips while focusing on a negative emotion or issue you'd like to change.  This calms the nervous system and discharges whatever happens to be stuck - feelings, beliefs, behaviors and even physical symptoms, often, when nothing else has helped.

 

Most everyone has experienced a time when they've met someone that just rubs them the wrong way even though this person has been perfectly lovely.  We've all had times when we've overreacted to a certain situation for no apparent reason.  Both of these are examples of the nervous system being triggered, often at the subconscious level, by something in the environment that brings up the feelings of a previous, unpleasant experience.  This person or setting has caused the nervous system to hijack your brain and put it into a defensive mode, activating the fight/flight response or, sometimes, even the freeze response.

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The Limbic Brain (the mammalian brain) which is part of the Amygdala is the part that decides when to go into the Fight/Flight/Freeze response.  This part of the brain developed millions of years before speech so talking, alone, is not an effective way of moving the nervous system into a calmer state.  The take-away is that you cannot talk your way out of trauma.  Tapping brings in the physical/somatic aspect that has a direct and immediate effect of down regulating the Amygdala's reaction to real or imagined threat.

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A good example is of a dog growling at a friend approaching the house and you try to explain (talk) that this is a good person.  Most likely this approach will be ineffective.  If, however, you pat (or tap) the top of the dog's head while explaining, chances are the dog will calm down.  Tapping tells the 'dog brain' that the threat is over.

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In Tapping we use language to trigger the upset (activate an emotional charge) and tapping to down regulate the nervous system.  There are still benefits of tapping without the speaking part but when language is incorporated with tapping more of the brain lights up making the tapping  more powerful.  Research shows that one hour of tapping can change the expression of 72 genes and reduce cortisol (a stress hormone) by 24% (some studies show this to be even higher).  When the nervous system is in a calm, rest, digest state the body is able to do maintenance, repair and heal to bring about an overall healthier person.

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One of the best things about EFT is that it's easy to learn and can be used anytime the need arises.  Try It On Everything", a phrase used often by EFT founder, Gary Craig. Give EFT a try even if you think the problem is impossible. This is because EFT appears to produce benefits for just about everything thrown at it. â€‹

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  • Pain Relief

  • Anger

  • Addictions

  • Weight Loss/Food Cravings

  • Anxiety

  • Trauma

  • Depression

  • School

  • Sports

  • Issues around sex

  • Migraines

  • Health issues

Functional Yoga Therapy Homework

to be completed before we meet:

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Personal Peace Procedure

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Is a self-improvement plan in which you clear problems and release core issues that are getting in the way of living your fullest life. 

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  • Create a list of every bad memory that you can think of (the ones you don't want to remember), giving each one a simply title. Try for at least 100.

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  • Tap on one memory from your list every day. 

 

In three months you will have cleared 90 unhappy memories!  This can transform your life!!

Additional Resources

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Books:

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  • Hacking Reality - Rob Nelson, MS

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  • 8 Keys to Brain Body Balance - Dr. Robert Scaer

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  • The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind and Body in the Healing of Trauma - Bessel van der Kolk, M.D.

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  • Transform Your Beliefs Transform Your Life - Karl Dawson & Kate Marillat

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Research / Articles:

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Matrix Reimprinting

Matrix Reimprinting uses tapping to help, explain and calm the "younger self"  experienced the troubling memory.  It then allows the "younger self" to change the picture for the better, empowering the "younger self" and to, then, reimprint this new picture into the brain of the "current self".  It sounds "out there" but is a very gentle and effective way to release limiting beliefs about themselves or life in general.  This can change the client's whole outlook on life, thus, changing their behavior, choices and their future.  Where EFT/Tapping can be done on one's own, Matrix Reimprinting is more effective with a Practitioner to guide and hold space for the client.

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