Learn EFT – EFT 102: Why do people use different tapping points?

This article is part of the EFT 102: How to do EFT, the basics series.

When doing Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), or any meridian based pressure based system, we are tapping on points along the meridian system.  The meridian system is one of the major energy systems of the body (which has been used in health care for more than 5000 year all over the world, not just the far east).  The meridian system has 12 main meridians (each associated with an organ of the body) and 2 main vessels.

When pressure (by touch, tap, needle, or even just thought) is applied, healing can happen in the body.  When Dr. Callahan was developing he found it most effective to use the end points of each of the meridian for tapping, but a number of changes have happened over time as these meridian based healing practices matured.

For example, the point we call the “eyebrow” point is not the end of the bladder meridian.  The real end to the bladder meridian is the inside of the bridge of the nose.  Dr. Callahan was originally worried that people tapping on the inside of the nose might miss and poke their own eye.  To compensate for this, he tested the TFT protocols with the second point on the meridian, which is on the eyebrow.  He found this was successful.

You will also notice, when I introduced the basic recipe I only used 8 points.  This would mean that we are skipping 6 of the meridians.  In 1996 when Gary Craig originally introduced EFT he used all 14 meridians.  But Gary is always an innovator.  He is always looking for ways to make EFT quicker and easier than it is already.  To that end he experimented with cutting out all of the tapping points on the fingers.  He found by doing this it did not effect the results.  Therefore we have the “shortcut” basic recipe we use today.

Many of the professional who use EFT come from many different backgrounds and experiences.  They are bringing their experiences as therapist, acupuncturists, chiropractors, hypnotists, Traditional Chinese Medicine practitioners, other forms of energy work, and western medicine.  When they do this they bring a great deal of experience and expertise.

When you learn EFT you are not asked to dismiss everything you have learned in the past.  It is one more tool to add to your health tool kit.  Also, remember EFT is called Emotional Freedom Techniques (plural), because there is not one and one only way to do this.

I know in my practice there are tapping points I use that are not part of the basic recipe, which I have found to be very helpful from experience.  If you master the eight point basic recipe you are going to have a great deal of success.  After you have done this you can then expand your repertoire.

You must first learn to walk before you can run.

Also, if while tapping you get the inspiration to tap some part of the body that is not part of the basic recipe, do it!  Trust your instinct.  You can’t hurt yourself (assuming you aren’t poking your eye out).  The worst thing that can happen is you might poke your own eye out.

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About Gene Monterastelli
Gene is a Baltimore, MD based EFT practitioner, the editor of Tapping Q & A, and the host of the Tapping Q & A Podcast (archive | iTunes). Learn more about Gene here or find out how to work with Gene here. You can connect with Gene on his personal twitter, his tapping twitter or on facebook.