Living Energy Blog

EFT-tapping points (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

EFT is a great tool that I use personally as well as with clients. One of the things that I like best about it–besides its effectiveness—is that people can learn it easily and then have a technique that is always available to them.

 The following is an article by Nick Ortner published in the Huffington Post. It is an excellent summary re: the research and practice of EFT. 

Breakthroughs in Energy Psychology: A New Way to Heal the Body and Mind

By Nick Ortner

Yoga, meditation, massage, acupuncture, and herbal remedies; these are just some of Eastern medicine’s contributions to our decades-long search for ways to live well with fewer pills and less-invasive health care. Toward that end, I’m excited to report that there are promising new findings in the field of energy psychology, specifically about a practice called Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT), or tapping, that is taking our search for holistic solutions to an exciting new level.

What’s unique about EFT is how it combines Eastern wisdom about acupressure, or “meridian points,” in our bodies, with traditional Western psychotherapy. The practice consists of tapping with your fingertips on specific meridian points while talking through traumatic memories and a wide range of emotions. “Acupoint tapping sends signals directly to the stress centers of the mid-brain, not mediated by the frontal lobes (the thinking part, active in talk therapy),” explains Dr. Church, Ph.D., who has been researching and using EFT since 2002. Because EFT simultaneously accesses stress on physical and emotional levels, he adds, “EFT gives you the best of both worlds, body and mind, like getting a massage during a psychotherapy session.”

In fact, it’s EFT’s ability to access the amygdala, an almond-shaped part of your brain that initiates your body’s negative reaction to fear, a process we often refer to as the “fight or flight” response, that makes it so powerful. “By reducing stress,” adds Church, “EFT helps with many problems. There’s a stress component to sports performance, business and financial pressure, and most disease. When you reduce stress in one area of your life, there’s often a beneficial effect in other areas.”
Church estimates that 10 million people worldwide have used tapping, and what’s so exciting is how incredibly quickly it’s alleviating issues like depression, anxiety and insomnia, as well severe PTSD, physical pain, even illness.

At this point you’re probably thinking what most intelligent and sane people are — how is that possible? How can tapping on “meridian points” resolve serious health issues? As an EFT practitioner and the producer of the movie The Tapping Solution, it’s a question I’ve been asked repeatedly over many years. In fact, you’ll often hear me refer to EFT as “this strange tapping thing.” Fortunately, there’s very real science (and results!) behind it.

In partnership with Dr. David Feinstein, Dr. Church has been able to confirm that tapping on specific meridian points has a positive effect on cortisol levels. Cortisol, known as the “stress hormone,” is integral to our body’s “fight or flight” response. Originally designed to help us survive life in the wild, the “fight or flight” response was essential when our ancient ancestors were faced with sudden, brief danger like, let’s say, a tiger. However useful in short bursts, releasing cortisol too frequently, as we seem to be doing in response to the ongoing or “chronic” stress of modern life, may have serious, even scary, impacts on our physical, mental and emotional health. In fact, living in this kind of biological “survival mode” may be making us more vulnerable to everything from cancer to heart disease, and more.

In Dr. Church’s study, 83 participants were separated into three groups. One group was guided through an hour-long EFT session, the second group received an hour of talk therapy, while the third, the control group, received no treatment. The group that did an hour of EFT demonstrated a 24 percent decrease in cortisol levels, while the other two groups showed no real change. The EFT group also exhibited lower levels of psychological symptoms, including anxiety, depression, and others, as measured by the Symptom Assessment-45 (SA-45), a standard psychological assessment tool.

Research suggests that EFT may be so effective because of its perceived ability to balance out the nervous system, leveling off the activity of the parasympathetic and sympathetic regions. Responsible for promoting cell regeneration and relaxation, the parasympathetic region helps to slow your heartbeat, support digestion, and more. The sympathetic system, on the other hand, prepares you for vigorous physical activity by speeding up your heart, constricting your pupils, and so on. As noted in Church’s study, imbalance between these two regions is associated with a long list of health issues, from high blood pressure and heart problems (most often seen in those with an overactive sympathetic region), to depression, fatigue, and weakened immune response (in those with excessive parasympathetic activity).

In his study findings, Church asserts that EFT, which he refers to as “acupoint treatments” produces “a neutral emotional state,” which, biologically speaking, is the gold standard of health and wellness. It’s also the state of well-being people have sought to achieve for millennia through meditation, prayer, yoga, and other mindfulness practices.

Dr. Feinstein, a clinical psychologist who uses EFT in his own practice, adds that EFT is an “unusually precise, rapid, and direct for shifting the neurological underpinnings of a range of psychological problems.” In fact, he adds, “the number of therapists using EFT has been rapidly increasing over the past decade, and now peer-reviewed research is showing that their instincts have been right.  Surprisingly rapid outcomes with a variety of disorders are being documented.”

The results of that documentation can (and will!) impact millions of lives in incredibly powerful ways, which is why I’m excited to share a host of new studies with you here, in future posts. In the meantime, I look forward to hearing your feedback. Are you familiar with tapping? Do you use it yourself, or know others who do? Are there specific topics you’d like me to focus on in future posts?

Nick Ornter is the creator and executive producer of the hit documentary film, “The Tapping Solution.” His new book on EFT will be published by Hay House in April 2013. To get a copy of his free eBook, “Tapping Your Way to Health, Happiness and Abundance” visit TheTappingSolution.com

Related articles

• PTSD Energy Therapies (my.psychologytoday.com)

Image via Wikipedia

Most people have an awareness that stress affects the heart. There is however less awareness of how this actually occurs. Changes Happen in our energy field first in response to life events and interactions. The energetic changes travel from the energy system into  the nervous, circulatory and hormonal systems where physical imbalances begin to occur. In addition to issues of grief, loss and disappointment, changes to the heart’s energy are also profoundly affected by our feelings of self love, self acceptance and relationships with others. Conversely, the state of our heart energy contributes to our capacity to feel these qualities.  The condition of heart energy also influences the level of our spiritual capacity and connection. In short, our heart’s energy is a major player in every facet of our lives! Some care and positive attention to this part of ourselves can have enormous impact on the quality of our lives.

The heart chakra takes the denser energy from the lower chakras and converts it into a subtler form so the energy can move upward where it takes the form of thoughts, ideas and inspiration. In addition, the heart chakra transforms the energy from the upper chakras into a lower frequency so it can flow to the lower chakras and be used to manifest ideas, inspiration and desires on the physical plane. Our heart plays a major role in bringing our ideas from the realm of thought into the material world. And of course this can happen in a positive or a negative way.

While the elements associated with the previous chakras are tangible, the element of the heart chakra is air and thus invisible. The heart chakra is home to Prana or life force ….the unseen energy we take in with every breath.

Psychologically the heart is involved in the shift from average everyday consciousness, external focus and ego to a deeper, broader awareness that encompasses self and other as well as spiritual realms.

Our hearts are keenly involved in our daily lives and especially in the major events we encounter in our journey.  Who has not known the feeling of the heart chakra shutting down to protect itself, or the sense of a “jam or blockage” as we try heal and shift our experience ? We may not have associated the feeling with energy or a chakra but we all recognize the sensation!

Issues involving the heart such as death, divorce, loss, abandonment and betrayal may all be part of our human experience at one time or another. Closing of the heart chakra creates numbness in an attempt to protect ourselves from unbearable pain. Unfortunately this generally has the effect of making things worse as communication with other chakras is shut off and a feeling of emptiness results. This is why knowing how to process difficult emotions is so vitally important to our well being.

On a more positive note the heart carries within it the power to transmute our negative feelings. Guilt, fear, shame and anger can all be transformed through the loving power of the heart.

When the heart chakra is in balance and energy is freely flowing, a person is self accepting, trusting, forgiving, compassionate, charged with positive emotions and fueled by hope. As always the issue is to take charge of our inner states and create more of what we truly desire on the inside so that energy can flow out into the outer world and bring more of what we truly desire to manifest in our world.  Love heals and we can always choose to focus on it rather than fear or negativity…but learning to choose love is a process so self compassion and patience with a learning curve are necessary.

Next: Signs of balance and imbalance of Heart Chakra energies

Related articles

• Chakra + Immune System Health (chakralivingroomaz.com)

Image via Wikipedia

It is the year of the dragon…a symbol of courage and strength in Chinese mythology. Perhaps there is some universal archetypal energy afoot that can help us all develop more of those qualities in this new year!

Jungian Psychology, Mythology, classic fairy tales and myths from many cultures all suggest that w e are each on a hero/ine’s journey in our lives. These sources all speak of human drama, dilemmas and long journeys in search of truth, ‘treasure’, and freedom. They also speak quite clearly of the challenges along the way.  Our lives may seem less adventuresome in contrast with these stories and legends. On closer inspection though, aren’t our lives filled with drama, intense emotion, seemingly impossible tests and spine tingling cliff hangers as we hang out in the ‘not knowing zone’?  It does seem that just living life requires enormous courage!

Unusual or astounding situations aside, it seems that life can and often does require a great deal from us. One of the greatest myths about facing our challenges, in my opinion, is that we should have all we need to cope immediately, or that there is something wrong with us if we cannot rise to challenging circumstances with grit and grace NOW! A more accurate and compassionate view is that we have raw potential within and it is life’s difficulties that trigger the development of strength, courage, patience—or any other quality that we may have in short supply!

What images come to mind when you think of courage? Strength? Patience? Other virtues?

 Do you find images of real or fictional heroes and heroines tumbling into mind?

If you do, use them to imagine having those same qualities rather than to berate yourself for being lacking.

 Can you remember times in your own life when you’ve found an inner strength or drive that perhaps you never knew you had?

Use that memory to start a flow of positive energy and piggy back the new desired quality on it.

Your brain does not know the difference between real and imagined. Envisioning helps to build what you desire

Focusing on the development of positive qualities not only works to benefit mind-body-energetic health, it also combats stress! 

Related articles

• Fairy Tales as Guides to Self-Undertanding (meggella.com)

Image via Wikipedia

The Sacral Chakra is located in the pelvis approximately three finger widths below the navel and it develops between 3 and 8 years of age. With proper support at this stage we learn about feelings and how to express and manage them. With adequate guidance, modeling and mirroring a healthy sense of entitlement (deserving) and self worth are developed. The second chakra is the seat of our emotions and regulates the flow and distribution of energy.

Physically the sacral is associated with the health of the reproductive organs and hips. It also governs the body’s liquids, E. G. blood, lymph, mucus, saliva. Health issues that reflect an imbalance in this chakra occur in the areas mentioned.

Metaphors From Water
The sacral chakra’s element is water. As we think about the qualities of water we can get a felt sense of how second chakra energy functions in our lives. Nature clearly demonstrates both the power and attributes of water and reflects the possible states for the manifestation of our energy.

Water can be smooth and flowing as in a river stream, it can pack the power of ocean waves crashing on the shore; it can be stagnant as a pond that receives no fresh and cleansing input. Water can be as refreshing as a mountain lake, cold as the frozen tundra or volatile as steam exploding from a too tight container. Water can be refreshing, life giving and life enhancing. However, too much or too little water can be a problem as can stagnation, or the lack of containment. These, as we all know, can be harmful or destructive. And so it can be with the emotional power of the second chakra.

Construction or Destruction—Your Choice
The sacral chakra has been described as a dark interior cave where all manner of demons lie but it also holds some of the most profound raw material for the creation of our lives. The negative interpretation arises as the second chakra is where our most challenging shadow material is registered. It is up to us whether we choose to work with these energies so they become our allies or leave them unconscious where they become our inner enemies.

At best this energy center is the womb of creation. It is a place where new life gathers its power and is gestated until it is ripe and ready to be birthed into the world. It is a profound, complex and powerful center of our core nature.

My opinion is that a useful and productive way to approach this energy center is that of getting to know a multifaceted friend full of meaning who has wisdom and great gifts for us hidden beneath some pain. This friend needs kindness, compassion and acceptance. Once embraced in this way the full power of this mysterious interior spring can nurture our lives and be a source of resilience and emotional intelligence.

Emotional Symptoms of Imbalance
One clue that something is amiss in this energy center is feelings of shame or of having done something wrong. This feeling is different than the healthy guilt that comes from having actually broken a law, done harm or crossed a line that is against one’s own integrity. Shame is a sense of BEING wrong, flawed or bad in the deep inner fabric of your being. There may be confusion and lack of understanding of where this feeling came from. Often the origin of shame is the result of projected emotions from others early in a person’s life. These feelings are rooted deeply in the disowned feelings of others that got absorbed into the field of a growing child. Once something is inside us we feel it and that being so, we believe it is ours to own.

Other signs that there are issues or blocked energy in the second chakra are: difficulty appreciating life’s goodness; nothing seems good enough and depression can result. There can also be a sense of being stuck, of having no ability to adapt or change; there may be insensitivity to one’s own feelings and emotional needs and an inability to express emotion; there may be denial of pleasure with unyielding, strict and rigid self imposed boundaries—this can include healthy practices done in the extreme. An excess of energy in this center may show itself as a compulsion for pleasure and being extremely emotional.

At its best the sacral chakra is liquid and flowing providing an ability to be flexible and adaptable. However we can go too far in this direction as well and create imbalance. You know this is a problem if you feel in a constant state of flux with an inability to ground or set boundaries; there also may be a tendency to be overly emotional and dramatic.

Opening and balancing the sacral chakra fundamentally involves letting go of shame, unhealthy guilt and frustration and learning to go with the flow of life. Balancing the sacral chakra allows emotion to freely move through our systems. Just as flowing water is purifying, refreshing and revitalizing so it is with feelings set in motion without resistance that includes proper channeling. When the energy here is open, flowing and balanced we are responsive, intuitive, buoyant, and full of dreams and healthy desire.

For Sacral Chakra Meditations:

Energy Aerobics http://bit.ly/wWnQ2J

Chakra Guided Meditations http://bit.ly/w1D4sN

Related articles

• Chakra energy system (windowsofmeditation.wordpress.com)

Image via Wikipedia

There are so many different types of love. If you stop for a moment and think about all the various kinds of love you have felt in your life, you may find that you alternately bring your energy level up only to have it crash as the next memory comes rolling in! Of course the good news here is that if we are conscious we can use this dynamic to our benefit. By choosing to dwell on times when you were truly deeply loving from the strongest place within, you can not only raise your energy level but also help yourself grow in the capacity to hold higher vibrations of healthy love. And it feels so good that perhaps you will decide to feel it more often thus helping to bring a more consistently loving state to yourself and those around you.

It has been said that the very fabric of the universe is love…that the basic vibration of the cosmos is unconditional love. As part of the cosmos we have that essence within us. The problem is that most of us are disconnected from it. But just because we cannot always feel it does not mean it is not there.  We can reconnect to the flow of love within ourselves through our heart chakra.  Flowing energy regularly through this very important center can expand your heart energy and open you to love.

Outside circumstances often have the effect of bringing this kind of universal love to the surface. Natural disasters, illness in oneself or a loved one, parenting and deep friendship are all instances that can draw the best from deep within us. An outpouring
of love and compassion is evident in many forms in response to crises .

Outside sources may seem to trigger the flow of this higher form of love and we come to believe that we need the stimulus in order to feel it. We do not. Many of the world’s great mystics speak about the intoxicating elixir that is cosmic love. They connected with and cultivated this type of love through meditation and other spiritual practices.

You do not have to be a great cosmic seer or a great holy person to feel this love. You can start right where you are. The first step is to look at what blockages or barriers you may have in relation to self love. Love is energy just like any other emotion. So it makes sense that if you are in contact with that energy and have an abundant supply flowing through you that you can easily flow it to another.  If you don’t feel love from within, look at what blocks may be there. What messages, thoughts, feelings, beliefs and emotions are you carrying that keep you from this most precious birthright? What do you believe about yourself, the world…men… women…need…lack… that holds you back?

We see our beliefs reinforced around us every day.  Where some have “good” experiences, others have “bad” ones.  Where some experience happiness, others may experience and project anger, blame, fear, anxiety and more.  Your beliefs can present limits and place obstacles that keep you from having what you desire. The most important thing is not what happened to you to create these beliefs, but what you are doing today to change them and take charge of your life.

It is an amazing feeling to be able to experience love for no good reason other than it is possible! It is peace and joy…a quiet heart full to bursting. It also is not a permanent space for most of us. We must keep working at it and recommitting to it each day.

What if you were to see your life as a palette to paint upon? What if you were to respond with an artist’s heart, one filled with love for the creation and fashion something fine and beautiful with the gift of freedom to love? What if your destiny is to be love in the world? Begin deep within yourself and practice opening your heart to its full potential every day!

Image via Wikipedia

Developing your consciousness to be aware and tuned in to what thoughts and feeling states are running you sets the stage for being able to release them and the accompanying stress.

Engaging a method that allows for the release of resistance to difficult feelings and compulsive thgought loops and letting that energy flow…allows it to go! You then have a real choice to generate positive emotions and feeling in your body-mind.

1. Today I will remember that it is my choice which thoughts and feelings I allow to flow through my body-mind.

2. As I open to release the pain deep in my heart, there is more space for wisdom and love to flow through me.

3. Consciously choosing to feel love and compassion improves my health and well being.

Image via Wikipedia

Many people have commented to me that they find it hard to know where to begin to focus on gratitude or appreciation when there is so much stress in the world. So if you are in a dark or stressful time how can you begin?

Some simple questions can begin to help you turn the corner to feeling more gratitude and to get a positive flow of energy coursing through you being!

What or who can I be grateful for?

What or who in my life can I really appreciate?

Remember to think broadly. We live life moment by moment; the huge awards, recognition, and great ‘deals’ are not daily fare. While it is wonderful to celebrate those and enjoy them, there is something about feeling the emotions of gratitude and appreciation that connects you to the deeper rhythms of life and offers more juice, feeling and vitality—the real stuff of being human — a source of a different type of meaning, satisfaction and fulfillment. That it not to say that material success is wrong, or to be turned away from, only that too much attention in that direction can result in dissonance that leaves a person empty and longing rather than fulfilled.

So find something wonderful about the moment you are in …the warmth of the sun, the crispness of the air, the beauty of the sky. Where can you find beauty today? Where can you find the touch of peace? What do you see that warms your heart? Do you have a favorite memory that brings feelings of love, peace or happiness to your heart?

Before you go to sleep tonight identify five things that made you happy, feel complete or that you appreciated. Remember to count yourself … things you value about YOU!   Use your memory to call up images of times when you felt grateful…play those over and over instead of the wouldas, couldas, shouldas that tend to rumble around in our minds!

Lack anywhere in your life is a reflection of the state of your vital life force and how you are managing it. Energy flows where your attention goes.  So, focusing on feeling appreciation for what you do have, including the special people in your life and
expressing gratitude for your blessings regularly, builds healthy energy and paves the way for more good to come to you.  The same thing happens with stress, frustration, anxiety, worry, anger, etc.  Whatever you focus on is what shows up.  It’s similar to the glass half-full/half-empty concept.  We can choose to consciously focus on the beneficial things that are happening and create a way for more of them to come or we can dwell on all of the things that aren’t perfect and encourage a negative stream of events.

Related articles

• Findings: A Serving of Gratitude Brings Healthy Dividends (nytimes.com)

I (Peg) am fascinated with the energetic aspects of money and what is does to us, what it does to society. For some time I have been thinking about the value of work and goods and services. Why do people work at jobs they don’t like? What factors go into deciding that an hour of time from one person is worth more or less than an hour of time from another? How did we get to the point where so many people are not earning a living wage while others have more than they will ever need or use? There are many reasons for all of this, on multiple levels.

What is interesting about our current times is that these topics have reached the mainstream and we are beginning to have intelligent conversations about them in many spheres of influence. Last week I started reading Debt: The First 5,000 Years, by David Graeber. Within a few days, a friend told me about Sacred Economics: Money, Gift and Society in the Age of Transition by Charles Eisenstein. Interestingly enough, they were published on the same day: July 12, 2011, just ahead of the Occupy Wall St. movement. As I was scanning my email today, a third link came in. The Daily Good posted a story called: “When Generosity Meets Venture Capital.” When I delve deep into a topic, things often come to me in groups of three.

A public conversation about money, debt and humanity is emerging. It’s a growing movement and it’s exciting. During Biblical times, Jubilee years were held periodically where all consumer debt was cancelled. Just imagine how things would shift if we did this today! The time is right to envision a world where we all live in peace, health and happiness … and we can all contribute in one way or another.

Related articles

• Debt: The First 5,000 Years, by David Graeber (theglobeandmail.com)

Image by brewbooks via Flickr

Over the past few decades the cosmos has gifted us with a steady layering in of new energies that have challenged us to adapt, change and adjust to a transforming world. Global shifts are affecting everyone even those who have not had to face a major catastrophe or natural disaster. We each are being shaken, confronted with an opportunity to wake up to a reality without  illusion –not just to accommodate, but to live from a more authentic inner core and participate in the creation of a new world. We do not need to be revolutionaries on a global level (unless we feel called to operate on that level), but we do need to and can  take care of our own corner of the world—ourselves—and manage our energy so that we can respond from strength rather than react from fear to change.

Change typically begins with the erosion, dissolution or destruction of the old. This is naturally accompanied by feelings of anxiety, confusion and fear as foundations crumble and roots are shaken or torn out altogether. Understanding the energy and structure of your root chakra helps begin the process of moving through change with more ease and grace. Focusing on healing and building new energy at this level contributes to building a new, strong foundation for your life as you move forward.

 Our energy and nervous systems —the state of our inner nation—-has a lot to do with how we will experience, process, and respond to the new energy taking up resonance in our universe.   The strength, resonance and alignment of our personal energy also affect what and how we will create in our new world.

 Chakras in Real Life
How do our chakras operate in real life? Many in the west tend to think of the energy centers as mere metaphors; however they are very real electromagnetic spaces that exist within our bodies and affect our minds and feelings. The chakras are like mini brains that sit at strategic places along our spine. They occupy the same space as major nerve plexus and endocrine glands. In fact they are in intimate conversation with these structures and together they orchestrate our mind body communication and expression in the world.

 Root Chakra: Qualities and Influence
The root chakra is located at the base of your spine and is the first to develop after birth. This energy center is the foundation of your energy system, your physical vitality, and a cornerstone of psychological and spiritual well being.

Physically the root correlates with the adrenal glands and all bony structures….It provides support and a framework for both the physical and psychological body. We learn to crawl, walk and stand as the root chakra expands and comes online. Physically the root chakra governs the immune, skeletal and lower digestive systems. When root energies are out of balance the  physical issues that present are: poor balance, sciatica, chronic fatigue,  bowel disorders knee, and leg or foot problems.

 Psychologically first chakra energy assists us with putting down roots in the world and standing
on our own two feet.

 Trauma, family stress and a lack of appropriate nurturing during the first few years of life create an imbalance in root chakra energies. The consequence of these early experiences and the resulting imbalance amplify fearful or negative coping and reactions to change. Fear does not always show up as an outright anxiety disorder or phobia. It can also appear as shyness, dread or fear of criticism. Many people feel fear as an absence of security or as difficulty experiencing inner stability, safety and comfort.

The state of your root chakra energy affects how you respond to upsets such as loss of a job, living situation or person in your life. Directly addressing the energy of this layer of your field can heal and shift your energy to manage life and events from a place of centeredness, groundedness and inner strength.

Spirtually strong, balanced root chakras contribute to feelings of really being a child of the universe with all the security, sense of belonging and capacity to connect therin. 

 Earth Mother Energy
The positive archetype for the root chakra is the Earth Mother. A person with strong, positive root energy honors and cares for the body as a sacred vessel that carries them in the material world. Physical needs are well cared for which results in healthy vitality, as well as abundant energy to flow upward to open and expand the chakras above. The health of the lower three chakras determine how you experience and behave in the material world and the higher chakras help to expand your inner world. They open up the capacity for greater creative manifestation and expanded spiritual experience.

Emotionally a lack of first chakra energy manifests as being too rigid and not being open to options for change…change can also be difficult if you are overly grounded —-this is evidenced through being stubborn, overly controlling, lacking in imagination or initiative.

If root energy is steady and balanced you can transcend fear—thoughts of loss do not disturb your inner peace, sap your strength or drain your vitality. With strong balanced energy serving as the foundation of your system you are more able to allow yourself to see life clearly, to let life unfold as it will, and accept what is while, knowing where your power, responsibility and boundaries lie.  A strong root chakra helps to maintain a calm steady inner experience in spite of what is happening outside or around you.

If you are interested in working with your root chakra energies, our program Relaxation 101 is a great 21 minute relaxation/meditation designed to help you begin your journey. Other programs include information and techniques for the root chakra while addressing the entire energy system. You can find complete descriptions of what to expect in each program here:    https://www.livingenergyworks.com/store/?ccUser=

Related articles

• Commotions Cycle (eng.atelier-hayat.com)