Tapping
Tapping [Emotional Freedom Tapping or EFT] is a great way to calm your thinking. Just the physical sensation is very comforting for lots of people and it’s a great way to take your attention inwards by focusing on specific parts of your body. But there’s even better news. There’s a whole scientific theory behind it that has been proven to significantly reduce levels of the stress hormone cortisol.
Take a couple of really deep breaths before you start. This all feels much more intense if you close your eyes.
- Working from the top of your head, use the tips of the fingers on each hand to gently, evenly and rhythmically tap. Tap around the crown of your head and then gently away to the sides of the top, moving towards the front then to the back and all around the back of your head.
- Now move to your forehead. Work horizontally from side to side going right out to your temples.
- Next tap very softly around your eye sockets – above and below. Pay particular attention to the insides of your eyebrows and the outside of your eye sockets.
- Move inwards to the space between your eyebrows and now down each side of your nose and to the space below your nose and above your lips.
- Work out along the top of your cheekbones going out to your ears. Now all around the ears and coming back in along your jaw line. Your fingers will meet on your chin.
- Tap around your chin, around your mouth, then up and out again just below your cheek bones.
- Finish by tapping down the sides of your neck and along your collar bones, then finally again anywhere that feels good.
When you take your hands away keep your eyes closed. Notice any sensations, lightness or tingling you feel.
Can you still feel a sensation of movement? Does it change? Do you notice any difference in how you feel compared to before you started tapping?
There are lots of different ways to practise Mindfulness through Sensory Experience. Have a go at the methods below and see which work for you!