Tap, tap, tap

 

So many things to celebrate this month. Groundhog Day, the play of light - shadow or no shadow … baby, it’s been cold outside!! Mardi Gras, laissez les bons temps rouler - let the good times roll and Valentine’s Day, we all need a little sweetness in our life!

We thought we'd send a little love your way with another simple yet powerful technique you can add to your emotional wellness toolkit - it is called Emotional Freedom Technique, or EFT. Emotional Freedom Technique, also known as 'Tapping', has been shown to be effective for reducing stress, worry, and anxiety in adults and recent studies have shown it can benefit children too.

Emotional wellness is defined as the ability to successfully handle life’s stresses and adapt to change and difficult times. Research has shown that mindful movement and conscious breathing are highly effective to calm the body and shift emotions and that is one of the reasons we practice yoga! EFT is essentially a body-mind practice too.

EFT involves tapping on specific meridian points on the body while repeating a mindfulness statement. It is a self-healing technique (with no negative side effects) which combines ancient Chinese wisdom with modern day neuroscience. 

Did you know that emotions like stress, worry, and anxiety can get ‘stuck’ in the body? Meridians are pathways where energy flows throughout our body, and emotions are energy in motion. When they get ‘stuck’ they cause problems. Neuroscience tells us there is a direct link to these meridian points and the stress center of the brain, and tapping on these points sends a message that calms it down.  

Another interesting component of EFT is the use of mindfulness statement. Statements are like stories we tell ourselves. The brain is like a computer, it stores data that is input. I like to think tapping erases the old story, so we can rewrite a new one.

You don’t need to understand how or why it works. It’s really pretty simple and takes almost no time. Curious? 

Of course, you should try it on yourself before introducing it to your child. Here are some tips to get started.

• Familiarize yourself with the tapping points
• Have a light-hearted manner and make it fun
• Go slow, work on one issue at a time
• Remember, all emotions are valid and acceptable
• Gentle taps, about 7 times on each point

First, begin by identifying an emotion. Encourage your child to express how they are feeling. Keep it simple to start; scared, sad, angry, worried. Then create a mindfulness statement that starts with a feeling.

Example; worry, scared

 "Even though I'm feeling anxious, I know I can handle whatever happens."

"Even though I'm feeling scared, I know that I am safe."

Next, tap through the points. If you notice a yawn, it’s working. Yawns are one way the body-mind releases emotions. If you don't notice anything right away, no worries. Trust the process. End with a slow deep breath in and out, then hug your child!

There are lots of resources available to learn more about EFT. We believe nothing is more important than the health and well-being of our children, perhaps you will find tapping an effective tool for your child along with the practice of yoga. By teaching children to focus on self-care, we can help them self-regulate and build resilience.  

Drum roll…this month’s giveaway, “The Magic Peach Tree” ebook. This title came out last fall, reviews are slowly trickling in and they are fantastic! Here are a couple of short but sweet ones.  

"This book was wonderful: beautifully written, simple storytelling that’s easy for all readers to grasp, and absolutely stunning images. It teaches lessons of mindfulness and kindness, as well as descriptions of various yoga poses to match with elements of the story. Very creative!"

"What a beautiful tale of kindness and generosity. The story begins with an old man who appears to be a homeless beggar. When he is mocked by a local shop keeper, the villagers come to his rescue and as thanks, he performs a miraculous deed. Tied in with yoga poses, this story will be delightful to read and pose with your little ones!"

"The story is wise and really fascinating. Little kids are riveted by it. My niece loves to stare at the pictures. All the yoga poses are super cool too. It's a great 2-in-1 kind of book. Great buy!"

We’d love for you to read and review too if you feel so inclined. It will be FREE Wednesday and Thursday, February 21 and 22.

 Grab it here; mybook.to/themagicpeachtree

 

 May all children be calm, confident, and compassionate.

XOXO

Kathe and Mel