When our ancestors wore animal skins and were hunted by saber-toothed tigers, their bodies needed an emergency jet-assist overdrive system to save their lives.
The ever-present dangers required that their bodies’ emergency response systems be able to “activate” instantly.
It was a task for the body’s hormonal system, which would release a flood of of cortisol.
When we face a deadly threat, a brain region called the amygdala lights up. The amygdala is the part of the brain where raw, instinctual emotional reactions are localized.
When the amygdala fires, the body immediately jump-starts its “fight or flight” response.
It’s a terrifically effective system – it saved our bacon many times when we found a snarling cat in our path.
But while the cortisol response works great when our lives are in danger, it becomes problematic when the threat isn’t real – when something that frightened us in the past elicits an emotional response in the present.
One of the greatest fears many people face is public speaking.
Imagine that your grade school teacher made you stand up before the class and give a report. You trembled and stuttered, evoking raucous laughter from your classmates.
The result may be a deep-seated life-long fear of public speaking.
Your life may not require you to scamper away from saber-tooth tigers. But your amygdala will go into overdrive when you’re asked to deliver a report or offer a toast at your daughter’s wedding.
The trouble is, the body has a hard time distinguishing between real and imagined threats.
Depending on your lifestyle, you may face many everyday events that call forth the fight-or-flight response and an accompanying flood of cortisol.
This is not good for your body!
Over the years, these repeated cortisol “events” will have a negative cumulative effect on your health.
Chronic cortisol release is detrimental to our muscles and bone, our digestion, and our ability to heal. It contributes to premature aging and weakens the immune system.
The good news is that there’s an EASY WAY to tame the stress response. The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) has been shown to turn off the amygdala’s alarm system very effectively.
With EFT Tapping, you tap your fingers on certain acupuncture meridian end points. The gentle tapping sends a calming message to the body.
EFT Tapping helps calm the amygdala’s emotional gut-reactions, so that your heart can slow down and breathe a sigh of relief. The relaxing effects of EFT Tapping calm the fight-or-flight response and protect the body from chronic high cortisol levels.
EFT has demonstrated its superior effectiveness as a treatment for many stress-related issues, including post-traumatic stress syndrome, traumas, and phobias. It has proved effective in treating stress problems caused by relationship issues, physical pain, financial problems, etc. – in short, the endless parade of stressors we encounter in our modern lives.
The best part is , once you learn EFT Tapping, you’ll have a handy tool for taming your inner stress tiger wherever you are.
MORE ABOUT EFT TAPPING
What is it?
The Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) is a psychotherapeutic tool that is loosely related to acupuncture, but without needles – just tapping the same acupuncture body meridians.
Psychotherapists believe negative emotions are caused by traumatic or negative events or long-held memories of the past.
In EFT, it’s believed that our negative thoughts and memories trigger a disruption in the body’s energy system, which sooner or later translates as emotional or physical pain.
By tapping the meridian points while deliberately visualizing the details of the negative event until they clear, the power of the event is diminished or completely erased. Clients are often surprised by how quickly they find relief.
How will EFT improve my life?
EFT can help you shift your awareness from negative feelings about past and present events, to feeling in balance and contented. Your reaction to threats, insecurities, fears, overwhelming emotions, and even physical pain can be gradually brought under your control.
Can I use EFT on my own?
EFT is best learned from a practitioner. Then, with regular, continued practice, it can become a powerful tool for dealing with emotional and physical stressors. No matter where you are, you will always have it with you.
To schedule an EFT treatment or learning session with Jane Hernandez, call (510) 676‑1460. Or email: jhernandezccht@gmail.com.
To learn more about Jane’s transformative work, follow this link.