Jorge Reyes, as a freshman pitcher, won two games for the Oregon State University baseball team during the 2007 College World Series, which resulted in him being named Most Valuable Player. He gives credit to EFT for giving him focus and personal power.

EFT, which stands for Emotional Freedom Technique, has been around awhile, but many people have no idea what it is, how to do it, or what benefits it can offer.

According to Dr. Mercola, noted wellness guru, “EFT is a form of psychological acupressure based on the same energy meridians used in traditional acupuncture, but without the invasiveness of needles. Instead, simple tapping with the fingertips is used to input kinetic energy onto specific meridians on the head and chest while you think about your specific problem.”

In addition to tapping on vital points, positive affirmations are spoken in order to “reset” a thought process. As Dr. Mercola puts it (EFT), “works to clear the "short-circuit" - the emotional block -- from your body's bioenergy system, thus restoring your mind and body's balance.”

Since 2009, I have tried to incorporate EFT into my daily routine and noticed a significant change in my own thought process. After living with what I affectionately call, “a yappy dog” in my head., EFT afforded me less frequent negative barking from any old beliefs I had about my inability to succeed. Since it worked so well for me, I introduced it to some coaching clients, all of whom experienced an increase in personal power, and a decrease in anxieties and fear (one person actually getting over a life-long fear of elevators).

Editors at EFTUniverse.com write, “EFT is a powerful self-help method based on research. Clinical trials have shown that EFT is able to rapidly reduce the emotional impact of memories and incidents that trigger emotional distress.”

Greg Warburton, who is a mental health counselor and was Jorge Reyes’s performance coach at Oregon State tells us that science teaches that our mind and body work together, not separately. “Thoughts are energy,” he says. “They don’t just stay in your brain. This energy travels into your body and affects your physical performance.”

Most sportsmen and women would agree. “The difference between the average athlete and the elite athlete is a lot more mental than it is physical,” says experts at DistantHealer.com. “It is your mind (your emotional state) that holds you back and it is also your mind that allows you to access your best performances. You just have to know how to work through any issues that are preventing you from performing at your peak. This is where EFT comes in.”  

Seth Joyner, linebacker from the Philadelphia Eagles, touts tapping as his best form of emotional release. “It’s been great for me,” says Joyner. “It has helped me in a lot of different areas in my life. My addiction is anger.” Joyner believes that playing football may have created more aggression in his body. When he started playing golf, he needed a more serene approach to sports. “Tapping,” Joyner explains, “has allowed me to step back and evaluate how I deal with different situations in everyday life. I find myself tapping all the time.” Joyner insists it not only makes him calmer, it has also improved his golf game. 

Don Milton, EFT practitioner from Alabama, has athletes coming to him for a variety of issues, including: anxiety, loss of confidence, fear of re-injury, recovery from injuries, loss of range of motion, past performance trauma, mechanical challenges, fear and doubt, stress, relief from pain, lack of consistency, improve focus, improve mental discipline. One of his clients, an Olympic athlete, has this to say: “Tapping frees me to be a better athlete; tapping doesn’t make me a better athlete. There is a correlation between an athlete having a clear state of mind and tapping. Tapping frees me up to throw further and tapping frees me up to focus. Tapping has given me the possibility of reaching my full potential.” 

To learn how to “tap” into this unique process, check out the simple to follow procedures in any of the links below. Let me know how you make out!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qnaim-1Q8KM

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZKDhRohzSdU&feature=related

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9jTNHHTxG40&feature=player_embedded

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UlCE4P6Ue0w&feature=related

http://eft.mercola.com/

http://www.eftuniverse.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=10&Itemid=13#news

http://gregwarburton.com/eftep/

http://www.distanthealer.co.uk/eft_in_sport.htm

http://www.eftuniverse.com/images/stories/6-4-10/golfweek.pdf