Pulled Muscles: Can EFT Help?

Recently I had one of those experiences that we probably all have from time to time, but wish we had skipped it. I pulled a muscle, and anyone who has done that knows how painful it can be. I’ve done it before, so I knew immediately what was wrong, but the thought of dealing with a lot of pain for days didn’t appeal much to me.

The last time I pulled a muscle, it was in my chest, and every breath that I took hurt. The pain was so bad that it scared me, and I saw my doctor. The doctor prescribed some medication, which made the pain bearable, but there was still a lot more pain than I wanted to have to deal with.

This time around there was a difference.  I use EFT all the time now, for all kinds of issues, and though I hadn’t used it for anything quite like this, I felt confident that I could get some relief from tapping, so tap I did!

The pulled muscle was low on my left side.  Any use of my left arm caused the pulled muscle to go into painful spasms, as did getting up and down from a seated position.  When that happened, it felt as though someone had jabbed a sharp knife into my side, and initially, just after the injury, the pain was so severe that it literally took my breath away.

First I started tapping on the pain:

“Even though I have this pain in my lower left side that feels like someone just stabbed me…”

“Even though it’s really painful to stand up or sit down or move my left arm…”

“Even though I can feel the muscle in my left side going into spasms and that hurts a lot…”

“Even though the pain in my left side is so bad that sometimes it takes my breath away…”

All of this tapping was done with the goal of reducing the pain.  It was not immediately apparent to me whether I had done that, but I continued to tap, now focusing on the healing that I knew had to happen in order for me to feel better.

“Even though I have this painful pulled muscle in my left side, I want the healing to start and the pain to stop…”

“Even though I have this injury to my left side, I want the healing in my muscles, tendons, nerves and skin to start at a cellular level…”

I spent about an hour tapping on the pain and the healing that I wanted to happen.  By the end of that first day, I was fairly comfortable when I kept still, but was still unsure about the extent to which I had succeeded with my tapping.

When I woke on day 2, got out of bed, and started to move around, it was obvious to me that the tapping had made a difference.  I still had some pain and discomfort, but it was far less than it had been the day before.  I continued tapping on both the pain and the hoped for healing.

Day 3 was better still, and by day 4 there was so little pain and discomfort that I could easily move around in a normal way, and I could use my left arm without sending my left side into spasms.

Since this was a kind of injury that I had suffered through before, I knew just how bad it could be, and how intense the pain was.  There was a definite basis for comparison, so I knew without a doubt how much help the tapping had been.  I also believe that it helped for me to start tapping so soon after the injury.

Now, should I find myself in that unpleasant situation again, I know exactly how to handle it, and I hope that you’ll follow my lead if you should ever find yourself with an injury of that sort.

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Creepy, Crawly Things

Spiders. Roaches. Ants. Worms. Snakes. Lizards. If all the hair on the back of your neck is not standing up now, you’re probably in the minority. There just aren’t that many people who like creepy, crawly things.

There are the insect collectors, and the snake lovers and people who just adore spiders, but for most of us, myself included, those critters are all pretty low on our list of favorite things.

Although I don’t love creepy, crawly critters, I can honestly say that I’m not normally scared of them either. My daughter is a snake lover who kept a pet python for years. One night she neglected to tell me that the python had escaped from his tank, and I woke up in the middle of the night with my cat next to me on the bed, hissing loudly. I reached over and turned on the light, and on the floor next to my bed, rearing up and staring at me, was a snake! Not recognizing him in my moment of terror, I screamed. My daughter came running, and laughed like crazy when she saw the snake and I staring at each other. (That did not, by the way, endear my daughter to me!) As soon as I knew that the snake was my daughter’s I was fine, but had that been a wild snake invading my house, all bets would have been off!

Phobias about snakes, spiders, and all sorts of creepy critters are fairly common.

Many people look at a snake and for some reason assume that its’ skin is slimy (that’s not true!), and they find snakes repulsive and frightening. Lots of folks hate the ways snakes move, slithering from side to side, and the way they pull their heads back as if they’re about to strike. Keep in mind that I’m talking about tame, pet snakes here. Wild snakes would require a whole different (and much more scary) blog post. While snakes are definitely not my idea of the ideal pet, I received a thorough education on snakes from my reptile loving daughter, and even held and fed her snake from time to time.

I had a coworker that had a serious phobia about snakes. She didn’t even like to think about or talk about them, and needless to say, she certainly didn’t want to be near one. This coworker came to the house for a visit, and went to take a look at my daughter’s room. I had no idea about her phobia at this point. She opened the door to my daughter’s room, and I heard the loudest shriek I’d ever heard, as she came thundering (literally!) out of the room and slammed the door behind her. She had spotted the snake in its’ tank, and that was all it took to send her into a complete panic.

About ten years ago, when my son was still living at home, he decided that the perfect pet was a tarantula. I am NOT a fan of spiders, but I tolerated his new pet because it was in a closed container. After the first couple of days, I never really thought about the tarantula, except when I could hear the crickets that it ate chirping..their last chirps! My mother came to town for a visit, and I had my son move to the couch so his grandmother could have a private room. She was getting ready for bed on her first night there when I heard her shout for my son. She had spotted the spider, and had no intention of sleeping in the same room with it, whether it was in a container or not. For the rest of her visit, the tarantula took up temporary residence on the top of my refrigerator.

The stories that I’ve been relating are sort of funny, although I’m sure that my mom and coworker didn’t think so at the time, but for some people with bad phobias about creepy, crawly things, that phobia can really impact on their lives.

If you find yourself struggling with a phobia over a snake, spider, or other critter, and would really like to rid yourself of that fear, EFT can do the trick! EFT is highly effective for phobias, and two or three rounds of tapping might make all the difference for you.

Tapping Script For Those With a Fear of Spiders

Karate chop:

• Even though I think spiders are creepy and I don’t like to be anywhere near them, I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself.
• Even though the very thought of a spider getting near me or crawling on me makes all the hair on the back of my neck stand up, I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself.
• Even though I’m scared to death of spiders, I’m open to considering that maybe tapping can help to get rid of that fear, and I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself.

Eyebrow: I can’t stand spiders
Inside eye: Thinking about all those legs makes me cringe
Under eye: I don’t like how they look or how they walk
Under nose: A spider could drop on me from the ceiling or crawl up my leg
Chin: It makes me kind of sick to think about that
Collar bone: Spiders are really yucky and I dont’ like them at all
Under arm: Those long legs and big eyes are so scary
Top of head: Icky, creepy, hairy, scary spiders…YUCK!!!

Eyebrow: Just thinking about spiders gives me the chills
Inside eye: I don’t want to be anywhere around them
Under eye: But maybe it’s time to start working on that spider fear
Under nose: I may never love spiders
Chin: But I don’t have to stay terrified of them
Collar bone: Maybe spiders aren’t really all that bad
Under arm: Starting to release some of my fear of spiders
Top of head: Letting that fear just drain out of my body.

Eyebrow: A spider is just a little tiny critter
Inside eye: And I’m a full grown adult…what is there to be afraid of?
Under eye: All that fear about a little spider is starting to feel kind of silly
Under nose: Continuing to let go of my fear of spiders
Chin: I still don’t have to like those critters
Collar bone: But I can see myself moving calmly away
Under arm: If a spider heads in my direction
Top of head: Replacing the last of my spider fear with an energy of calmness.

Visit my website at Seeking Serenity.

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My Aching Head

Headaches…we all get them, and they’re not much fun. Often our headaches are a result of stress, anxiety, anger, frustration and other negative emotions. A bad day at the office or a confrontation with a spouse or child can lead to an aching head and a general feeling of misery.

Frequently our reaction to a headache is to take a couple of Tylenol or aspirin and lay down in a dark room, hoping that the pain will pass quickly.

Luckily for all of us, EFT is amazingly effective for headaches, and a couple of rounds of tapping can often completely eliminate the pain.

It’s always best when working with EFT to be specific in what you tap about, such as “Even though the boss really stressed me out today and that made my head start to pound…” or “Even though _________ really aggravated me and made me angry and now my head hurts…”.

Since I’m trying to give folks a generic starting point, a script that they can change and tailor to their own needs, the script below is more general. Please don’t be afraid to replace my words with your own, specific to the situation that caused the headache.

Tapping Script For a Headache

Karate chop:

• Even though my head is pounding and that really hurts, I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself.
• Even though my head hurts so much that all I really want to do is lie down and close my eyes, I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself.
• Even though my headache is so bad that I can’t stand the pain, and all I want is for the pain to stop, I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself, and I’m open to considering that maybe this tapping stuff can stop the pain.

Eyebrow: My head is hurting SOOO much
Side of eye: I can’t think straight when my head hurts like this
Under eye: All I can think about right now
Under nose: Is making this pain stop
Chin: My head feels like it’s in a vice
Collar bone: And that vice is squeezing it tighter and tighter
Under arm: The pain is making me miserable
Top of head: And I’m ready for some relief.

Eyebrow: This tapping stuff looks kind of silly
Side of eye: But maybe it will help, so I’ll keep tapping
Under eye: Starting to let go of anger that might be causing this pain
Under nose: Letting go of frustration too
Chin: Releasing any stress that might be hurting my head
Collar bone: And allowing my body and mind to relax
Under arm: Continuing to release all the negative feelings
Top of head: That might be causing this headache.

Eyebrow: Breathing out anger, frustration and stress with every breath
Side of eye: Breathing in peace, relaxation and healing
Under eye: Releasing the tenseness in my head and body
Under nose: And starting to feel better as I do that
Chin: Releasing all the negative feelings that may have contributed to my headache
Collar bone: And feeling more relaxation and less pain
Under arm: With every breath that I take
Top of head: As I moving toward healing and inner peace with this headache.

Visit my website at Seeking Serenity.

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Ending a Bad Relationship

Whether you’re married, living with someone, or just dating, you can find yourself in a miserable relationship that you can’t seem to find the strength to put an end to.

For some of us, our self esteem is so low that if we have somebody in our life, no matter how unhappy the relationship may be, we hold on for all we’re worth, because having somebody is better than having nobody. At least that’s what we tell ourselves, in our less lucid moments.

“Yes, Insert-Name-Here is a real jerk, and makes me cry more than he/she makes me smile, but at least I’m not alone!”.

You may not be alone, but is it really and truly worth being miserable and unhappy just to have someone in your life? For some people, sadly, the answer is yes. They’re convinced that if they get rid of the current person in their life, nobody else would want them, and they’ll spend the rest of their life alone. That’s not true, of course, but if they believe it is, they hold on to that unhappy relationship.

For some, just the fear of being alone, for however brief a time, is enough to keep them stuck where they are. They can’t believe that it’s possible to be happy if you’re unattached. They feel incomplete if they don’t have another person to share their life with.

If you are in an unhappy relationship, and find yourself thinking from time to time about how much happier and better off you’d be without Insert-Name-Here, maybe the tapping script below can help you to find some clarity, and the strength to do what is best for you.

Tapping Script To Help Move Out of a Bad Relationship

Karate chop:

• Even though I’m miserable in my marriage/relationship, I’m afraid to do anything about it, and I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself.
• Even though I’m so scared of being alone that I’m afraid to end my marriage/relationship, and I’m unhappy a lot of the time, I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself.
• Even though I’d probably be better off without _________ in my life, I can’t seem to make myself do anything about that, so I stay miserable, and I deeply and profoundly love and accept myself.

Eyebrow: I’m so miserable in this marriage/relationship
Side of eye: ________ doesn’t make me happy
Under eye: But I’m afraid that if I get rid of __________
Under nose: I’ll spend the rest of my life alone
Chin: I don’t want to be alone
Collar bone: But I don’t want to be unhappy either
Under arm: Choosing to consider ending this marriage/relationship
Top of head: So I can find some happiness in my life.

Eyebrow: I’ve been so miserable and unhappy
Side of eye: But I deserve some happiness in my life
Under eye: I’m recognizing that if I want happiness
Under nose: I probably need to end this marriage/relationship
Chin: It won’t be an easy thing to do
Collar bone: But to work my way toward happiness
Under arm: I need to get __________ out of my life
Top of head: Releasing my doubts and fears about ending this marriage/relationship.

Eyebrow: Letting go of my worry about being alone
Side of eye: Being alone and happy would be better than this
Under eye: Breathing out worry and anxiety over ending the marriage/relationship
Under nose: Breathing in peace and confidence
Chin: I can change my life for the better
Collar bone: By getting rid of ___________
Under arm: Releasing more of the worry over ending this
Top of head: As I move toward healing with this issue.

Eyebrow: Continuing to let go of my worry about being alone
Side of eye: Looking forward to happiness and peace of mind
Under eye: Letting go of my doubts about ending this marriage/relationship
Under nose: As I move toward a place of confidence
Chin: Looking forward to smiling more
Collar bone: And planning for a happy new chapter of my life
Under arm: As I release the last of the worry over ending this
Top of head: And move ahead with a calm confidence.

If this tapping script doesn’t feel appropriate for you, please don’t let that stop you from tapping. Change the wording to be more specific to your situation, and as long as you’re talking about and tapping on your actual feelings and emotions, the tapping should make a difference.

Visit my website at Seeking Serenity.

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Problem Cat

I am the mom to 3 wonderful and loving cats, each of whom I adore. Each of them is very different from the others, and very special in his or her own unique way, and my daughter and I have taken great pleasure from having these three as a part of our lives.

Of the three cats, the most timid is Blue. She is a beautiful cat, brown and white, with the most beautiful blue eyes I’ve ever seen in a cat, hence her name. My daughter rescued Blue when she was a kitten and her mother was run over by a car. She was close to starving to death when we got her, and has always been what I refer to as my “scaredy cat”.

Blue sleeps with me every single night, and the closer she can snuggle to me, the happier she is. The other two cats have given me problems from time to time, as they are more moody (and sometimes grumpy!) then Blue, but recently I started having a problem with Blue.

Our litter box is in the bathroom, and all three cats are accustomed to using it regularly, as they are inside cats. Suddenly, for no reason that was obvious to me, Blue stopped using the litter box when she pooped. She always urinated in the litter box, but started leaving small brown “gifts” for us on the floor just in front of the litter box. I’m diligent about scooping out the litter box, so could not figure out what her problem was.

I began keeping a close eye on Blue when she headed for the bathroom, and gradually I realized what was going on. Blue was fine with using the litter box if the litter was new or newly scooped, but if one of the other cats had used the box a short time before her, she would take a sniff, and then poop in front of the litter box instead of in it. Since the other two cats were so much more assertive than Blue, I started to wonder if she was afraid of “getting in their territory”. With that in mind, I started tapping with Blue in my lap. (Other pet owners may tap on their cats directly, but I always hold the cat in my lap and tap on myself surrogately.)

• Even though I’m really scared to use the litter box when one of the other cats has just been in it, I’m a good cat.
• Even though I’m afraid that one of the other cats might “get” me if I use the litter box, because it smells like them and they think it’s theirs, I’m a really good cat.
• Even though I’m really afraid of one of the other cats hurting me if I use the litter box right after they do, maybe it’s okay to do that, and maybe the other cats don’t really care, and I’m a very good cat.

The reminder phrases that I used were along the lines of:

I’m really scared to use the litter box

The other cats might hurt me

The litter box smells like the other cats

And maybe I’m not supposed to use it

I’m afraid of the other cats

But mom says it’s okay to use the litter box

And that I don’t need to worry

Nobody will hurt me

The other cats don’t care if I use the litter box

I can use the litter box whenever I need to

It’s safe to use the litter box

And it will make mom really happy

And I’m a really good cat!

Blue loved at attention she got when she sat in my lap, so it wasn’t a problem to tap with her several times daily. After a couple of days, I noticed that there were no more “gifts” for me in front of the litter box.

I continued to tap with Blue in order to build her courage, and noticed that she was becoming more assertive about her right to be anywhere in the house at the same time as one of the other cats. She even seemed to feel more secure when she napped, and did so openly in the presence of the other cats.

Because of Blue’s history, she will probably always be the most shy of our cats, but at least now she seems to feel more comfortable in her own home, and around her housemates.

If you have issues with a pet that you really aren’t sure how to approach, why not give EFT a try? You have nothing to lose, and everything to gain!

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