Although the amount of stuff going on in this linked page is the opposite of mindfulness, the article is still worth reading. It’s Nick Ortner talking about EFT (emotional freedom technique), aka meridian tapping, for the fear of flying. As I boarded a plane two days ago and usually feel a bit nervous until I am at a complete stop on the ground again, I was reminded by Nick‘s article I read recently that I have tools to reduce the anxiety.

This technique can be used for other fears and phobias, and I’ve used it with great success for my public speaking anxiety, as well as other things. It involves gently tapping on places on your face and upper body where the energy meridians are close to the surface in order to release trapped emotional energy. Here’s a quick explanation with diagrams of the points.

I love that this article is on such a mainstream media outlet like the Huffiington Post. EFT is easy and drug-free and seems to be very effective for a lot of people. You can find little green EFT guides for everything from weight loss to procrastination that are well-written and easy to read, and any one of them will give you the basics you need to get started for using it on anything you need. Dr. Mercola has a good EFT page, and EFT informational videos on YouTube – there are tons! – can teach you the basics and more.

For a more personalized approach, you can try in-person instruction with a counselor or coach, or trained EFT practitioner to get started or for ongoing support as you learn. There’s some evidence that when more than one person taps together simultaneously, it’s even more effective. You can even tap on your kids, your dog, your cat, or your spouse (with permission). I use EFT with some of my clients, I know other coaches and counselors who do too, and there’s at least one person in C-bus who holds EFT informational sessions at the Whetstone library. Call me if you’d like some help getting started or have questions after you find out more about EFT – it’s a great way to use the time in a free initial consultation!