HEALTH AND WELLNESS TOPIC.46(4)

By likemindblog

22 POWERFUL TOOLS TO TRANSFORM YOUR FEAR INTO HAPPINESS, PEACE AND INSPIRATION!

Continued from last week… Chapter 4 –

Transformation Tool #1

EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques®)

Emotional Freedom Techniques® (EFT) is becoming increasingly well-known (and respected) in many fields related to alternative health and wellness. Not only is it proving to be extremely effective on an increasing array of afflictions (including fears and phobias) – it‘s so simple that even children can do it once they learn the basics.

EFT is often described as ?a needle-free version of acupuncture? because it clears energy blockages along the body‘s meridian pathways and proposes that most (if not all) illnesses are caused by unresolved emotional issues. Whether you believe this or not, it‘s hard to deny the effectiveness of EFT when you see it in action – often clearing long-standing mental, emotional and physical ailments within moments. Performing EFT involves very light tapping with two fingers on specific points on your body:

– The “Karate Chop” point is on the outside edge of either hand, midway between the little finger and wrist – right about where you would hit if you gave a ?karate chop?. This point is tapped continuously while reciting a ?Setup? statement three times. This statement is designed to reverse something called ?Psychological Reversal? which is inner resistance to the tapping that will be done afterwards.

Besides the Karate Chop point, there are 7 main tapping points on the body:

– Eyebrow point: On the inside edge of either eyebrow, directly on the bony ridge of the eye socket.

– Side of Eye: At the outside corner of either eye, also on the bony ridge of the eye socket.

– Under Eye: Directly beneath either eye, still on the bony ridge of the eye socket.

– Under Nose: Midway between the nose and upper lip.

– Chin: In the crease between the lower lip and chin.

– Collarbone: Slightly below and to either side of the U-shaped notch where the collarbones meet.

– Under the Arm: About four inches below the armpit, on the side of the torso (right about bra strap level for ladies).

– Alternative points: Some practitioners also tap on the top of the head, four of the fingers on either hand or other locations, but even sticking with the main ones described above works well for most people.

To perform a round of EFT to ease fear, you would start by lightly tapping on the Karate Chop point on the side of the hand continuously with two fingers while reciting the Setup statement three times: “Even though I feel afraid right now, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.” Being very specific about the details can often help you get even better results, so you may want to say, “Even though I’m afraid I won’t get this promotion, I deeply and completely love and accept myself.”

Then you would start tapping lightly five to seven times on each of the main tapping points, starting at the Eyebrow point and working your way down your body. As you tap each point, tune into the fearful feelings and say one statement regarding the fear: “This fear. This fear of failure. This fear of being disappointed. What if I don’t get this promotion? What if I’m stuck in a dead-end job forever? I feel so nervous. I don’t want to be afraid of this outcome anymore.”

Once you have completed one round of tapping, you can keep going and tap through more rounds (if you still feel anxious), or you can switch to more positive, empowering statements and tap on those. Positive statements like these typically work well: “I don’t have to feel nervous about this. I believe that it will all work out. I choose to feel confident about my success. I choose to believe that I?ll get this promotion. Or something even better will happen for me. All is well. I know that all is well.”

As you tap on the negative statements while tuning into your feelings of fear, you will be clearing out blockages in your body‘s energy field. Following up with positive statements has proven to be effective for many people because they help reinforce a positive outlook after clearing out the negative emotions.

The more consistently you do EFT, the better it seems to work. Some people start with a half-hearted round or two of tapping and conclude that it doesn‘t work, but some issues can be stubborn and require numerous rounds of tapping – even over a period of days, weeks and months. The same will probably hold true for fear; if you are addressing very long-standing, intense fears, they may take some time to fully clear. Minor bouts of anxiety or nervousness should be easier to clear, often within minutes.

Reminder: Be as specific as possible about the issues you are tapping on. Rather than tapping for “I‘m afraid,” try including the reasons you are afraid, what you most fear happening, and why. This will help you to really connect with the limiting beliefs and strong emotions that are fueling the fear in the first

Transformation Tool #2

Affirmations for Strength, Peace, and Confidence

Affirmations are similar to affirmative prayers, except you are not directing them to the universe, but simply reciting positive statements with the intention to shift your focus from fear to love, peace, joy, confidence, or any other empowering feeling.

For affirmations to be truly effective, they need to repeated frequently throughout the day – or even better, on an ongoing basis for longer periods of time.

You can use affirmations written by other people or write your own. Writing your own affirmations is easier than you may think. Simply think about the feeling you want the affirmation to trigger within you and word the statement so that it is in present tense.

For example, if you feel anxious about an upcoming meeting, you might create an affirmation that states: “I feel calm, confident and centered.” Say this affirmation over and over until you really do start to feel calm, confident and centered.

One common problem with this approach: your subconscious mind may feel resistant and keep returning to the reasons why you are afraid. Consequently, you will engage in a sort of ?tug of war? with your subconscious where you keep saying how calm and confident you feel, and your subconscious mind keeps replying, “You are so full of it! You know you’re really scared!”

If this does happen, you‘ll be able to feel it because the affirmation will feel like a lie every time you recite it. If you persist in saying it anyway, you‘ll probably feel progressively more anxious as you go along.

One effective solution is to turn your affirmation into a statement of conscious choice. Rather than saying, “I feel calm, confident and centered,” you might say, “I choose to feel calm and centered right now.”

This helps bypass your subconscious objections because you are not denying your fearful feelings; you are simply acknowledging that you choose to feel differently.

Another solution is to relieve the pressure you feel by focusing on a gradual process of transformation, rather than stating the affirmation as fact. Example: “With every passing moment I am feeling calmer and more in control.” Or, “I am starting to feel a little calmer now.”

If you find that you are still struggling to make affirmations work for you, there is still another option that can be effective when the others have failed. Try stating what you WANT, rather than worrying about what you don‘t want.

For example, “I want to go into that meeting feeling very self-assured, very centered and very resourceful. I want to know instinctively how to address the questions I will be asked, and I want to leave the meeting feeling like I made a strong positive impression.”

As you say these words, try to tune into the feelings of what you are saying. Imagine feeling proud of yourself, confident in your abilities, and knowing that the meeting went well.

This technique should have a positive effect on your state of mind because you will have reinforced your vision of the outcome you want, rather than continuing to perpetuate the fear.

A great way to accelerate your success with affirmations is to take advantage of modern technology…

Just released as part of the Brave Heart System is the special brainwave entrainment audio called The Fear Removal Machine.

This audio also contains an affirmation sequence that when heard while being guided into a deep meditative state, will assist in the re-programming of your non conscious mind to block unwanted thought and behavior patterns.

As you allow the special audio to work, you will be encouraging the ongoing acceptance new and positive ways of thinking, behaving and living.

Transformation Tool #3

Connecting with Pure Positive Energy

One of the most relaxing ways to dissolve fear and reconnect with your inner self is by spending time in the presence of pure positive energy: nature, children, or animals.

Natural settings like parks, forests, beaches, gardens, or even your own back yard are virtual treasure troves of positive energy.

Sitting quietly or strolling slowly as you gaze around at all of the beauty and abundance of nature can have a powerful restorative effect on your mind, body and spirit – and it takes very little time to really feel a difference!

Start by consciously letting go of scattered or fearful thoughts and attuning to the sights and sounds around you.

Breathe deeply, enjoy the feeling of sunshine warming your face and gentle breezes stirring your hair, and allow yourself a few minutes to fully relax.

Listen to the birds singing, watch small critters foraging for food, and within minutes you will feel your stress levels begin to drop spontaneously.

Even better, close your eyes and try to feel the positive energy flowing from your surroundings into every cell of your body. With every breath, imagine that you are inhaling positive energy, which then spreads throughout your entire body.

If you don‘t have any natural settings to enjoy near your home, you might buy an audio CD of natural sounds like bird calls, rainforest sounds, thunderstorms, babbling brooks, or wind chimes to enjoy whenever you like.

Just close your eyes and pretend you are there, soaking up positive energy.

Spending time with children is another great way to reconnect with positive energy, simply because they are so carefree and happy most of the time. They haven‘t yet learned how to limit their thinking and therefore have vibrant, active imaginations. If you have children of your own, spend an hour or two building a blanket ?tent? in your living room and make believe you are camping in the wilderness. Or gather some art supplies and create something fun. Or take the kids to the park and run around to purge nervous energy from your system.

If you don‘t have children of your own, simply visit a nearby park and observe them on the playground for 30 minutes or so. Notice how enthusiastic, joyful and fun-loving they are, and feel those same qualities awakening within yourself.

Animals are also a great source of positive energy. Spend 30 minutes gently petting your cat or playing fetch with your dog, or you can take your dog outside for a brisk walk – and watch how quickly your tension dissolves. If you don‘t have pets of your own, you could offer to walk a neighbour’s dog or volunteer at an animal shelter for a few hours a week.

However you choose to do it, basking in these simple sources of pure positive energy for just a few minutes a day can help minimize fear and boost your mood.

To be continued next week…