A LOSER S GUIDE: ACUPRESSURE TECHNIQUES FOR WEIGHT CONTROL. Empowerment Training Center, Inc

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1 A LOSER S GUIDE: ACUPRESSURE TECHNIQUES FOR WEIGHT CONTROL Written by Meryl Hershey Beck Illustrated by Alison Hershey Manes Empowerment Training Center, Inc

2 Introduction Some facts to consider: The average woman in America gains ½ pound a month..6 pounds a year..60 pounds in 10 years; After age 30 women begin to slowly lose muscle mass; approximately ½ - 1% peer year; Muscles keep metabolism up and energy up; Muscles burn calories to sustain themselves; A woman may be eating the same number of calories today that she ate 10 years ago but since she has probably lost 5-10% of her muscle mass, she doesn t burn as many calories, hence is gaining weight! Cortisol is released when we are stressed and typically weight is put on around the trunk of the body Endorphins are produced when we exercise and they counteract the Cortisol!! The recommended exercise for good health and weight reduction is a combination of cardio and strength training. More than 90% of all dieters cannot maintain their weight loss for even a year. Conventional diets set you up for failure; they ask you to do the impossible: diet forever. If you followed a traditional low calorie/low fat diet plan, chances are that you were feeding fat while starving muscle Exercising while dieting conditions the body to access and burn stored fat Our culture The times they are a-changin can refer to the popular beauty ideal. In the 1860s women achieved an hourglass figure by squeezing into a whalebone corset, constricting their waists down to as little as 16 inches. Only two decades later, in the 1880s, stage actress Lillian Russell was considered an ideal beauty at about 6 foot tall and 200 pounds! Then in the 1920s, women bound their breasts to achieve the look of an adolescent boy. By the 1940s, broad shoulders and a generous bosom were quite the look! In the 1950s, Marilyn Monroe (who wore a size 12-14) was the epitome of beauty with her large breasts. In 1965, the average fashion model weighed 8% less than the average American woman. That would soon change with the arrival of British fashion model Twiggy in 1967 weighing 91 pounds on a 5-foot-7-inch frame, followed by a shift in average sizes for fashion models. You can never be too rich or too thin were touted words that the American woman really believed. In 1987 the average model weighed 23% less than the average American woman. Today, recent statistics show that the average American model is 5 10 and weighs pounds; the average American woman is 5 4 and weighs pounds. What does all this mean to today s woman? Because women are constantly bombarded by the beauty ideal presented by the mass media, they too often judge themselves by

3 the beauty industry s standards. The barrage of messages about thinness, dieting and beauty tells "ordinary" women that they are always in need of adjustment that they are not okay the way they are. The association of self-worth and appearance has intensified and women judge themselves harshly and our often their own worst enemies. Every time a woman says, I m fat, she is putting herself down and saying she is not good enough. Paradoxically, when a woman feels she is not good enough, many times she will turn to food as a comfort! Sticking to a Food Plan Diets are challenging. Some of us don t have the discipline. We get hungry. We feel anxious and want to eat. We feel happy and want to celebrate with food. We see or smell or hear about food and want to eat. Sometimes we just want what we want when we want it! How many times have we vowed to give up sugar, for example, and found ourselves with a cookie in our hands or mouths? Often when we experience a trigger (anxiety, for instance), we remember (at a subconscious level) that eating sugar releases feel-good brain chemicals. So we end up doing the very behavior we were trying to give up. For many folks, the inability to consciously control their eating can set up a shame cycle, where they berate themselves for "giving in. For many, energy techniques such as those presented here, are very helpful for interrupting the stimulus/response cycle. My Background I became a licensed professional clinical counselor in Ohio in 1990 and specialized in working with the 12-Step Recovery population. Many of my clients had eating problems and body image concerns. In the 1990s I developed and ran outpatient Food Abuse Treatment Weeks in Cleveland, OH. These weeks helped the clients identify and heal their food abuse issues. Many, if not all of them, were emotional eaters and anxiety was the biggest trigger of all. In 1998 I became trained in energy psychology techniques. These methods, sometimes called emotional acupuncture or meridian therapies, involve tapping on acupressure points. Before the training I was very skeptical -- how can tapping on different points on the body help? This seemed so stupid and a total waste of time, but I took the class just to see what would happen. In the class we all worked on our own issues. I remember working on an old issue in which I felt very hurt. With my training partner, I followed the tapping protocol and was totally amazed..tapping on the designated spots did, indeed, release my feelings of hurt. I became a believer and a user -- often using these techniques on myself, friends, family, and even strangers!

4 By the end of the 1990s, my enthusiasm for these new methods led me to teach them throughout Arizona to mental health professionals. These techniques can be used to release difficult emotions and triggers (anger, hurt, anxiety) that sometimes compel us to eat. And these techniques can also be used effectively to decrease cravings. In fact, whenever I teach I show how tapping will often decrease the urge or craving to eat a piece of chocolate! DO YOU EVER. PART ONE: WELCOME TO THE CLUB Think your eating is out of control? Promise yourself today I won t eat (chocolate, sugar, YOU NAME IT) and find yourself eating it anyway? Reach for food when you are feeling (lonely, angry, afraid, YOU NAME IT)? Finish a meal and then look for something to eat 30 minutes, 15 minutes, 1 minute later? Try to diet but lack the will power? Starve all day and then eat and eat and eat at night? Lose weight and the re-gain it.plus more? Eat to temporarily squelch an emotional hunger? Eat small amounts in front of others and binge in private? Get mad at yourself.and reach for food? Get mad at others.and reach for food? Eat to stop crying? Eat to fill up the emptiness? If you answered YES to any of these, then WELCOME TO THE CLUB! And since many of us have, at one time or another, been members of The Club, know that YOU ARE NOT ALONE! It is not a hopeless situation..there is a way out.

5 PART TWO: A WAY OUT Keep reading if you want to REDUCE CRAVINGS & DIMINISH URGES ELIMINATE EMOTIONAL EATING ENERGY PSYCHOLOGY What is Energy Psychology? Energy Psychology is an emerging field that creatively combines ancient principles with new discoveries. These techniques directly influence the human energy system to release blocks and achieve balance. These methods use a combination of focused attention, clear intention, and simple physical treatments to create shifts in energy flows, energy centers, and the bio-energetic field. Energy Psychology is the branch of psychology that studies the effects of energy systems on emotions and behaviors. According to Oriental medicine, all the pain, discomfort and disease in the human body is the result of blocked energy flows. Following this theory, all of our health problems, from the minor ones to the most serious, are caused by "stuck" energy. Sometimes known as Acupuncture without Needles, Energy Psychology techniques unblock the energy, allowing it to flow more easily. And when you have no blockage or congestion, you have no pain or discomfort. It s that simple. How did the tapping come about? Roger Callahan, a psychologist in California, had been unsuccessfully working with a woman named Mary. Mary had such a severe water phobia that she could only take a bath in a few inches of water and went into panic and would not leave the house when it was raining. Dr. Callahan worked with her for eighteen months with minimal progress. Since he was also interested in Chinese Medicine, he studied the meridian system of the body. One day Dr. Callahan decided to try something new: he asked Mary to think about water (she felt intense anxiety) and muscle tested her to discover there was a block in the stomach meridian. Knowing that the start point of the stomach meridian is just below the eye, he asked her to think about water while he tapped that point. Within a few minutes, Mary surprisingly announced that the problem was gone and walked out of the house to the swimming pool. Dr. Callahan, worried that she might jump in the pool and drown, yelled out, Mary, be careful, you don t know how to swim. Mary yelled back, The tapping took away the fear, Dr. Callahan, but it didn t make me stupid! And the fear that had plagued Mary her whole life was gone -- and never returned. So all that is necessary is tapping under the eye? In Mary s case, that was all that was needed. Dr. Callahan went on to discover that other points on the body were connected to other emotions. The Callahan Technique, which later became Thought Field Therapy, teaches tapping on specific meridians to unblock specific feelings.

6 Do I have to know which meridian connects to which feeling? No, Gary Craig, a Stanford-trained engineer, studied with Dr. Callahan and developed a simplified approach. EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is the doorway to this refreshing new approach. In essence, it is a psychological version of acupuncture except that needles aren't necessary. Instead, clients tune in to their emotional issue while stimulating stress relief points by tapping on them with their fingertips. This provides a meridian balancing effect that replaces emotional distress with a form of peace. ( What is RITT (Rapidly Integrated Transformation Technique)? RITT (Rapidly Integrated Transformation Technique) is based on Gary Craig s Emotional Freedom Techniques, and Larry Nims Be Set Free Fast. RITT directs the person to tap on specified points while saying certain words to clear out the conscious as well as the unconscious blocks in the energy meridians. RITT brings in the spiritual element--calling in the consciousness of a Higher Power (God/Light/Universe) connection. The basic theory is that blocked energy is a disruption in the energy body that causes emotional and/or physical discomfort. By tapping, one opens up the energy meridians, causes the energy to flow, and reduces the intensity of the pain. When do I use EFT and when do I use RITT? It is really a personal preference. Some prefer EFT if a single emotion is identified and RITT when several emotions are present at the same time. Both EFT and RITT are easy to learn and can be used to clear anxieties, release phobias, transform trauma, curb cravings, boost energy, lessen physical pain.the list goes on and on. The results are usually long lasting; the process is relatively gentle, and it is inexpensive to learn and use. EFT and RITT for Weight Loss You can use EFT and RITT to target and address typical issues you might confront as you are losing weight: Immediate cravings Compulsive overeating Hunger pangs Daily stress Issues from your past Limiting beliefs Fear of the future Triggers EFT and RITT target the underlying emotions that trigger cravings in the first place. How often have you had an uncomfortable feeling (anger, sadness, jealousy, hurt, fear, etc.), and reached for food to ease the pain? How often have you used food to fill the emptiness? Now, whenever you feel emotional pain, you can tap the discomfort away rather than reaching for comfort food.

7 EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) THE BASIC RECIPE If it is feasible, rate the degree of feeling or level of urge on a scale from 0 to 10 with zero being no feeling/urge and 10 the greatest effect imaginable. 1. The Setup... Repeat this affirmation 3 times: "Even though I have this state problem, I deeply and completely accept myself, while continuously tapping the Karate Chop point or rubbing the Sore Spot. 2. The Sequence... Tap about 7 times on each of the following energy points while repeating a Reminder Phrase (focal point) at each point. (insert remaining when repeating sequence). KC, C, EB, SE, UE, UN, Ch, CB, UA, IW; BH The abbreviations for these points are summarized below in the same order: KC = Karate Chop (the karate chop point is between the little finger and wrist on the side of the hand); C = Crown; EB = Beginning of the Eye Brow; SE = Side of the Eye; UE = Under the Eye; UN = Under the Nose; Ch = middle of chin; CB = Beginning of the Collar Bone; UA = Under the Arm; IW = Inner Wrist See the next page for a diagram of the points. Some Setup Phrases: Even though I m obsessed with food, I deeply and completely accept myself. Even though I have an enormous appetite. Even though I eat when I am bored (angry, lonely, tired, afraid, etc.). Even though I feel guilty when I overeat. Even though I hate myself for overeating.. Even though I eat to feel better. Even though I eat to avoid my feelings.. Even though I associate food with my mother s love.. Even though I am afraid to weigh less than. Even though my metabolism is slow.. Even though I hate to look in the mirror. Even though I don t want to give up sugar.. Even though I don t think I can lose weight. Even if I never lose weight..

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9 RAPIDLY INTEGRATED TRANSFORMATION TECHNIQUE (RITT) For the latest version, go to Basic Directions: Think of an issue; note your level of discomfort (0=none, 10=intense). Or think of a craving (0=no urge, 10=intense urge). Imagine you are a tree and will be clearing from the branches (the conscious mind) to the roots (the subconscious). As you lightly tap each point using two or three fingers, think about the issue and read aloud what is in quotation marks. 1. Karate Point outside edge of hand I release this challenge/issue to Higher Power (God/ Spirit) to transform it and my relationship to it, never to take it back or passively receive it back. 2. Heart Point sore spot above left breast, gently rub in a circle toward shoulder 3 times: I love (accept) myself unconditionally even though I have this issue/challenge. 3. Crown (top of head) I bring in Higher Power (Spirit/God/ Light) into all the branches to the deepest roots of this issue and ask for healing for the highest good. 4. Eyebrow (either eyebrow, tap where the eyebrow starts, near bridge of nose) I release all the sadness in all the branches to the deepest roots around this issue. 5. Under eye (on bone just under eye, centered) I release all the fear in all the branches to the deepest roots around this issue. 6. Under nose and chin (using sides of thumb and index finger, tap both spots at once) I release all the shame and embarrassment in all the branches to the deepest roots around this issue. 7. Collarbone (make a fist and gently thump below collarbone, on breastbone) I release all the hurt and all the grief in all the branches to the deepest roots around this issue. 8. Under Arm (tender spot about 4 inches below armpit, in line with nipple) I release all the guilt in all the branches to the deepest roots around this issue. 9. Inside wrist (tap where watchband would fasten, palm side of wrist) I release all the pain in all the branches to the deepest roots around this issue. 10. Little finger, side of nail (tap on the side of finger next to ring finger) I release all the anger in all the branches to the deepest roots around this issue. 11. Third Eye (point between eyebrows) I release all the trauma in all the branches to the deepest roots around this issue. 12. Index Finger (side nearest thumb) [At least 3 of the following.] I release all the energy invested in this issue so I can use that energy for my own well-being; I totally and completely forgive myself for forgetting that I am doing the best I can; I totally and completely forgive myself for allowing this issue to disturb my peace of mind; I totally and completely forgive myself and I intend to forgive everyone else involved; I totally and completely forgive myself and I ask for the wisdom to see that everyone involved was acting from a place of unmet needs. Breathe. Reassess your level of discomfort or level of urge. If above 0, repeat steps 1- When at a zero or one continue to step All spots (from # 4-11) I bring in Higher Power (Spirit/God/Light) to replace the (sadness, etc.) in all the branches to the deepest roots around this issue.

10 PART THREE: IT WORKS! I have been using EFT and RITT for many years for myself, clients, friends, family, and even total strangers! Here are some examples when I personally used, taught, or observed the tapping techniques. The names have either been changed or are used with permission. Cravings and Urges Chocolate Every time I teach an Energy Psychology workshop, I include tapping for cravings. I hand out a piece of chocolate and tell the participants to wait for the directions (if I am not quick enough, some of them have already devoured the chocolate!). I then have them unwrap the piece of chocolate, smell it, taste it, and then write down their level of urge to eat it (0 = none, 10 = intense). We then go through several rounds of tapping saying such things as, Even though I want to eat this chocolate right now, I deeply and completely accept myself. Most of the participants find that the intensity goes way down. I also hear comments such as, it tasted chemical. I can t even smell it anymore. I threw it away. I can t believe I don t want it. Mom and Cookies My mother asked me to demonstrate EFT for her friends at her home. Again I was ready to have them experience a decrease in craving so I began handing out the chocolate. My mom commented that the chocolate was not calling her but the sugar-free cookies in the cupboard were. She went into the kitchen and came back with a plate of cookies. The group all tapped for their cravings and at the end I noticed my mother ate the cookie that she had in her hand. Later that day she remarked to me: Meryl, a miracle happened today. I was with her all day and had not noticed any miracles so I was confused. Do you remember when my friends all tapped on chocolate? I nodded my head. And, she continued, I had a plate of my cookies instead? Again, I nodded my head. Well I tapped and although I didn t really have an urge for the cookie, I ate it anyway. Yes? I inquired, not getting her point. She grinned and said, Remember this afternoon when you taught the tapping for chocolate and I used cookies instead? I nodded my head. When you finished the demonstration I ate the cookie that was in my hand and thought that the tapping didn t work. But I now realize that this was the first time I stopped after one cookie! I didn t want anymore isn t that a miracle? I grinned and nodded my agreement. Anxieties and Other Feelings Anxiety I recently attended a business networking luncheon and chatted with a casual acquaintance there. He mentioned that he was today s speaker and was very nervous. He knew a little about energy psychology techniques, said his anxiety was about an 8 and together we tapped for two rounds, then we got interrupted. He went on to deliver a great 10 minute presentation. The following week he came up to me and thanked me for the tapping. He said it took away most of his nervousness and he was able to speak easily and confidently.

11 Fear My daughter has always been very afraid of bees. If one came near her, she would scream and run. I did some tapping with her around this fear and then forgot about it. Several weeks later we were having lunch outdoors and a bee landed near her. She said, The tapping must have worked I am not screaming and running away. Although she still does not like to be around bees, the fear has been diminished. Disappointment Several years ago I attended a seminar at the airport hotel of a city in California. I went to the ladies room (public bathroom) and while I was in the stall I heard someone crying. After I washed my hands, I turned to the two young ladies sitting on the bench in the ladies room one continued to cry and the other was holding her hand. I explained that I knew a technique that might make her feel better and it involves tapping on acupressure points and she agreed. I didn t know the issue, but I saw that it was very intense for her. After several rounds, she had stopped crying and had calmed down. I asked if she wanted to share what was wrong. She was attending a young people s conference of several thousand and had run for office and had lost by a few votes. This young girl was devastated and the tapping helped her feel better. Frustration For many years I was in relationship with David, and I often got triggered. One specific memory stands out. We were in the car discussing an emotional issue. I tried explaining myself over and over again but, for some reason, David was not getting what I was trying to communicate. I was on the verge of tears. Instead I said, Give me a minute. I then did a round or two of tapping. It calmed me down enough to not only be able to discuss the issue again, but also to do it in a way that I was understood. Embarrassment I was standing in line at a breakfast buffet chatting with the woman in front of me when suddenly there was a loud crash. Oh my, she exclaimed. My younger son just dropped his whole tray and he will be devastated. He is very sensitive and this will really upset him. He is not like my older son who could handle this, now he will be upset all day. She and I both walked over to the sobbing little boy (about 6). I asked the mom if I could tap on some acupressure points to help him calm down if he was okay with it. She agreed and so did the youngster. The boy was sobbing as I touched the points on his head.but by the time I got to the collarbone point he had taken a deep breath, had stopped crying, and was calm. I later stopped by his table where he had finished eating. He was talking and laughing with his family. I showed him some of points to tap whenever he felt upset. He practiced a bit and his mom seemed quite pleased. Physical Pain My friend Carol had just returned home after having had knee surgery. Since she was feeling good and a new mattress was to be delivered, she decided to vacuum the carpet inside the bed frame. Unfortunately, she tripped over the frame and ended up on that knee. In excruciating pain, she drove herself to the emergency room and I met her there. When I saw the pain she was in, I asked her if she wanted to try tapping and she said, Yes, anything. Sometimes when working with physical pain, I work around the pain, so I said to her, What is your voice telling you about the accident? I can t believe how stupid I am she replied.

12 And so we tapped on Even though I can t believe how stupid I am, I want to totally and completely accept myself. After several rounds, Carol had stopped berating herself and the pain had diminished considerably! Working with Children I picked up my granddaughter from her kindergarten class one afternoon and she was visibly upset. When I inquired about the tears she told me that her best friend had taken her picture and destroyed it. I asked my granddaughter, Show me how bad you feel, and used my palms facing each other as a measurement. Do you feel a little bad? and showed her my palms facing each other close together, or Real bad? and separated my hands about 12 inches apart. I feel this bad she said and spread out her arms as far as they would go. After a round of tapping the tears had stopped and she was much calmer. (Note: When I work with adults I show them where to tap; with my granddaughter I actually did the tapping on her). I asked her to show me again with her hands how she felt. Totally ignoring my question she smiled and said, That felt good.do it again, Nanny! Phobias several examples I was out on a first date with a gentleman, at a local restaurant, and he asked what kind of work I do. So, not being shy, I told him and asked if he wanted to try some tapping. We quickly worked through an issue he brought up and then he said, "I would really believe this stuff (tapping) if it could do something about my fear of snakes. I hate to go into the garage, if a snake is on the television screen I have to change the channel, just the thought of snakes makes me sweat. I know it seems stupid, that a big man like me is afraid of even non-poisonous snakes, but I hate them and never want to see them!" When I inquired, If 0 is no fear and 10 is intense, what is your level? he said he was only about a 3 at that moment. So I decided to find a prop and went to the front of the restaurant where they sell books, to look for one with a picture of a snake. Instead of a book, I came back to our table with a stuffed animal (toy) snake. I explained that we both knew it wasn't real and this might not work, but what was his fear level now. It was about a 6. After three rounds it was a zero. We both weren't sure if it would hold when he saw a real snake. Since he was new in town, I asked him if he wanted to meet me at a pot luck dinner that I had been invited to the next night. When I arrived, he met me at the door asking, "Is this a set up?" I didn't know what he was talking about until he took me into the homeowner's den (a home I had never been in) and there were TWO TERRARIUMS WITH LIVE SNAKES! As he stood there looking at the snakes, I commented that it was amazing that he could be so near snakes since he had had such a fear of them and he replied, "I guess it is just a case of mind over matter" and didn't correlate it to the tapping we did the day before. This is not that unusual. Since the often rapid effects of tapping are sometimes so hard to believe, the person occasionally attributes the release of feelings to something else! My associates and I were on the phone doing a radio interview and explained EFT and RITT. We asked callers to call in...and worked with a gentleman who was terrified of snakes. After two or three rounds his level of fear was at a zero and he was feeling calm and peaceful. The interviewer knew the caller and reported that she spoke to him a few days later and he was amazed and delighted that he still had no fear about snakes!

13 A few days later at a networking breakfast, a woman asked about my work. I told her the story about being on the air with a caller and tapping down his snake phobia. She said she was terrified of snakes, too. I asked her if she wanted to experience the tapping for herself to release the fear, and she agreed. Then I said, "What is your level of emotional discomfort when you think of a snake." And she shuddered and said, "No, no, I don't want to even think of them." We proceeded immediately to do the tapping, and after three rounds she was able to think of snakes without any fear. I also have worked with several people around their fear of creepy, crawly, things--like spiders, roaches, and other "ugly" bugs. A few years ago, at a workshop in Texas, a woman reacted very strongly when a roach ran across the floor. That evening, I asked her if she wanted some relief from her fear of bugs, and she agreed. We started with a little piece of paper to represent the bug, and her fear level was about an 8. After we tapped it down to a 0, I said let's look for a real bug...and her fear that I would find one was up to a 10. She reported that her heart was pounding and had sweaty palms. So we tapped. Once it was at a zero, and not seeing any bugs around, I asked her to let me know what her reaction was if she saw another bug. The next day she called me over and said that she had seen another roach and, although she didn't want to touch it, it was no big deal! Go to to see tapping used for a snake phobia. Several Feelings Sometimes I work with people on the phone, such as Joe. I had never met Joe but he heard that I might be able to help him feel better and arranged for a phone session. Joe explained that his wife of 10 years had just left him for another man. He was feeling angry, devastated, hurt, sad and more. I explained the tapping points with him, and then proceeded to do two rounds of RITT. At the end, Joe was not only feeling better he was able to admit that a part of him was actually relieved that she was gone. PTSD (Post Traumatic Stress Disorder) Several years ago my best friend and business associate Robin and I attended a workshop in Mexico presented by Mary Manin Morrissey. Although Robin and I were both there as attendees and not as presenters, we ended up demonstrating the tapping techniques. Mary spoke about forgiveness and how important it was to forgive anyone whom we thought had harmed us. Pam, the woman seated next to Robin, raised her hand and said that some people can never be forgiven. When Mary asked for more details, Pam began sobbing and said she had been gang-raped thirteen years earlier and the terrible memories still haunted her. Robin knew this was an invitation to do some work with her. Robin worked with Pam privately in her hotel room for about a half hour using energy psychology techniques. Coming back into the room, Pam was no longer crying but appeared calm and even radiant. She told the group about the incident (talking about it no longer brought up the feelings), and how the tapping technique allowed her to release the feelings and come to a place of forgiveness. Pam was totally amazed -- although she had seen many therapists, nothing else had worked. She told us that she had lived with hate and bitterness that grew every day for 13 years and that it had affected her health, marriage, and her relationship with her children. One year later we spoke with Pam and she was still clear, enjoying life without the horrendous weight of the past trauma. NOTE: Not all cases respond as rapidly -- some require many, many sessions.

14 PART FOUR: BE POSITIVE You are what you think. All that you are arises from your thoughts. With your thoughts you make your world. ~The Buddha The Power of Our Thoughts In 2003 I was very busy working and presenting Light Language classes and experienced first-hand the power of our thoughts. Before I flew to Kamloops, BC to teach (at the end of April 2003), I looked at how booked my calendar was through May and I said to myself, I won t be able to breathe again until June. Yes, my calendar was full. Yes, I had over-scheduled myself. But I had no idea how powerful that particular thought would be until I became ill in Kamloops and was congested and had trouble breathing!! Once I was aware, I was able to change the thought so that I did not have to stay ill through the month of May!! In fact it was May, 2003 that I took a wonderful sacred geometry class from Phil Gruber (a magical genius) and heard more about the structure of our thoughts which included the following: Thought is an attribute of consciousness. The mind continually generates grids and patterns of scalar waves. Every thought is a grid which remains within the dimensional bands and will draw particles to it that will eventually flush itself out into manifestation. Undirected thought creates chaotic patterns; thought directed with clear intent is a potent form of scalar power. Light Language is the language of scalar waves. Thoughts are grids of oscillating, vibrating patterns of light and sound; thoughts are tangible reality. We Create Our Own Reality The ancient oriental religions, such as Buddhism, taught that we create our own reality. Now modern particle physics or quantum mechanics has discovered exactly the same thing! For many people, thoughts are just thoughts. Many others, however, are now coming to understand that thoughts are a very subtle (and very powerful) form of energy. Thoughts have a life of their own. The energy of the thought can begin the process of physical manifestation. The energy of a thought never dies. We attract into our lives that which we focus upon with the strongest intent. Unfortunately, most of us do not monitor our thoughts, and therefore have no idea of what we are thinking about most of the time. ~Iyanla Vanzant

15 Monitor Your Thoughts Begin to pay attention to your thoughts. Our strongest thoughts (those most likely to manifest quickly) are those thoughts that we repeatedly think over and over again. Learn to monitor your thoughts think about what you are thinking. And then when you have a negative thought (one that puts yourself down, for instance), change it as soon as you catch yourself. If you think you are a failure, can t do anything right, think again. If you think you can never lose weight, be fit, feel good about your body, think again. Set the intent to monitor and harness your thoughts. Train yourself to periodically stop and notice if your thoughts are for the highest good, and if not, change them immediately! Here is a great recipe, suitable for any occasion... If you were to make a cake, you know that whatever you put into your mixing bowl will appear in the cake itself, and, if you leave out a specific ingredient, it will not appear in the finished product. The thoughts and beliefs that we choose to fill our minds ultimately will appear in our experience, and if we realize this, we can save ourselves a lot of trouble. No one would put the wrong ingredient in the mixing bowl because no one wants it in the cake, for everyone knows that, if it's in the bowl, it's in the cake! ~Emmet Fox CONCLUSION Although EFT and RITT are simple to learn, many of us forget to use these tools!! It is highly recommended that you tap on a daily basis. You can tap over current issues or past ones, food cravings, negative self talk, emotional or physical pain whatever is alive for you! Many of us are emotional eaters and don t even realize we are having feelings about something until we find ourselves in the middle of a binge. It is important to set our intent to become more aware of our feelings. If we don t deal with the feelings, it is easy to turn to food for comfort or to push away the feelings. Remember to be gentle with yourself! This is a process. No one of us will do it perfectly. Name-calling is not acceptable!! I used to call myself stupid with a bit of vengeance. Now I just call myself, silly and laugh when I have done something a bit foolish. It is important to be able to laugh at ourselves rather than rebuke ourselves!! Using EFT or RITT helps us work through feelings and deal with triggers so we don t need to eat over them! Use EFT or RITT before the craving or urge gets too high (once it is a 10 it is very difficult to curb on your own). And above all, remember to be gentle with yourself, laugh and have fun!! For more information go to and