Tapping Into

Body Joy

EFT Scripts to Help You Love Your Body, No Matter What!

Karen McLaughlin, M.Sc.Body Joy Coach & EFT Practitioner

Table of Contents

Introduction………………………………………………………….. p. 3What is EFT &How Can it Help You Love Your Body More?.................................. p. 4The EFT “Shortcut” Technique…………………………………….. p. 5The EFT Tapping Points……………………………………….......... p. 6

Tapping Scripts:1. Resistance to Loving Your Body…………………………………. p. 92. Opening to a More Peaceful Relationship with Your Body……. p.103. A Body Appreciation Exercise…………………………………… p.134. Talking to Your Body More Lovingly…………………………… p.155. Making Self-Nurturing a Priority………………………………... p.16

Articles:Unwrapping the Gift of Illness……………………………………… p.12Suggestions for Actively Nurturing Your Body……………………. p.17

My Story……………………………………………………………….p.18About Karen………………………………………………………….. p.18

Much appreciation goes to FreeDigitalPhotos.net for all the images used in this e-book

2

Introduction

This e-book is for anyone who's interested in having a more peaceful relationship with their body. I believe it's possible for everyone to have peaceful, loving feelings about their body, and to experience a sense of total well-being. In fact, I believe this is our natural state; it's just that many of us have learned otherwise and have developed adversarial relationships with our bodies.

In my work as a Body Joy Coach, I help people with chronic illnesses, chronic pain, and weight issues to develop more peaceful relationships with their bodies. The primary tool I use to assist people in this process is EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques), which is a simple yet powerful tool that anyone can easily learn.

Why the focus on peace?If you have heard about EFT at all, you may have heard stories about some surprising, almost miraculous results that EFT has produced. While there are many examples of what we call "one-minute wonders" using EFT, most issues are not resolved this quickly. If you have been struggling to lose weight for 20 years, it's not likely you will suddenly lose 50 pounds after a one hour session of EFT. Most of the time, patience and persistence are required for EFT to work well on these sorts of issues. It's difficult to be patient and persistent if you are not at peace. In fact, in order for EFT to work well, it is important that you are not trying to "force" something to happen; you need to be able to relax and let whatever happens, happen.

If you are not feeling peaceful about your body, this also inhibits the healing process. "What we resist, persists"; if you are feeling angry, resentful, depressed, or any other negative emotion towards your body, those emotions are not conducive to the feeling of well-being that is necessary for healing to take place. Peace creates space for well-being to flow. It is possible to experience this peace no matter what might be "wrong" with your body right now.

3

What is EFT &How Can it Help You Love Your Body More?

EFT (Emotional Freedom Techniques) is a universal healing tool based on the body's meridian system. It is often referred to as "an emotional form of acupuncture". In EFT, instead of using needles, we tap on several different points on the body. Although the basic technique for EFT is so simple you can learn it in a few minutes, it is a very powerful method for releasing negative emotions and limiting beliefs.

Gary Craig, the founder of EFT, developed this "discovery statement" to explain how EFT works:

"The cause of all negative emotions is a disruption in the body's energy system"

By tapping on certain points on the body, we are able to correct disruptions in our energy system, release negative emotions, and restore normal energy flow through the meridians.

Part of the EFT technique (which I'll explain in more detail further on) involves what's called a "setup statement". In the setup, we say, "Even though I have [this problem], I deeply and completely love and accept myself." This statement in and of itself is extremely powerful: Even though I have a problem, I AM WILLING TO LOVE MYSELF ANYWAY! This is so huge for some people, that sometimes when I start working with someone, they are unable to say the setup statement (there are ways to modify the setup in these cases).

Many of us are resistant to the idea of self-love (including loving our bodies) at a very deep level. EFT is the perfect tool to help release these deeply held beliefs that it might not be okay to love your body (or the many reasons you might have why you can't possibly love your body). Not only can EFT help you release any negative emotions you may have about your body, it can also help you to "tap in" the positive beliefs you would like to reinforce. I don't know of any faster way to change your vibration on a topic than to do a few rounds of EFT on the issue.

4

The EFT "Shortcut" Technique

What I will be teaching you here is a variation of the "shortcut" technique, which uses nine of the EFT tapping points. There are several other points which can be used as well, although many people who do EFT use only the shortcut points most or all of the time. The information I am providing here will be enough to get you started with EFT, and enable you to use the tapping exercises presented here. There is much, much more to EFT than what I am presenting here, and if you want to make EFT a regular part of your life (as I hope you will!), I encourage you to learn more about it.

For further information I suggest the following resources (both are FREE!):

The EFT Quick-Start Method by Chip Engelmann

The Official EFT Manual by Gary Craig

Before we move on…

The EFT exercises contained in this guide are appropriate for the majority of people; however, it’s impossible for me to know if they are appropriate for YOU. Please take personal responsibility for your own emotional well-being. This EFT oriented guide is provided as a good faith effort to expand the use of EFT in the world. It represents the ideas of Karen McLaughlin and does not necessarily represent those of EFT Founder Gary Craig or EFT. While EFT has been used by thousands of therapists, nurses, social workers, psychologists, doctors, and individuals worldwide with exceptional results and minimal negative side effects, this does not mean that you will not experience any side effects. If you use EFT on yourself or others, you are advised to take full responsibility for yourself and the treatment. EFT is a very flexible tool that can be used for just about everything. The original version & complete training can be found at http://www.emofree.com

Now, on to the technique...

5

The EFT Tapping Points

When we do EFT, we tap on specific points on the body while speaking phrases related to the issue we are trying to address. This diagram shows all the EFT tapping points. We will only be using nine of the points shown; they are described on the following page. (Illustration created by Julie & Chip Engelmann and used with permission)

6

As you read the description of each point, take a minute to locate it on your body. It doesn't matter which side of the body you tap on.

Karate Chop (KC): Located at the center of the fleshy part of the outside of your hand, between the top of the wrist and the base of your little finger; the part of your hand you would use to do a "karate chop".

Eyebrow (EB): At the beginning of the eyebrow, just above the nose, on the bone.

Side of Eye (SE): On the outside edge of the eye, on the bone.

Under Eye (UE): On the bone under your eye, about 1" below your pupil.

Under Nose (UN): The fleshy part between the bottom of your nose and top of your lip.

Chin (CH): The indentation between the bottom lip and the point of your chin

Collarbone (CB): Locate the U-shaped notch at the base of your throat. Go down 1", then over 1" either left or right (you are NOT tapping directly on the collarbone/clavicle)

Underarm (UA): On the side of the body, about 4" down from your armpit. For women, this is in the middle of the bra strap, for men, it's even with the nipple.

Top of Head (Top): On the crown of the head. Use several fingers to tap this area.

The phrases used while tapping the Karate Chop point are known as the "setup"The phrases used while tapping through the remaining points (Eyebrow to Top of Head) are known as "reminder phrases"

To use the scripts in this guide, tap on each point 5-7 times using the tips of 2-3 fingers, while repeating the phrases provided. You will tap more times than this while doing the setup (karate chop spot); just keep tapping until you're done the setup phrases. There's no need to count out the exact number of taps, as that takes away from the "flow" of tapping. Most people naturally tap about the right number of times at each spot, and if you do a couple less or a couple more times, it really doesn't matter - EFT is quite forgiving.

Before you proceed to the scripts, practice tapping a few rounds through all of the points so that you are comfortable locating all of them. You should start to develop a comfortable "tapping rhythm".

7

If you are still not feeling comfortable that you are “doing it right”, there are many videos on YouTube that demonstrate how to do EFT. A word of caution: some of them may use a couple of different points than the ones I have described here. One of my favourite EFT videos is Brad Yates’ Tap O’ the Mornin’ Brad uses all the same tapping points I describe here so it won’t confuse you at all!

A note about the phrases used in these tapping scripts:

You will notice that there are negative phrases in all of these scripts. I know many people resist saying "negative" things out loud - especially those of us who are into Law of Attraction and know how important it is to "stay positive". EFT is designed this way on purpose. The thing is, even though we don't want to admit it, most of us are carrying around these negative thoughts and emotions (sometimes at a subconscious level). If those negative emotions didn't exist within us at all, we wouldn't have any resistance; our "problem" wouldn't exist! EFT acknowledges that these negative emotions are present within us, and then helps us release them, shifting our vibration to a more positive one.

8

Tapping Scripts

1. Resistance to Loving Your BodyThis script is designed to release any resistance you might be feeling to the idea of loving your body more. If you have a specific body part that is in pain or dis-ease, you can use this script to focus on it by substituting the specific body part in place of the word “body”

Karate Chop (setup):Even though my body’s let me down in so many ways and I don’t think I want to love it more, I accept myself anywayEven though I can think of so many things that I want to change about my body, and I just wish I could change them all NOW, I love and accept myself and all my feelings about my bodyEven though I'm not sure I'm okay with loving my body more, I accept myself And I'm open to the idea that it might be okay for me to love my body more

Eyebrow: All these conflicting feelings about loving my bodySide of Eye: I know I should love my body moreUnder Eye: But part of me feels that would be wrongUnder Nose: That my body doesn’t deserve that kind of loveChin: Because it’s let me down so many timesCollarbone: And if I can’t trust my body, how can I possibly love it?Under arm: And someone might have taught meTop of Head: That my body’s not good enough just the way it is

Eyebrow: It might not be safe to love my body moreSide of Eye: I'm ready to trust that it's safe to love my bodyUnder Eye: All these worries about what might go wrong with my body nextUnder Nose: I'm ready to release them nowChin: I haven’t trusted my body in the pastCollarbone: I'm open to the idea that I can trust my body moreUnderarm: Part of me doesn’t feel it’s safe to trust my bodyTop of Head: Releasing all these fears about trusting my body

Eyebrow: I'm willing to feel good about my bodySide of Eye: I'm willing to appreciate my body moreUnder Eye: I'm willing to know that my body is good enoughUnder Nose: I'm willing to consider that my body is capable of total well-beingChin: I'm willing to feel a deep inner knowingCollarbone: That my body is worthy of more love than I can imagineUnderarm: I'm willing to feel well-being flowing Top of Head: It’s safe for well-being to flow through every cell of my body

9

2. Opening to A More Peaceful Relationship with Your Body

"It is possible to experience peace no matter what might be 'wrong' with your body right now."

If you read this statement in the introduction to this e-book, rolled your eyes and exclaimed, "Yeah, right!" I completely understand. If your legs are in constant pain, or you've been struggling for years to lose the fifty extra pounds you've been carrying around, I know it can seem like feeling peaceful about your body is an awful lot to ask. You may feel completely justified in embracing more familiar emotions like anger, disappointment, or distrust regarding your body. This script can help you release some of your resistance about having a more peaceful relationship with your body. Try tapping through the script, and notice if your reaction towards the idea "I can feel more peaceful about my body" begins to change at all.

As you tap, note any phrases that seem to particularly "hit home" with you - you may want to tap a few rounds on each of these phrases. Also, note any thoughts that come up (such as "I can't feel peaceful about my body because I hate the way I look"). Again, try tapping a few rounds on each of these thoughts as well.

Karate Chop (setup):Even though I don't want to make peace with my body right now, I love and accept myself anyway.Even though feeling more peaceful about my body is a ridiculous idea, given everything that's wrong with it, I deeply and completely love and accept myself anyway.Even though I can't imagine feeling more peaceful about my body until it stops giving me such a hard time, I love and accept myself anyway.

Eyebrow: What a dumb ideaSide of Eye: Make peace with my body?Under Eye: You've got to be kidding me!Under Nose: It's making me sufferChin: I refuse to feel peacefulCollarbone: About this body of mineUnder Arm: That's caused me so much troubleTop of Head: I'd rather just trade it in for a new model instead

Eyebrow: I'm used to doing battle with my bodySide of Eye: Is peace a possibility?Under Eye: It's not safe to relax about my bodyUnder Nose: Maybe I can feel a little more peaceful

10

Chin: There is so much wrong with my bodyCollarbone: Maybe I can look for something that's rightUnder Arm: I'm not sure I'm ready to have more peaceful thoughts about my bodyTop of Head: Maybe peace is easier than I think

Eyebrow: Maybe I can look for what's going right with my body nowSide of Eye: And find a few things I can appreciate about itUnder Eye: There's actually a whole lot going on that's rightUnder Nose: Every minute of every dayChin: Millions of things are going right in every cell of my bodyCollarbone: There's a lot for me to feel peaceful aboutUnder Arm: I'm ready to feel that peaceTop of Head: I'm sending peace to every cell of my body

“Healing begins with love for myself and love for every part of my body”~Louise Hay

11

Unwrapping the Gift of Illness(This article was originally published on my Body Joy blog on April 14, 2009)

"It requires the most inspiring kind of courage to accept that what you have and where you are is good." ~Mama Gena

I received this quote in my inbox this morning, and it struck me how very true this statement is with regards to illness. It's natural to perceive any form of illness or dis-ease as something "bad", something to get upset about. Family, friends and neighbours sympathize with us; "Oh, I'm so sorry this happened to you, what a shame. You don't deserve this."

What if, instead of being a random "punishment", illness was actually a gift? What if, as the quote above suggests, "what you have (illness) and where you are is good?" You might be shaking your head and thinking, "If this is gift, it's definitely not one I want to keep. It's the kind I want to shove under the bed with that purple and orange sweater Aunt Edna knit me, and the Chia pet my brother gave me for my 12th birthday."

I totally understand. When I was first diagnosed with fibromyalgia, I would have wanted to smack anyone who suggested that this disease was, in any way, shape, or form, a gift. From where I'm standing now, fifteen years later, I can see that it most definitely was a blessing in disguise. I received my fibromyalgia diagnosis when I was in graduate school. At that time in my life, I was completely stressed out, and definitely feeling like a square peg trying to shove itself into a round hole. I had invested a lot of time and energy into pursuing a career that I now understood at some level was a horrible fit for my natural talents and temperament. The problem was that I didn't want to admit to myself that I had made a mistake, so I kept trying to ignore my instincts, and continued to press forward along this path I had chosen. I believe the fibromyalgia showed up to try and get my attention in a really, really BIG way, since I'd been doing my best to ignore all the smaller, more subtle messages (physical, emotional, and spiritual) I was getting. The arrival of fibromyalgia into my life was the beginning of me truly getting to know myself; who I really was and what I was really here for. I'm incredibly stubborn, so it took me an entire decade after my diagnosis to formally walk away from the career I hated and claim my right to do something that respected my temperament and totally fulfilled me on every level. If I hadn't had the fibromyalgia (and a variety of other dis-ease symptoms) to prod me along, I'm not sure I would ever have had the courage to walk away. I was so physically, emotionally and spiritually drained by the time I left my former career, that there really wasn't anything else I could have done but leave, if I had any hope of maintaining my sanity.

So, if you're ready, you can summon up all your courage, and start to ask yourself some questions about why this illness you've been fighting with might be a gift in disguise. How might it be a form of self-protection, what might it be asking you to remember about yourself? What parts of yourself have you been trying to deny or suppress? How might "what you have and where you are" be good after all?

The answers to these questions can provide some very useful material to tap on. This can be some extremely intense work, and it might not be something you want to do all on your own. It can help to have someone - a close friend, tapping buddy or EFT Practitioner - to guide you along in these explorations. The answers you are seeking are already inside you. You can trust that letting them out into the light of day will only allow you to become more fully Yourself.

12

3. A Body Appreciation Exercise

The following script is an exercise that I ask clients to do as "homework" in between sessions. Those of you who are familiar with the teachings of Abraham-Hicks will recognize it as a variation of their Rampage of Appreciation process. The idea here is to look for some things that you CAN appreciate about your body. I know for some people this will be quite a challenge; however, the very fact that you're alive and reading this blog post means that there must be at least a few things about your body that are working properly!

I suggest tapping through the first two rounds of the script, then seeing how many things you can find to appreciate about your body (print a copy of this post so you can write them down in the blank spaces provided in the second half of the script). It's okay if you can't think of enough items to fill in all the blanks; repeat a few if necessary so that the whole script is filled in. Then tap through the whole script again from beginning to end (4 rounds). This is a great exercise to do daily!

Karate Chop (setup):Even though I haven't done such a great job of appreciating my body in the past, I deeply and completely love and accept myselfEven though I keep focusing more on what's wrong with my body, than on what's right, I love and accept myself anywayEven though there are so many things I want to change about my body, I love and accept myself anywayAnd I'm willing to consider the idea that I can appreciate my body fully and completely just the way it is right now

Eyebrow: I don't want to appreciate my bodySide of Eye: I keep focusing on the things I don't like about my bodyUnder Eye: There are so many things I want to change about my bodyUnder Nose: This body is nothing but troubleChin: I refuse to appreciate my bodyCollarbone: I won't appreciate my body until it does what I want it toUnder Arm: This misbehaving bodyTop of Head: I don't know whether I'm ready to appreciate it

Eyebrow: Maybe I can find a few things to appreciate about my bodySide of Eye: Maybe I can start to focus on all the parts that are working rightUnder Eye: So many things in my body are working perfectlyUnder Nose: I just haven't been noticing what's going rightChin: I'm opening up to the ideaCollarbone: That I can find something to appreciate about my bodyUnder Arm: I'm willing to cut my body some slackTop of Head: And start looking for things to appreciate about it

13

Eyebrow: I'm ready to appreciate my ________________Side of Eye: And my ability to ___________________Under Eye: I appreciate my _______________________Under Nose: And my _________________________Chin: I'm so great at _____________________Collarbone: I appreciate my ______________________Under Arm: And my ability to ______________________Top of Head: And my ___________________________

Eyebrow: I appreciate my _______________________Side of Eye: And my _________________________Under Eye: I'm so great at ______________________Under Nose: I appreciate my _____________________Chin: And my ability to _______________________Collarbone: And my ___________________________Under Arm: Every cell of my body is filled with deep appreciationTop of Head: For everything that I am

14

4. Talking to Your Body More Lovingly When our body is “misbehaving”, we tend to think and speak about it rather harshly. Changing the way we dialogue with our body is an important part of developing a more peaceful relationship with it!

Karate Chop (setup):Even though I have this habit of thinking and saying unkind things about my body, I love and accept myself anywayEven thought I speak to my body more harshly than I would ever speak to anyone I care about, I deeply and completely love and accept myselfEven though I always focus on the ways my body messes up rather than all the things it does right, I love and accept myselfAnd I'm open to the idea that I can speak to my body in a more loving and kind way

Eyebrow: I have a habit of saying terrible things about my bodySide of Eye: I'm so critical of every little thing my body does wrongUnder Eye: I tell myself my body’s not good enoughUnder Nose: I remind myself of all the ways my body has let me downChin: I make ridiculously high demands of my bodyCollarbone: I don't treat anyone else like thisUnder Arm: I let these critical stories about my body play in my head over & overTop of Head: Why am I so hard on my body

Eyebrow: This critical voice in my headSide of Eye: It's time for me to turn it offUnder Eye: I'm not used to being kind to my bodyUnder Nose: I can treat my body the same way I treat others I care aboutChin: I'm not comfortable speaking so lovingly to my bodyCollarbone: I'm willing to try using more loving wordsUnder Arm: It might feel strange at firstTop of Head: My body is worth the effort and I can do it

Eyebrow: I'm ready to rememberSide of Eye: That it’s okay for me to love my bodyUnder Eye: And it’s safe for me to love and honour my bodyUnder Nose: Love is my natural stateChin: And that includes feeling love for my bodyCollarbone: I'm ready to shower my body with love and supportUnder Arm: To support my body in a kind and loving way Top of Head: No matter what happens

15

5. Making Self-Nurturing a PriorityThis script will help you release any resistance you may be feeling to caring for your body in a more nurturing way. Before you begin this tapping exercise, take time to fill in the blank spaces provided with all of your favourite self-nurturing activities.

Karate Chop (setup):Even though I don't always listen to my body's needs, I love and accept myself anywayEven though I don't feel like nurturing my body, because I'm not happy with it the way it is right now, I deeply and completely love and accept myselfEven though I have all this resistance to the idea of actively nurturing my body, I love and accept myselfAnd I'm open to the idea that my body is worthy of being deeply nurtured and supported, in all sorts of wonderful ways

Eyebrow: I don't want to nurture my bodySide of Eye: I don't have time to nurture my bodyUnder Eye: My body doesn't deserve to be nurturedUnder Nose: At least that's been my story so farChin: I'm willing to consider the ideaCollarbone: That it can be deeply satisfying to nurture my bodyUnder Arm: And that my body is worth itTop of Head: I'm willing to commit to nurturing my body now

Eyebrow: I'm willing to give myself time to _____________________Side of Eye: And treat myself to ______________________________Under Eye: I'm ready to indulge myself in _________________________Under Nose: And nurture myself with _____________________________Chin: I'm willing to give myself time to ____________________________Collarbone: And treat myself to ________________________________Under Arm: I'm ready to indulge myself in _______________________Top of Head: And nurture myself with ____________________________

Eyebrow: I'm ready to indulge myself in _______________________Side of Eye: And nurture myself with _________________________Under Eye: I'm willing to give myself time to _________________________Under Nose: And treat myself to _____________________________________Chin: I'm ready to indulge myself in ________________________________Collarbone: And nurture myself with _________________________________Under Arm: I'm ready to lavish my body with loveTop of Head: In every way I can think of

16

Suggestions for Actively Nurturing Your Body:

There are many ways you can choose to actively nurture your body. Here are some ideas to get you started. The more you commit to nurturing your body, the more ways you will find to do so. Have fun with this!

Eating: Eating in a nurturing way means eating mindfully. Try not to eat "on the go" or while sitting in front of the computer. Give yourself permission to only eat foods that taste good to you and agree with your body. Pay attention to how the food tastes as you eat it. Eat in an environment that feels relaxing to you.

Hydration: Pay attention to your body's thirst signals. Take a drink when you need it! It's ideal to keep water easily available at all times if you can. Toss that skunky old water bottle and invest in something you will enjoy drinking from. If you have an office or workstation that you are at most of the day, create a nurturing "hydration station" with an attractive glass pitcher and fancy glass.

Elimination: Take a bathroom break when you need it! This is also a good time to check in with your body and see if it needs anything else (e.g. a snack or some stretching out of tense muscles).

Moving: There are so many different ways to exercise! Choose ones that feel good to YOU. I know I get really bored working out on exercise machines, and that I much prefer doing cardio exercises outdoors, so my routine includes lots of walking, hiking, and cycling. Also, be willing to honour your body's needs for rest - some days it needs less movement, not more.

Sleeping: Is your sleeping environment honouring your body? Do you have a comfortable mattress? Are your pillows giving you the right kind of support? Do your sheets feel good on your skin? Is it dark enough, is the temperature ideal for you? Consider spraying your sheets with lavender water or linen spray for an extra treat when you climb into bed.

Clothing: Are you wearing clothes that are too tight? Itchy? Constantly need fiddling with? Make a commitment to choose clothing that feels good to wear.

Daily pampering: Treat yourself to at least one little "body luxury" every day - a rich, great smelling body lotion, a spritz of a favourite perfume, or a post-bath or -shower foot rub .

Weekly Body Nurturing Ritual: I highly recommend setting aside a special time each week for a more formal "Body Nurturing Ritual". This can be anything you want it to be, as long as it feels purely loving and nurturing towards your body. My own weekly ritual includes a hot soak in the tub with soothing essential oils, a mani/pedi, a foot rub, and a head-to-toe intensive moisturising. I do this on Sunday nights so I can start out the week feeling loved and pampered!

Self-nurturing embraces many aspects that go beyond caring for your body to totally nurturing every aspect of yourself (physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually). To explore this subject in more detail, I recommend the following resources:

The Woman's Comfort Book by Jennifer LoudenThe Art of Extreme Self-Care by Cheryl Richardson

17

I hope you have found this guide useful. Please let me know how I can support you in “Loving Yourself From Head to Toe, No Matter What!”About Karen:Karen McLaughlin is a Body Joy Coach who helps people with chronic illness, chronic pain, and weight issues make peace with their bodies. Peace is the doorway through which true healing can begin.

Connecting with Karen:Email: bodyjoycoach@gmail.comFacebook: http://www.facebook.com/karen.mclaughlin1 Twitter: http://twitter.com/EFTmamaBlog: http://bodyjoywitheft.blogspot.com Body Joy Support Group on Facebook: http://groups.to/bodyjoy/

“When our mind’s at peace, we are unlimited” ~Byron Katie

18

My Story:I learned at a very young age that I couldn't trust my body not to let me down. From the time I was about two years old, I experienced chronic bladder infections. I also had many ear and throat infections as a child. It seemed I was always taking antibiotics for some infection or another. By the time I was in my early 20's, I wasn't getting sick with infections that often (although bladder problems were still an issue), but new physical problems presented themselves to me. I started experiencing severe gastro-esophageal reflux, which was so bad that even the best drug they had to give me at the time didn't help that much. No sooner had I started to get that problem "under control", when I began experiencing intense headaches, along with widespread pain throughout my body. I wasn't sure what was wrong with me, but it was becoming increasingly difficult for me to function normally. Finally, I went to a chiropractor to see if she could help reduce the pain. She diagnosed me with fibromyalgia (a rheumatologist later confirmed this diagnosis). At the ripe old age of twenty-three, I was given an antidepressant, which "might help take the edge off" the pain, and told that I was going to have to learn to live with this pain and that I would always have it. I was devastated.

While my story took many twists and turns after that, I can tell you that today, at nearly forty years old, I experience a level of well-being that I couldn't have dreamed would be possible back when I was diagnosed with fibromyalgia. While I can't give EFT *ALL* of the credit, I know it has made an enormous difference in my physical and emotional healing. While I still sometimes have a little achiness and stiffness, intense pain is no longer a part of my daily life. Depression (which came in a nice package deal with the fibromyalgia) is a thing of the past. Most days, I wake up in the morning feeling joyful and at peace with my body. What's more, I know I can continue to feel this way, even if my body decides to spring a few surprises on me in the future. I know it's possible for me to love myself from head to toe, no matter what!

This is the gift I would like you to have, too. I hope you will join me in exploring the many ways EFT can support you in finding your own Body Joy.