Ever said something that keeps turning in your head, wishing you said something else, only to find out....

Shifting through my mail with the usual expectation of 90% toss and 10% what in that haystack is this piece of poo...an envelope caught my eye and gave my heart a little flutter. It had real writing on it!

Did I just get a handwritten letter from someone who actually knows how tall I am and just how big my feet really are? Was this somebody I have actually shared some sort of life experience with?

Oh so exciting! I can't remember the last time I got a letter I had to open with all my fingers with such anticipation. I am usually swiping with my thumbs trying to get through all the noise coming at me.

As my fingers ripped the edges I could see a glimpse of color peeping through. This was surely from someone with an important message wanting to delight me with their artful taste.
As I opened the art card....

Oh yes indeed it was from a dear friend. My thoughts scanned our last outing and what a fun time we had all together. I was expecting to smile from some recap of the good time. Instead my eyes started to squint with wonder…what’s he talking about!

I had a faint recollection of a conversation reference in which this friend was a little anxious to verbalize his opinion. Someone else said something slight, very mild in response, and a few others responded slightly (in my mind) and then it was gone. We went on laughing, sharing and having a grand time.

Through the hand written words I could see his interpretation was very different and had been turning and turning in his mind. It had turned so much that he decided he had done something wrong by offending his close and trusted friends. He felt the needed to apology.

Oh wow, my heart felt for him.

A misinterpretation turned into a fear of losing us?

In primal times this was a big deal! If we got tossed out of a group that helped to protect and provide for each other--it meant you would likely die left alone against the forces of nature and beast.

The instinctual terror of being left out of our support group is still with us today, alive and living in our reptilian brain controlling our automatic responses such as fear. That primal fear is dressed a little better these days in a suit of sophistication of which our modern mind would like us to emulate. Yet, we are still being guided internally by the ancient parts of us.

No matter how progressive we are with our modern desires...

Our early beginnings still feel like the absolute truth when amped up by a chemical reaction that starts from a perceived danger in our mind. That interpretation of harm by our nervous system begins the churning of the mind alerting us to do something.

What we do with this natural reaction is the practice of our inner mastery.

The very first line of the Yoga Sutra (an ancient wisdom text) starts by saying...

We become whole by stopping how the mind turns.

This is our one big thing to understand about ourselves and each other.

As sophisticated as we are with our technology, science and worldly advancements … we still have this primal chemistry to master within our body and mind. We are still learning to adjust to modern times. What the sages discovered thousands of years ago still speaks to the ancient part of our being that runs a big part of the internal operations of our body. And our brain is a part of our body just in case you thought life was just about mind over matter.

I am convinced when we all learn to sooth this inner alarm we will find the answers to the questions we keep looking outside ourselves to find.

With a little practice we can relate to others with a greater understanding; just as I was beginning to understand my dear friend’s written words as his way of stopping his mind from turning. His apology helped him calm the primal fear of losing the respect and love of his “tribe”.

Knowing when our automatic responses are running the show and thinking up ways to protect us... is the start of inner mastery. Oh, and did I mention that the development of your inner mastery is the key to developing a mastery of your external relations? Ask a Navy Seal how they stay calm in action, or an athlete how they develop a winning mindset.

Now days it might be a board meeting, an interview or a challenging conversation with a loved one that has the same reactive response to potential danger ahead. We have similar physiological reactions to emotional danger as to physical danger. What trips our inner alarm is different for each of us.

It could help our professional and social relationships if we could understand these basic instincts and see when some one or some group/tribe is feeling threatened....especially ourselves.

When that alarm goes off it floods us with the chemistry firing up a reactive responses that could come out like anger, sadness, resentment and the need to defend or even shut down.

When we find ways to calm that chemistry we can gain back our logic and control. Until then we are at the mercy of our fired up sensations, and low level responses.

There are modern names for this ancient inner alarm such as stress and anxiety. That's our modern brain labeling something in our primitive nature so we can attempt to deal with it.

It’s not going away no matter what you call it, so I say learn to tame that inner tiger and you will master your world.

There are ways to harness the power of the tiger within to your advantage. First you have to be willing to take notice when you feel it. Then once you see it, don’t personalize it. That part is hard at first, but it gets easier when you can identify how your thoughts keep looping around and around, or when you have a sudden reaction to something you didn’t expect and then regret.

Once you have the awareness of the disruptive thoughts try to move out of your usual reaction which might be BLAMING or JUDGING yourself or someone else.

Just like in my dear friends situation we all had a different version of what went down. Therefore we are all responsible for our own reactions because it’s very likely the story will look very different from another view.

Once you are aware of what is happening to you the next level of mastery is to notice your body sensations.

Your body lets you know what’s up with your chemistry.

For some the body sensations come first before the awareness of their thoughts, feelings and emotions. They show up as fast breathing, the tightening of your jaw. Some form of tightening is a signal your chemistry is gearing up for protection.

Your body talks to you if you are willing to listen.

Listening to your body does not mean spinning off into worry about “what’s happening to my body”. Remember in these modern situations you are not in real physical danger. The body sensations are your message to calm things down.

Your breathing is the fastest way to change your chemistry from a fight response to a little more logical response. At the least it gets you to a point of change. That’s when you can engage in more productive responses.

Breathe into the tightness and let it soften with each breath.

If you feel like a goof ball doing this stuff it’s just because we don’t talk enough about how to create your own inner mastery. Your body is included?

If you want to engage at a high level in your relationships, and the rest of your world then learn to listen to your body. Learn to sooth its pain signals when its stress related.

Ever wish you would have said something different if you had thought of it?

1-Take a few grounding breaths and see if you can respond the way you prefer. Slowing things down can build relationship vs barriers when challenged.

2-After you take a couple of breaths think of a calming statement that will start to tone down the alarm.

In the case of my dear friend, he might not have felt the need for such drama if he was able to have a calming inner dialog with himself.

I have a go to response when I feel like I went overboard on something and I can tell I am have a low level response. I tell my scared little person ...

Oh, and don't think you are too adult to have a little person response. If you are human you will at some point be ruled by the kid in you that remembers when things went wrong.

Here is what I say to my inner kid when it's getting out of control....

I am a good girl and I didn’t do anything wrong.

I am entitled to my opinion and I deserve to verbalize it.

I don’t need to hurt, judge or belittle someone else in doing so.

I am a good person.

OK, so now you are reminded of what you likely have heard before and tried to use when in the middle of a challenge....

It may or may not have worked in the moment with no practice. It's soooo much harder that way.

True mastery (the easy way) is developed when you practice before you need it the most. Navy Seals, athletes and the Dalai Lama all practice their inner mastery so that is becomes natural to use it when you need it.

It might feel strange to include all the parts of your being when things feel off, but if you practice before you will master your world!

And if you would like a little help with that...that's my jam, we can talk about it.

https://lauralong.pro/connect/

First call is on me to talk about what's most important to you.
The power of intention comes through the dance of clarity.

It is like a dance to work the aspects of creation, to weave together clarity, intention, and opportunity for change. Yes “change” can shift into opportunity when you stay with the rhythm of the cosmos!

It might feel a little wobbly and awkward, maybe even painful to allow change to take the lead in the dance of creation...and still stay clear about what your big picture intention is. Sometimes you are the leader and sometimes you are the follower, and both to the rhythm of the moment. This is the dance.

You have heard that setting your intention is a part of powerfully bringing to life your vision, your creations, your goals and aspirations. Well what happened to living in the moment and letting go of a projected outcome? Isn't that the "mindful" method of enjoying what you are doing vs chasing a dream way out in the future?

Can we live in the moment and still want something different for the future?

If the two concepts seem to be in conflict let's take a second to bring some clarity to light. Hum, yes! Clarity, that's the key connector of the two concepts. Get clear about your intention then enjoy the freedom of the creative dance bringing it to life.

Defining the details maybe a part of clarifying your intention, and so is going with the flow; following the lead and then taking the lead. The mindful aspect of staying with what is happening now vs looking too far into the future or too far in the past is the dance with the cosmos as it is right now.

SanKalpa is an ancient word that defines the power of intention.

Through the synchronistic rhythmic pattern of flow one invites the heart to dance with the mind and the cosmos. The one element that brings SanKalap (powerfully elevated intention) alive is clarity. Yet it is one of the hardest things to pin yourself down to describe.

Let the heart take turns leading the dance.

The heart has its own inelegant ability to provide high level information and experiences when we listen for its wisdom. The HeartMath institute has illuminated the science of the powerful heart, upon which SanKalp draws, with their research and fascinating findings.

The heart has its own neurons for communicating with the nervous system and ultimately with the brain for the mind’s interpretations. Another mind blowing finding is the magnitude of the electoral projection of the heart. That powerful magnetic force is the first thing to arrive in the room and to be interpreted by other hearts.

You have experienced this when you enter a group and found who you wanted to engage with, and who you just weren’t feeling it with. This is the communication and interpretation of the magnetic fields of the hearts playing out their natural, behind the scene, communication.

Maybe the communication came as vibe or a visceral feeling you get about your surroundings, or people. The vibe can open you up or close you off, feel playful or fearful, inviting or withholding.

The heart’s communication may come to us through our body like when we say I can feel it in my gut, or my gut tells me it's right or wrong choice. This may in fact be the communication of the heart to the gut (which also has its own neurons) as a method of delivery. So what we know is the less visual aspects play a role in creating a vibrational attraction to what’s going on inside.

If that is the case then clarity becomes the key to creating the vibrational attraction which is the prerequisite to the larger vision we are creating with intention.

What does the heart have to do with it?

With that much wisdom to interpret what is right for us we can access higher levels of clarity utilizing the aspects that will bring us the outcome we are aspiring to, and at the same time help navigate through change.

One of the elements that brings alive our intention is clarity. Yet to clearly define, describe, feel and embody what we want is one of the hardest questions to answer.

If we don't know what it looks like, how it feels to have it, and how life will be when our intentions are fulfilled, then we don't recognize the opportunities that present themselves in the sacred dance with synchronicity. We don't see the dots that are waiting to be connected, or the opportunity to go this way or that.

Often we have to start with what we don't want.

That is usually pretty clear and easy to answer. Now can you flip it? Can you ask your heart to chime in on the question and give a little sample of what life, the world, our relationships will be like when the aspiration is in full bloom. That is the question to ask your heart. Show me what it's like, show me what it feels like so I will know it when the pieces are presented.

Get curious about possibility by asking your heart questions!

Maybe the answer is not immediate, and that's when the willingness to be in the moment and let the outcome go really has it's time to shine. Likely a sensation or a feeling will come before an actual thought. Let that feeling vibrate through you and take it's time to form its words. Ask a few powerful questions to yourself and to others if they are involved in bringing forth an intention with clarity.

Questions create the shift from knowing what you don't want to clearly setting your intention to experiencing something different.

How will I feel when I have this?
Then how will "we" feel (co-creators)?
How will my life (and/or the life of others) be different with this?
What aspects of myself do I want to bring to this?
What do I want to let go of to allow this to have its own opportunity to thrive?
How will others interact with me?
What are the specifics of the general terms that come to mind at first?
For example what does “at peace” mean to you.
What is your version of "success", "a successful outcome"?

How to expand the clarity and optimize the intention.

Research shows you have a greater chance of optimizing your intentions when you write out the clarifications, and even greater when to tell someone.

Answer the questions you asked your heart, as they come and notice their evolution. When you first start the answers may be slower to come until you sit with them for a bit and let it cook. The writing helps the cooking process. You start to really smell and taste what coming to a full stew will be like.

Open your heart to show you the dots that connect the steps along the way. Ask yourself what is the tiniest step and let that led you to the next, and the next.

Then come the "buts"!

Once you start to define and gain clarity about your intentions the automatic protector in you may start to show up in your inner dialog saying….yes but! Yes but there is this, and there is that, appearing as obstacles in the way.

Don't completely ignore this protective inner voice and don't let it stick around for very long either.

Listen and counter them one by one offering some reassurance with the maturity that has developed in you. The inner dialog and visceral feelings are warnings not to recreate the past. Take the warning, trust you have grown and assure yourself you can be safe with new experiences. Be willing to work with and move past the natural resistance to change as it arises.

Acknowledge the desire to stay safe and comfortable in the status quo as a natural need to stay clear of the "perception" of danger which the idea of something new may present. Thank the resistance for trying to protect you and let the inner protector of you know you got this, you will stay safe, and you will take on new changes in tiny steps.

Now put on your metaphorical dancing shoes, feel the rhythm in your heart, and map out your intentions by asking yourself some clarifying questions.

And if you need a little help with that, I am here to help. Your first call is on me to see how this might work.

Laura is a trained professional providing a whole being experience to other open minded professionals who are ready to bridge the gap between their external success and their unique version of an optimal life from the inside out.
What is the value of a regular inner balancing tune-up? And… what do you do when it feels like your inner accelerator petal is stuck?
I had a recent event that really drove the concept of valuing my inner balance all the way home real quick and personal. The experience reminded me of how our inner workings are akin to a vehicle of travel. We depend on the parts under the hood to be running smooth, and to get us where we want to go. It was early Sunday morning, still a bit dark. I was deep asleep until I heard Koki Kitty growling and pacing at the window. Yes, I have a growling cat. Something told me her annoying behavior was a warning, and not the usual roll over and hope she settles down type of gesture. It was not a roll over moment! My Sunday somber came to a screeching stop as I looked out to see my backyard in bellowing flames. The impact of the shock shifted me from coast straight into high speed. I went from 0 to 100 into flight, fight, and freeze response. My inner protector completely took over as I ran out to help put out the fire. The fire fighters were already there. THANK YOU! It was over pretty quick with about a third of our fencing scattered on the ground, transformed into charcoal bits. No one hurt. Once the fire stopped outside, it soon became evident my inner rev was not going out so easy. Even thought I had taken my foot of the proverbial gas, I clearly needed some mechanical maintenance to tune my engine back to a smooth ride inside. As time turned quickly past the trauma my body still felt it was experiencing all the same emotions. This external unforeseen, uncontrollable, situation caused an internal imbalance that leaked exhausting fumes into all the areas of my life as it played out. My inner world, the one I rely on to keep my engine running smooth, was stuck. The toxic waste left behind in my body, mind and spirit needed cleaning up. I could feel my inner workings misfiring leaving me exhausted. I felt in a near constant state of underlying fear with increasing mental fog. It was time for a good look under the hood of my being for a tune-up so I could run on all cylinders again. This year it seems we have all been running our engines at an accelerated speed trying to travel through everything coming at us. Most of us would agree life is already a juggling act and all this feels like one more ball in the air to catch. With all those balls in the air it’s not so easy to see our own imbalances building up.
The significance of my inner imbalances got very real after the fire. If I had not been ready with a maintenance program to work with this unexpected turn, it would have kept me off my course feeling lost and wrecked longer…. I am sure of it.
Pulling my wheel of life back to center took a plan. A support system to help me sooth the post stress: disturbed sleep, fear, anger, confusion, conflict, and all the negative emotions that swelled up inside me. A process to smooth those tangles before they turn into further health issues is energetic re-balancing. Soothing the inner banging parts before they leak into other areas is the premise of an energetic realignment processes. Case in point… My neighbor experienced the same fire and then had another minor event to deal with. This pushed her petal even harder making a minor thing seem huge while she was still recovering from the original trauma unsupported. She became ill for a week. The challenge of the bodies default methods - like getting sick- kicking in can result in a mechanical shut down be it mental or physical. Her life was forced to go on hold while her vehicle/being went into repair, leaving yet another stress to deal with. Thing is we don’t want to completely shut down like that for an extended amount of time if we can speed up the turnaround safely and simply with regular maintenance checks. We were both pretty traumatized… I contribute my relatively quick turnaround to the regular look under the hood of my being. It did take time to bounce back. I am not talking miracles here, it’s a process. I learned firsthand what I knew academically. Trauma and grief are not a liner process as they move through our system. The stages of grief are all over the place in recovery. The experienced directly showed me the ill effects of trauma and grief do not have to be prolonged. There are tools to help. Our inner human technology defaults to personalizing loss and trauma. It gets all tangled and hard to recognize. We may not know it is present until those stages start running us. Here is the insight: Trauma overlaps into some of those same phases. Grief is not always for a “person” who dies, it can be experienced also when a “thing” dies (the end of). A relationship, a project, a third of your backyard. We lose a lot of “things” on our path, making that emotion one we hold on to by default. Usually we don’t know we can let it go, we may not even know it’s there. Here is the thing…it does not matter if it was a fire that was put out or a fatal trauma of which you survived. Our body and mind will go through the same emotions. So how many traumas and losses do we go through in just living life? The experience of trauma and loss, big or small, leak toxic waste into our lives left unattended. AND…That’s just some of the bumps in the road we can hit when we cruising along. There are many tangles that can stick to us on the path. My inner ride is pretty light right now I am happy to report. My energy is up, regular sleep patterns have returned, and I am taking care of business with greater ease. Sparks of joy are showing up once again. And most importantly I don’t have to use up my inner resources by caring extra trauma, drama, and emotional baggage. Those are complete energy suckers! This powerful work can be effectively productive in smoothing out the toxic buildup of life’s daily stress along with the occasional big hit from nowhere. Bottom Line: We don’t have to wait until there is something wrong to keep our vessels (our being-ness) humming. I think you know how much better a hum feels inside vs the raddle of tangled emotions. Acute anxiety and overwhelm being among them. We can’t always avoid the external bumps in the road as we travel along. What we can do is keep our inner wheels strong and balanced to glide over the pit wholes a lot easier. We can sustain lightness and strength to maneuver through the turns with greater ease and grace as we regularly set our inner compass to true north. Let’s get out the compass and take a look at how the travel is going. We can align the path by releasing the tangles before they block the smooth ride. There are always going to be bumps to get over. A Plan to Keep the Compass Pointed True North. After 18 years of working with people to arrive at their true north through inner alignment, there is one thing I have seen over and over … those who regularly look under the hood of their being, have had the most joyous journeys. It is from this place of knowledge, practice and observation that I am opening a maintenance option for us to keep things humming along. This is a personalized time to address your unique needs one on one. This tune-up service is designed to keep your inner vehicle (body, mind, spirit) balanced, aligned and connected to your highest visions which is your compass pointed to your true north, your point of bliss as Joseph Campbell describes it. You are definitely worth and worthy of traveling on the path to optimal living. Now let’s see it through in a maintenance sessions designed to fit your needs at a manageable pace and price. And, if you have arrive at your destination of an Optimal Life…then let’s keep it embodied and humming along. Question: How often do you have a major tune-up on your internal system? There is value to be gained in being proactive. Press here to take a look at how a plan can work for you. If you are ready hope on over and set up your times here. Not sure if this is right for you? Press here to set up a chat first. We can have a chat about this or other options for you to feel in alignment with what's important to you. When the body, mind and spirit are aligned with what you want how to get it opens up.
Are you afraid of your tears?
Have you ever pressed down the tears when you heard a song or a touching musical creation? That was a heart to heart connection when you felt the direct communication the artist was pulling from their heart(s) with the intention of sharing what is in their heart with you.
Take a list to this solo harmonica by Indiara Sfair that vibrates to the core of your heart.
A joy filled surprise washed over me as I listened to this music. I could feel every note of her heart she pulled out to play for me. It felt like a song just for me, so I let the tears wash my eyes for a couple minutes as my hearts vibration fell in sink. That is what a heart connection will feel like...like it's just for you, and it is. Those deep connections are beyond words and touch us in places we don't always have access to in our daily hurry up lives. However; part of REAL life is played out through the experiences of joy which can be touched through creative expression. The question becomes ... are you willing to experience joy even if it's through your tears? I had a client tell me one time they let go of the expectation of joy. Incidentally tears did not come easy to them either. It does not take much to figure out why this person was also having creative blocks. I say.....Let the tears flow and let the heart to heart connection in. Pressing them down is like shutting off your love connection, your ability to access joy, and ultimately shutting you down in many areas of your life.
It's OK to show tears no matter who you are. In fact letting your tears come is healthy living!
We could use more expression of tears as a powerful connector vs something to hide as if it is a weakness in our world. And....the world starts within you. I am not saying in every experience let them roll, but when you have the opportunity...be proud of your tears.
Our evolution to "optimal living" is to expand our wisdom heart.
The heart is very wise, not just a mushy thing you use with romantic love, or when you see your kids laugh. Those things are valuable too, and there is more to the heart then that. The optimal access to that wisdom comes from the direct access to the heart vs the shoving down of joyful, expressive tears...or tears of any kind. If you push down one side of your heart you build barriers to the wise parts you desire access to when you need it.
Can you feel it? Do you let your tears flow when they appear? Do you want to get out of this post as fast as you can because you don't like the idea?
If you find yourself running through life a little numb then that might be an indication that your wisdom heart is not as accessible as it could be.
This is an indication the access to your inner higher knowing is blocked off.
Why should it matter? The thought might be ... in this day and age of such crazy making ... it's a good thing to protect my heart, to shut it down, to press down my tears, and to go back into my head where it is safe, where I can judge vs feel. That works just fine for a while then there comes a time when there is something you want and you can not access it. Like a better job, a giving relationship, improved communication with your kids, your team, your partner, and even the expansion of your business. You know what you want but you don't see, feel or know how to get there so easily. Those are the times we don't have the answers or even know the questions to ask ourselves. When we can't easily construct the words to put with the aspiration, we can tell the communication with the wisdom of the heart is turned off.
When the wisdom of the heart is accessible the answers, the messages, the knowing and the path show up.
It's a practice to keep your heart open. The practice becomes allowing emotions to flow through and out vs shoved down, piled up, and all sticky and tangled while assigning them little value. Then you only have your head to find your way and it is not the wisest part of you. The head/mind has lots of trappings and inner protective processes that fog up your highest knowing. The mind is not always the most reliable source of the highest truth. To learn more about letting the barriers to your wise heart down so you can access what is most important to you check out my Heart Wall page. The first conversation is on me. https://lauralong.pro/release/
An explanation and practice for “going to neutral” through the middle way
Have you found your self playing ping pong with your brain? Brain ping pong feels like you are trying to get somewhere but you keep bouncing from wall to wall with your emotions, feelings and thoughts. It's a reactive process like when the ball hits the wall hard and then again on the opposite side. Your thoughts ping in one direction with such force that it hits the other side and then your thoughts go in another direction. Back and forth, yes I want to do that, and I have to hit it hard to get it done. Thing is the inner ping pong game happens so often it becomes a hidden habit you are barely aware of such as....I have to have a strong opinion about what ever the topic of the day is because if I don't then it will get past me. I have to be in my pose to hit that ball back hard as it comes at me. The reality is hitting it hard makes a hard bounce back and most of the effort is spent in hitting the walls rather then a simple roll down the middle. Which one is going to get there fast with the least amount of effort? When you play a mental ping pong it's a back and forth game and that makes getting where you want to go take a lot more effort with a lot less progress. Going back from one direction to the other over and over is exhausting...so what if you went down the middle. The sages of the ages as I call the wisdom teachers have shown us aiming for the middle is a wise way to travel. Applying this principle to your thoughts reduces your stress and you know what havoc that flight, fight, freeze response does to your biology when it's not turned off. A lot of your physiology has to pool it's resources to sustain the "on guard" status. That means your nervous system, organs and subtle energies slow down and don't function at their optimal level. And, it's tiring! Simply said it feels like there is always something wrong. Here is a little practice to apply that will soften the stress of it all. First let's start with a story by Jack Kornfield from his book “The Wise Heart” that helps to explain how this is nothing new, and it's still golden.
a method for emotional resilience “Learning to rest in the middle way requires a trust in life itself”.
“It is like learning to swim. I remember first taking swimming lessons when I was seven years old. I was a skinny, shivering boy flailing around, trying to stay afloat in a cold pool. But one morning there came a magical moment lying on my back when I was held by the teacher and then released. I realized that the water would hold me, that I could float. I began to trust. Trusting in the middle way, there is an ease and grace, a cellular knowing that we, too, can float in the ever-changing ocean of life which has always held us”. The invitation is to discover this ease everywhere: in meditation, in the day to day life, and wherever we are. “In the middle way, we come to rest in the reality of the present, where all the opposites exist”. A place to soften our shoulders, rest our desire to fix, and a place to rest our judging, comparing, longing mind. “T.S. Eliot calls this the “still point of the turning world, neither from nor towards, neither arrest nor movement, neither flesh nor fleshless.” The sage Shantideva calls the middle way “complete non-referential ease.” The Perfect Wisdom Text describes it as “realization of suchness beyond attainment of good or bad, ever present with all things, as both the path and the goal.” “When we discover the middle path, we neither remove ourselves from the world nor get lost in it. We can be with all our experience in its complexity, with our own exact thoughts and feelings and drama as it is. We learn to embrace tension, paradox, change. Instead of seeking resolution, waiting for the chord at the end of a song, we let ourselves open and relax in the middle. In the middle we discover that the world is workable.” The teacher Ajahn Sumedo tells us …. “Of course we can always imagine more perfect conditions, how it should be ideally, how everyone else should behave. But it’s not our task to create an ideal. It’s our task to see how it is, and to learn from the world as it is. For the awakening of the heart, conditions are always good enough.”

A daily practice & stress neutralization technique to use in the moment

The practice of “Going to Neutral” is a tool for emotional resilience. Step into the middle way with the wisdom of your heart, the power of your breath, and the calming of your nervous system.
Step 1: Begin with spinal bush breathing (aka feather breath) for a minute or two. Note: To learn spinal brush breathing use this audio guide called Feather Breath (another name for spinal brush breathing) to learn the process of enhancing your inner awareness. Step 2: Breathe slowly and deeply as you imagine the air entering and leaving through the heart area or the center of your chest. This helps draw the energy out of your head. It deflates the reactive thinking and the ping ponging of emotions and thoughts. Note: For stressful onsets in the moment. As soon as you feel an emotional reaction begin, take a time-out and create some space for yourself. Slow down your breathing and implement the following steps. Practicing when calm helps to build the inner muscle to flex when you need it. Step 3: Focus on your heart and breathing. Declaring and adopting the intention to disengage from an option. Release judgement or a need to grab hold of or fix things. Example: Breath in trust exhale acceptance. Step 4: Continue until you feel calmness throughout your body and mind. This may not mean everything evaporates into fair dust. It neutralizes that the charge around your default emotions (the ping pong game). Soften the tension in your body with each breath. Note: Neutralizing the mental ping pong reduces stress by soothing your nervous system. A balanced nervous system calms your mind, opens the wisdom of the heart and allows you take constructive action. You then create a 3 way communication between the heart, brain, and nervous system allowing opportunity for optimal experiences. Adapted from HeartMath and combined with additional techniques by Laura Long and the sages of the ages.
Animals can have trapped emotions that affect their behavior and even their health
It's new to have this cat in my lap. You see she was a rescue from a 5 day kill list. That means in 5 days she was going to be put down. Thankfully the wonderful rescue group of Mother Load picked her up for me to later adopt. No one wanted her because she had high anxiety. Cute as a button, but cried and fussed to get down every time you picked her up. Yet she was always ready to play and quite talkative right from the start. Here spirit spoke to me and it was love at first sight for me, and I think her too. I saw something in her, I just knew she was the cat for me, even though she did not want to be picked up and cuddled. I knew there was hope when I rubbed her ears and she loved it.
slowly the anxiety lessened with EFT yet there was more to do
It didn't take too long after working on her anxiety with segregate tapping/EFT, along with patience, love, and repetition. She got the idea she was safe, and started letting me pick her up without so much fuss. We got real good at that in fact. Yet there was still a distance she was keeping. Koki kitty has not been a cuddle cat until I did another type of energy work on her where we address her specific emotions. This time it went deeper and released another layer of anxiety and calmed the trapped emotions from her traumatic early life. These emotions were found by tuning into the universal energy that connects us all. Then asking a value relevant question such as...
"Is there an underlying cause for this behavior/condition”?
I use applied kinesiology (muscle testing) on myself as her proxy to answer the questions. I worked with her on releasing the emotion of crying, sadness, sorrow, rejection, stubbornness and discouragement. They are all emotions clustered in the energies of the lung and large intestine. This is called the metal element in Chinese theory. Credit goes to Dr. Bradley Nelson for teaching the practice. This process is called The Body Code; a meridian based clearing designed to neutralize the old emotions still affecting behavior from past events that left there mark.
Yes animals have emotions, lots of them!

Kitty is still in my lap as I type this....and she got there herself. She is getting more affectionate now that she feels safe and calm from the release of the trapped emotions. She is never more than a few feet away and often helps her self to laps, to get her ears rubbed. Most days you will see her right there as we work with our clients. I say "ours" because she plays a part in the calming and grounding of our work.
What a great office mate!
Emotional releases for animals by remote are now available
This has been a great reward and I would like to now share this with my clients who have animals that are suffering or the humans are suffering with their behavior. Let me know if you have a pet that seems anxious or acting out. We can see if there is an underlying cause or trapped emotions from the past that are lingering on. I can remotely let them go to change the behavior. I am now offering distance animal sessions to release the underlying emotional cause of the issues. All it takes is a picture of the animal with their eyes showing, there name, date of birth (approximately), there address, how long you have had them, and what the issue is. Laura Long Emotional Energy Release Specialist LauraLong.pro
are you regularly cultivating your joy?

By the way......how is your joy? Here are a few tips to amp it up!

First big tip is be aware of how you talk to yourself.
Have you tried to think about the positive outcome rather than what bad things could happen which leads to a tail spin-off into useless torture? That's self-talk gone wild!
Your inner peace starts by turning the torture into nurture.

I can hear some saying BUT I DON'T KNOW HOW. Stick around, that's what we do here!

Have you found yourself saying things like.....

Lately my negative self-talk has been around learning new technology. I have noticed a host of spin-offs triggered.

Oh that’s going to be hard I am just not good at this kind of thing It takes me so much longer than other people (like I know how long it takes “other people”) No! Not now, I don’t have time for this Followed by...OMG another thing to learn now!

The inner harsh dialog can be subtle & feel real.

I don’t notice how often it’s repeated without a conscious effort. What I notice in the moment first is how I tense up and want to walk away. That tells me there's something going on that's disrupting my FUN, my JOY, my PEACE!

How about you?
What do you say to yourself when you are learning something new or presented with a new idea that might benefit you but feels a little wobbly?
There is one thing I know for sure.

My internal dialog doesn’t help me learn when I am spinning off into my own limiting thoughts. In fact it seems to make me more frustrated, and inhibits my natural curiosity, and joy. It makes my life unnecessarily difficult living with my own harshness towards myself. How about you, have you thought about this?

And, the most terrifying thing ever happens!

It leaks out to others around me. Oh no, you mean other people can feel my inner dialog? Yes, they can! We have another layer of connection with each other that is pretty subtle and picks up on the vibe.

That’s a pretty big motivational factor for me personally. I don’t want to push people away with my negative vibe.

OK, so we figured out it doesn’t feel good to have this inner harsh dialog going on.

So why do we keep doing it? WHY is it so hard to change it? OK, here is the big reveal…you ready? It is because our brains are wired to protect us.

What do you mean protect us?

How could thinking the same thoughts…saying bad stuff to myself over and over possibly be a method of protection?

It's that primitive brain I have been talking about.

You might have heard about the FFF response (fight, fright, and freeze). That’s the part of the brain that needed to stay in high alert for danger back in our early stages of human development.

That same responsive primitive/automatic part of our brain still remains. Now days we don’t need to be on alert for the tiger hiding to eat us. Yet we are still on the alert for things that have the potential to cause us emotions we would rather avoid. Then that intervention becomes a habit when repeated often.

Back to the example of the technology for me.

Because of my past challenges in other learning areas, when I am challenged with learning a new thing my automatic response comes to protect me from the difficult emotions. So I do the habitual negative talk stuff until my reasoning brain becomes aware and turns it around.

We can use our modern brain (reasoning) to help our primitive brain (habitual & protective) move out of UN-useful behavior with our self-talk.

It seems counter intuitive.

Why would I say something harsh to myself when I am challenged? The protective, habitual part of my brain is trying to get me away so I don’t have to deal with any repeat issues I may have experienced in the past. Oh! Any bells going off for you on your methods of avoidance?

I learned to celebrate the wins!

Here is a simple process to move beyond the negative self-talk

Awareness: I notice I am not feeling good about this. Body tightens up, breathing shallows, and my jaw tightens.

Ask kindly: What am I saying and feeling that is creating this response. Ask in curiosity, and away from judging.

Sooth: Talk to myself like a parent to a hurting child. Like the nurturing parent that holds the fear (even though you don’t immediately see it as fear) put your hands on your chest or give a comforting physical gesture to yourself. See this post for more on the support of touch.

Re-frame: Continue talking internally like the wise supportive parent who helps turn it around.

Here's what I say: You can give it a try for a while with curiosity, not to “have to learn”. See if you want to try it. You can do it at your own pace, then get up and dance! Celebrate the wins: Make a big deal out of the tiniest accomplishments. My grandma was great at this when she taught me to cook. She would make a party out of me turning over an egg.

Put yourself to sleep with the wins.

Here is what puts me to sleep and makes me feel good about my day. I think back over the day and find 3 wins to celebrate. I will celebrate the tiniest to the biggest and remind myself of how I made my accomplishments that day. Everything from the dishes to the awesome coaching calling to the new stuff I learned. Make your own party out of it.

What if I go back to it not being enough?

That’s OK. Remind yourself it’s just a habit you’re learning to move out of. Then come on back into the party!

Celebrating the wins is a powerful transformation practice that's one step into your lasting inner peace.
How you can celebrate your wins? Play and have fun with it. Pretty soon it will feel so good you will be looking to celebrate the wins of everyone around you.
The same ways of doing got you where you are, but will they take you where you want to go?

Apply here & let’s talk about it in a complementary discovery call.

Laura Long Life Coaching at LauraLong.pro
Does Tapping Take the place of Meditation?

No way, but it sure can help the monkey mind! Here is how to improve meditation with tapping easily.

In case you have been on another planet for a while and just arrived, here is something interesting to know.....

Neuro-scientists have discovered that when you ask the brain to meditate, it gets better not just at meditating, but at a wide range of self-control skills, including attention, focus, stress management, impulse control, and self-awareness.

"People who meditate regularly aren’t just better at these things. Over time, their brains become finely tuned willpower machines.

Regular mediators have more gray matter in the prefrontal cortex, as well as regions of the brain that support self-awareness." ~ Kelly McGonigal from The Willpower Instinct.

Sometimes all that really matters is that it makes you feel good!

Your well-being will grow as you meditate...and it just simply makes you feel good. If you are like me you could use a little feel good energy daily, yes?
The invitation here is to enhance the feel goodness by utilizing your natural body chemistry right from the start, and get a little jump start on the ancient art of meditation. Or if you are like me your start up time to that feeling good from meditation takes a while to get to on some days. The process I describe here will speed that up so you can get to the good stuff faster. Yeah!
Start by Focusing on your breathing

What that means is notice the feeling of the air as you breath in and out. You don't have to meditate for hours, try it a few minutes at a time until you build up to 15 minutes, then 20, then 30 or more. It doesn't take much to bring that feel good energy alive. It's how most meditations start anyway so noting new yet. The enhancement starts with these tips. following.

Before you begin your meditation

Tap on all the points for one or two rounds in silence. If you mind is still jumping around like a monkey in your head....Tap with the following script ideas. Make it your own.

This Tapping can take you less than five minutes
On the Karate Chop point on the side of the hand....repeat three times:
Even if there is a part of my mind that does not want to settle into meditation, and it is keeping me from enjoying this, there is another part of me that wants to feel the peace....and I lovingly accept both parts of me.
Tap one or two rounds on how you are fee
ling Tap on the rest of the points describing how you are feeling about meditation now. You can't do it wrong. Say out load or to yourself how you are feeling. Make it your own thoughts. Maybe something like this.....

My mind is so busy I can't seem to calm it down. I keep thinking about everything else I have to do. I feel stupid sitting here with my eyes closed thinking about nothing. I am concerned my family will see me and wonder what I am doing. My body feels restless. I can't sit still now. I am a little afraid to relax my mind from all these thoughts. I don't know what might happen. I have never stopped thinking on purpose. My thoughts are all over the place.

Take a breath and notice the changes.
Tap one or two rounds on how you want to feel
On the Karate Chop Point ....one time: If there is a part of me that wants to hold on to this wondering mind....there is a bigger part of me that wants to feel my thoughts calming down. I lovingly accept both parts of me. I wonder what it would feel like to have my thoughts settle down? I wonder how my body would feel if my mind was a little smoother. How would my breath change if my mind stopped bouncing around like a monkey. I think it would feel calming. I would like to see how it feels to have more control over my thoughts. I want to feel in charge of my thoughts rather than my thoughts in charge of me. I want to experience how that feels. Oh, it can't happen so easily. I have never done that. It might be scary. Or it might feel really good. I really won't know until I try it. I want to see what a calm mind feels like today. I want to feel the peace in my body and in my mind today.
Take a breath and notice how you feel, and notice the changes.
Once you feel like you have Tapped down most of the restlessness....
Tap in some choice statements
Tap one or two rounds on how you choose to feel. On the Karate Chop point....one time: Even if there is a tiny part of my mind that wants to wonder off in thought; there is a much larger part of me that wants to settle into meditation with peace, and I lovingly accept both parts of me. I choose to be at peace as I meditate. I choose to feel the calming of my thoughts. I choose to kindly let any thoughts pass by. I will come back to my breath gently each time I wonder off.
Over and over notice your breathe as your thoughts drift by like a cloud
I choose to notice my breathe and enjoy the feeling of my breath calming my whole body. I choose to enjoy this moment I have to be at peace. Take a few deep breaths, shake out your hands, drink some water. Settle into following your breath as you breath in and out. Time will pass easily now and your thoughts will smooth out. Keep returning to the feeling of your breathing as soon as you find your mind wandering off. Repeat, repeat, and repeat. Each time you come back to your breath, your mind will settle down more and more. Enjoy the inner alignment and peace! Here is a copy of the Tapping Points Guide. This will show you were to gently place your finger tips as you tap on the powerful calming points on your body. If you want to know more about Tapping, what it does and how it works check out a couple of my articles here: https://lauralong.pro/what-is-tapping-and-how-does-it-work/ https://lauralong.pro/emotions-tapping-points/ Here is a short lesson on meditation with another great resource Brian Johnson. May you find peace in you mind, and ease in your body.
On the topic of building the skill of inner-ease there are so many choices, so lets keep it simple. We are talking about an elevated quality of life here; an alignment with your inner wisdom and with the wisdom of the universe . A couple of things that can slow down the exhilaration is the quality of the questions we ask and the judgment we apply. Quality questions can create ease, invoke curiosity and calm judgement. It's from there we expand. That doesn't sound simple, quiet the opposite indeed! Stay with me for a minute cause I'm getting to the simple part which is to ask yourself empowering questions. Do you know what questions you are asking?
Inner-ease put in a relatable simple way.
It feels so good inside your body and your mind, that it could be mistaken for a drug. In a way it’s the “feel good” drug you make in your own body as your chemistry is activated and balanced. It is from there we align with our inner wisdom which is connected to the wisdom of the universe. From the ease we travel on a path of an exhilarated quality of life. One way to travel is by asking questions. Not any questions, questions that move you forward. A low quality question can move you backwards and keep the situation stuck in stagnant grinding gears in our heads. There are many tools to stop the grinding of the gears that keep us from our path. Here we will talk about a couple powerful and deceivingly simple ones. And as my first spiritual teacher Asahi sensei would tell us…. “There are many paths to the top of the mountain”. It's not as easy to get there if you can't see the path. My hope is this will brighten the path for you.
Would you like to enjoy the trip?
We want to go up and we want to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells as we walk our path. Maybe we even want to camp out for a while and simply enjoy where we are. Tools that support the trek of life, and turn a foggy path into an inspirational adventure have turned out to be a wise investment. It’s like bringing along a walking stick that supports your steps. One of my go to tools that creates the feel good chemistry; that provides the stimulation and inspiration to enjoy the path….
start by asking high pointing quality questions.

Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.” ~ Tony Robbins
I would like to invite you to think about the questions that will inspire and lead you and yours forward vs keeping you all stuck in the status quo. The ones that create energy, vitality, and excitement for an inspiring adventurous path? You may have experienced working with this phrase if you have done any meridian tapping (EFT).
"I want to love, accept and forgive all the parts of me”. ~Lindsay Kenny
This sounds good in theory but doesn’t go too far when the critic is activated. You might call it the “judgement” of ourselves, others, our past and on and on….
If you judge you have no time to love
Ultimately we want inner and outer love, we want to accept ourselves, others, and we want to let go of past regrets…but that "judgment" part keeps us confused about enjoying the hike up the hill. One of the ways to move out of the stagnation of judgement is by asking high quality questions.
“Questions are never indiscreet, answers sometimes are.” ~Oscar Wilde
Expect no answer, and have no expectation of the outcome. This will help you move out of analyzing to start, which might turn into judging. Stay in up pointed curiosity, and then let the answer rise. Your only job is to listen openly once you ask. A high pointing quality questions vs low pointing quality questions could be something like…. High pointing: How will I give some love to this part of me? Low pointing: Why do I keep thinking of the past mistakes? The pointing quality indicates where it will point to in your brain and your metaphoric path up the mountain. The idea is to point forward into what you want vs pointing to the past full of would've, could've, should've and "why" questions that tangle us up.
Low pointing quality questions might be a starting point
You can start there if that's what comes up. Your inquiry is to turn it into a higher pointing question once you let it have a voice for a short focused time. Don't hang out here or your brain and the universal energy will get the message this is what you want to keep. Acknowledge your feelings however. The key to beneficial venting is to move out of it by letting it have a voice then moving to wonder and curiosity, and eventually to choice. Of course if you tap while doing that you will move through it much faster. When we have a stuck gear we often need to work it out in the negative to get it moving out of reverse and into a new forward moving gear. Once out of the stuck gear you can play with it with something like "I wonder" or “What will I find if I open to curiosity here".
questions that bring you forward into curiosity vs backward in regret.
I invite you to play, explore and get curious about the questions you ask yourself, your team, your loved ones. Consider bringing on this metaphoric walking-stick on to the path of life that supports the enjoyment of the environment along the way. Here Michael Beckwith's version of empowering questions (3 minutes). [embed]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gEo7eeSs7LQ[/embed] Shout out to Tess Pierson for lighting up this concept in me.
Flush it!
Yes, just like the toilet that collects the used waist, we too benefit from a good old flushing out of that used up stuff that has done it's job, served it's purpose and ready to leave. You all know what happens when it backs up! Our inner mental, physical and spiritual pluming can get backed up too. Ease pain let go. It's easier than it feels. Our emotions create a chemical reaction that gets a little toxic and down right stinky when it piles up inside us. When negative emotion floods our being like an over flowing toilet, our body lets us know often with pain, be it physical or emotional. And that's when we need to flush it out and fill it up with goodness. If you think I am telling you negative emotion is toxic waste....well I am! Yep...I know you are intelligent enough to know that. And....what are you doing with your toxic waist? We don't have to be mad at it, we just need to shift it. Problem is when its' locked up inside you can't smell it so easy. You don't know it's there until your chemistry has changed from neutral to toxic and some sort of reaction occurs.
How do we know when our chemistry is toxic and needs a flush?
When we are in balance with our feelings, emotions and thoughts our body chemistry is neutral (like a neutral pH in which life is sustained). We have fewer highs and lows in our moods and physicality. Of course there are external causes too but most of the toxicity we can flush has an organic internal causation. It's our bodies job to let us know when our chemistry is out of homeostasis (balance) by giving us a sign to get our attention. Sometimes it down right screams at us with pain of some short. That's when you gotta look in the mirror, right into your own eyes and ask yourself what's clogging up the system of me. OK, so I know this and you likely know it too. Neutralize the thoughts and the pain will settle down. It's not just physical pain. Emotional pain hurts too and feels alive like it's growing until it's soothed. So how do we sooth it productively? I'm not saying cure, heal, fix, alleviate, or destroy.....there is nothing wrong with us when we need to sooth our emotions and our thoughts. It's a part of being human. And so is a daily waist elimination. We don't let it build up in us if we want to thrive. Soothing our emotions is a form of neutralizing our chemistry. It's like changing the pH of your inner workings so the good stuff can grow. Healthy productive stuff does not grow well in a bowl/body/mind with excess waist. That's just nature, nothing woo woo or dramatic about it. As in nature we thrive when in balance. Having toxic acidic s**t in us is like not flushing the toilet...OK you get the idea here.
There is not an obvious release handle to pull when we it's time to flush.
We gotta learn how to flush ourselves out. The emotional release, however it occurs, will unlock the natural healing ability of both the body and the mind (which often feels separate....but there is no separation). Flush the toilet once in a while!
What happened when I didn't flush
One afternoon sever pain came over me suddenly, and I did not take it lightly. It’s happened before, several times even. I usually work my way out of it in time using practices from my bag of shift making change tools. Yet this time there was another level of understanding about myself that brought me closer to my suffering then I had been used to. This time it was so hurting it caused me to look with much greater compassion.
All of a sudden I could hardly walk
The immobilizing pain was low in my hips, deep inside, and scary. Even with all the training I have had, I still asked myself how did I get like this. I must have pulled something while stretching or walking I'm thinking. Yet there was nothing to remember, no event to recall. Still I felt very crippled by something showing up as pain in my body with no obvious reason. After several expletives, I shuffled along wrenching in pain forgetting about the possibility of an emotional connection. I stayed in denial looking outside myself for answers while feeling confused and vulnerable. It’s not mine to deal with. Something must have happened to me. I am a victim of circumstance!
Pain originates to let us know something is out of balance
That’s the only purpose! It seems hard to believe that we could have something physically out-of-place and not have any pain. What keeps the pain active is the alarm continuing to go off without being soothed. If you feel pain (any kind) it means that your central nervous system thinks the body is under threat, and that something has to be done about it.
7 things to know about pain science article

What is keeping this pain active?
Yes, I dare to tell you this out loud, and in writing! Pain stays active because of an emotional link. It's the same for physical and emotional pain. I will even dare to say pain occurs because of your thoughts. That’s what pain is, a thought/emotion/feeling playing itself out in a chemical reaction. Have you ever cut yourself and not felt the pain until you saw it?
What came first the pain or the trigger?
OK, here it is, the big reveal! I had a deeply disturbing, shame provoking replay of an ongoing issue of mine that morning. It makes me feel very vulnerable when it flares up. I had a stressful situation that kicked my minor dyslexia into full-blown mode. Do you fight, freeze or flee when the automatic protective response is activated? It’s interesting to me how our wonderful bodies will find ways to cope when feeling threatened. There is an automatic response mechanism wired in us called the flight, fight, freeze response, which I am sure you have heard about. It's in the back of the brain in the emotional and habitual response area. When I am stressed, feel threatened (even it is not a truth, or a physical threat) part of my brain sort of shuts down. It's my learned response to shut down when feeling threatened. We all have a response when we feel a perceived threat has been activated. It’s just a reactionary pattern I thought was a character flaw most of my life, and caused me feelings of shame. That's the trap, we think we are flawed when we are having a human reaction that may have happened enough to turn into a habit, a pattern of protection. That emotional habitual portion of our brain has locked the response into a loop.
Round and round we go!
My stress is perpetuated with the reactions I get from others, and from my self-critic. When I am stressed the minor dyslexia feels full-blown and my chemistry changes to the point of altering my ability to respond productively. That's what happened, I was reminded of many past pains. My fight or flight stress reaction rears its protective head as a pattern of behavior from repeatedly feeling the need to protect myself from my early learning years.
I soothed my chemistry with self-love by reminding myself of the gifts that also come with a brain that thinks and sees differently than the majority. What that did was remind me of my true self. I call this "aligning with my resources". Dyslexia and the brain, Oxford journals.

It hurt me deeply
That deep emotional pain was from a long history of disappointment and regret around my dyslexia, and now I felt it deep in my hips. I felt the shame in my body, and my body knew exactly how to tell me I better acknowledge this emotion that had built up a toxic environment in my hip. You can only suppress your emotional pain for a while before it overflows into other areas. Eventually your body warns you of the overflow of toxic chemistry with pain or illness. That’s its job to protect you, and to warn you with some type of alarm. Most warning pains go away, but what if they linger on? Then we have to go deeper and really listen to what the body is trying to tell us. Once the message is received, we can allow the protective response to turn off by soothing it. That's the flush!!
I was forced to listen.
Slow down, sit down and feel this pain without judgment so I could get to a state of seeing and feeling how false it is while feeling so real in my body and mind. Eventually I did sit with the emotional pain so it could flush through me. I was able to trace it back to its origins. This time I really got it, and came to accept myself for who I am.
Acknowledge the pain and all of its parts
While I sat with it and looked it in the eye I held some healing Tapping points releasing some feel good chemicals to calm my emotional brain. As I held the points I took in a deep breath of acceptance and let out a breath of judgement.
Thank you body for protecting me
Silently to myself I acknowledged the shame and emotional pain I felt from that situation and many like it in the past. Then I thanked my body for trying to protect me and keep me safe.
I asked my body to help me heal
Remind yourself of all your goodness, align yourself with your true nature and your inner resources. I talked to myself with the love of a mother to a suffering child. Really, I needed a lot of love in that moment. There was no one better and conveniently available them myself. Nobody understands the situation better than me. Actually there is no one that can give me the love I needed from myself right then other than me.
You need to feel safe to let it go
Let me repeat that....it is so important. Nothing will change if the back of the brain still feels its' not safe to let go of the need to protect. Remember these are not thoughts right on the surface. So be patient, kind, loving, and honoring of the intention of your body to keep you safe. I like to give an offering of thanks to that part of me that has been working so hart to protect me and keep me from the perceived danger. I let my body know it was safe to let go of the pain by settling the emotion of my younger self, soothing the early hurts. Now it's time to re-pattern the habit.
I gave my brain the chemicals it needed to release the patterns running and wreaking havoc in me with a little self-love talk and Tap. That releases the feel good chemistry I need. From there I can lay down new connections linking to another perspective that serves me better now.

We don't get to the new perspective with out first flushing out the old.
I let myself cry as a release. The good kind of cry. Each time I hit an emotional trigger point I gave it some love, and let it know it was safe to release the pain.
How long does it take to let go of the pain?
I slept really well and woke up with very little pain the next day. If it comes back I will do more of the same. Sleep is a wonderful way to neutralize your emotions. Most people will feel better after letting the brain rest with the emotional clearing and Tapping. Another way to neutralize the stress is Tapping. The meridians (the healing pathways you tap) stimulation the feel good chemistry providing what we need to make the shift out of the entangled loop.
Pain can be a teacher?
Having my own fits of pain have brought to light my emotional patterns as my best teachers. The suffering points to what I can let go of to return to homeostasis, my true nature, my highest self. I am in constant gratitude. These pains have granted me compassion, and insight into how we are all trying to do our best with what we have.
The transformation.
The greatest gift I have ever received is learning how we have the ability to self-empower ourselves with a little understanding of our physiology and a few tools to enable the re-wiring of our thoughts and emotions. The best thing we can know about ourselves is our plasticity which is our built in flushing system ....or our ability to continually evolve. You don’t have to be stuck in a pattern that does not feel good, and no longer serves you. Even if the handle is not so easy to see, we do have ways to flush out the toxic waist.
Will I ever get over it?
I stopped trying to be perfect realizing their is value in imperfection. It's authentic and relateable to be imperfect. It's human. I am continuing to learn ways to show myself love, and support the people around me with the understanding we are more alike than we are different. I choose to be human and vulnerable. Mostly I choose to keep offering myself, and others, hope to be who we choose to be rather than someone reacting from a place of unawareness. How are you showing the love? How will you look for the gifts that come with the shadow? Board Certified Pro EFT Practitioner Certified Acupressure Practitioner Certified Yoga Instructor LauraLong.pro
here is How to forgive for your own joy.
In the spring you might be looking forward to all the new growth all around. If you are a Gardner & we are all Gardeners of our lives, you will be planting seeds of things you would like to grow, things you are interested in seeing an end result with. We grow our imagination, our creativity, our relationships, our business, and our lives. We cultivate our good health and spiritual connections too. We cultivate and grow what provides us the nutrients of our lives and the beautiful things we want to see around us.
Gardeners and farmers are master creators we model to design our own life. They know how to take a tiny seed and turn it into a nourishing outcome.
In the process of gardening these master creators know there is a foundation substance upon with to plant these desired seeds. The foundation is a good clean nutrient rich soil, and they know to get that soil they need to clear out the energy sucking weeds before they plant the seeds, or all the energy and nutrients go to the weeds leaving no room for the food and the flowers of life. We are the gardeners of our lives. There are a lot of weeds in our foundation – unless you have gone beyond the basic human experience. A deeply rooted weed within our foundation can suck our energy which is a key nutrient for our garden of life. These energy and nutrient sucking weeds show up in our human form as negative thoughts, feelings and emotions acting as the seed of our actions. Our action is the stem of life upon which our plants grow and take in. One of those strong emotions that sucks our energy (a nutrient of joy) is RESENTMENT. The weed of resentment grows and spreads if left unattended. The weed seeds can grow more life sucking thoughts and emotions such as frustration, regret, guilt and anger spreading it’s toxins throughout posing our foundation. We can grow our best seeds in a fertile clean soil free of toxic weeds sucking the energy we need to cultivate what truly nourishes us.
Spring is a perfect time to enrich the soil of our lives.
This spring I am going to cultivate my practice of forgiveness towards those people and situations I feel resentment for. I am going for the ones with the deepest roots first…but really it doesn’t matter where to start. It’s not something to do wrong. When I go out into my backyard I sometimes have a goal I want to reach and other times I just start pulling the weeds. Do you have some weeds to pull out of your garden of life in this spring season of new growth? Who or what do you need to forgive? I would like to invite you to try this with me in your daily practices. Don’t worry if you don’t have your ritual time mapped out on your calendar start this spring (or anytime). Mark out 10 minutes to sit quietly and breathing in light and intention. Light, breath, and intention is a nutritious formula for our inner garden, and does double duty as a weed killer that helps dissolve those life sucking deep roots (negative thoughts and feelings). Start by taking long controlled breaths. After several deep, long fine breaths image a light above you and below you. Breathe the light into your body. Do it your way. Fill your body with coming in from all directions. Now simply say who do I need to forgive? Take the first answer you get even if it’s yourself. Forgiving yourself can be an important weed to pull out because it has deep roots that spread and take over areas under the soil you may not see. Continue to take long controlled breaths of light in filling your body. Now set the intention of forgiveness. Stay out of the story and the movie of it. Freeze the picture and say I forgive you because I want to let go of all this negativity that steals my energy. No other reason. I want this for me, and it doesn’t make any of it right. I want all of my inner power and I want this part out. Be gone from all the layers and directions of its existence. Say - it is safe to let this go now. Our mind and body is designed to keep us safe. If we have any idea (logical or not) that we won’t be safe if we let this go, then we won’t. Let the wiser part of you let the protective part of you know you will be safe and cared for if this goes. Now see if there is a part of your body associated with this. Breathe in light and notice which areas of your body stay full or have a sensation, a pain, and some tension. Bring the light to that area saying I release this from my body and name it. Bring more light to the area again. This may take time until you can fully see the light in that area. That’s normal and a part of the release. Keep bringing breath, light and intention (your special nutrients) to those areas. Continue the next day if you like, but leave yourself with a positive statement such as I continue to illuminate to darkness with light. I choose to plant the seeds I wish to see grow and allow the weeds to leave. Eventually you will see your whole body illuminate and them you can move on to the next weed.
Being the master Gardener of your life takes consistent attention to your foundation upon which you plant the enjoyable seeds of life.
What’s the next weed you will pull out? If the deep-rooted ones feel too difficult to start with begin with smaller irritations, frustrations and resentments such as something that happened recently. The deeper roots have likely been growing sense your formative years, so be gentle and kind with yourself by getting use to the idea, and starting with some of the more surface weed roots of resentment. The antidote for resentment is forgiveness and remember it’s only for you. No one else is allowed to plant seeds in your beautiful garden of life unless invited. If you cultivate this practice for 10 minutes or less you will notice a shift in your energy, your mood and your health. Of course as always, if you need support I encourage you to do so. This practice is one I use in the deep dive part of Optimal Life Coaching. You are welcome to apply for a complimentary curiosity call where we take a look at where you are and where you want to go. We identify some of the aspects in the way, and begin to map out a plan to get you where you want to go. Apply here and set your time to talk I wish you happy gardening while you cultivate the life you design by planting beautiful seeds that grown into what matters to you deeply. Start by making some room for it! Life Coach at LauraLong.pro
There are two parts to Tapping

There are two parts to the greatest development in mind-body techniques named Tapping. Tapping is the modern term for EFT which stands for Emotional Freedom Technique. The emotions are tied to our thoughts, thus the talking. The Tapping accesses the Acupressure Points which controls our ability to heal by activating our own feel good chemistry.

A form of self-applied Acupressure

We lightly tap on healing spots located on the surface of the skin with our fingertips. The spots/points have a high electrical conductivity at the surface of the skin and are stimulated by your fingertips tapping on them.    The stimulation accesses the life force energy of the body.

What is life force energy

It is the healing source of the body, pure energy. When the healing energy opens it heals all aspects of the body, all body systems, by the free-flowing movement through its channels called meridians.

How Acupressure works

Michael Reed Goach, PhD Acupressure Therapy Author, explains it in three ways.

Points as Gateways

The traditional translation that is thousands of years old describes the healing spots/points on the body as gateways.

When the gateways are blocked the vital life force energy stops its flow. When the free flow stops, there is dysfunction of the body systems.

The tapping stimulation of the point releases the blocks and unlocks the gate. The release of the block results in relief of the dysfunction.

Meridian Theory

The healing energy flows through channels, path ways called meridians that flow throughout the entire body.

The meridian theory is well mapped out describing the interconnection of these channels/pathways to all of the organs of the body.

When we tap on one spot/point of the channel the whole channel and it's connections to the body system are benefited.

Endorphins and Neuron-chemicals

The medical perspective describes the stimulation of the points as releasing endorphins, your body's natural chemicals that relieve both physical and mental pain.

The release of the neuro-chemicals enable us to experience whole body healing and get to the root cause allowing a complete healing cycle leaving us whole again.

Why do you talk while Tapping

OK, so you get all the goodness that comes by tapping your fingertips on those amazing healing spots, but why the talking? Who are you talking to, and what do you say?

The greatness of Tapping is how we combine the traditional wisdom of the points as energy gates, and the release of endorphins (who doesn’t want some of that) with our modern understanding of our thoughts, emotions, and feelings as the driving force of our actions.

What do my thoughts have to do with it

Our thoughts play a huge part in how our energy flows through those meridian channels we talked about. Thoughts and meridians are so closely connected, the traditional practitioners hundreds of years ago, applied an emotion and disorders to each of the meridians.

For example, the lung meridian influences grief, the heart meridian anger and anxiety. Yes, your thoughts do have a great influence on any disease or disorder in your body as well.

What we know currently about our thoughts and behavior is the majority of them are carried out on a less conscious level. The subconscious controls up to 95% of actions, thoughts, and thus our behavior.... and we could go so far as to say our diseases.

In Tapping we talk to both the conscious and less conscious mind. Working with he bridge between what we say we want, and what is not working in our lives.

There is a reversal that holds our natural resistance in place, and the choice to change it is the gap.

What's in it for me

The form of Tapping I work with is progressive, beyond the basic EFT formulas. I use EFT/Tapping along with other simple tools to take you beyond "the choice to change".

The next progression is to add in what you want

That's the good stuff! We spend most of the time Tapping in your request for greatness and wellness once we cleared the blocks in the meridians.

There is nothing secret or woo woo about it. It is all based on a whole body system way of addressing issues that are keeping you from doing, saying, being, having, what you want.

We address through the Tapping Tools what is keeping you from being your true authentic self that is joyful, productive and living your highest life.

And if you would like to go deeper and see beyond what you can't see for yourself let's talk about it. Sometimes you need an experienced guide to point out what you are missing, and help you bridge the gap between where you are and what you want (even if that's not real clear right now).

Laura Long,
Certified in Life Coaching, Pro EFT, Acupressure, Yoga
IF I WERE TO GIVE YOU THE MOST VALUABLE GIFT OF LOVE IT WOULD BE A SIMPLE WORD
In the beginning there was the word…. What does that really mean? In actuality it’s one of the simplest things with the greatest impact! The words we speak to ourselves that is. More here. Have you noticed how our inner words can be our ULTIMATE LOVE, or our WORST BETRAYAL? Yet it seems so complicated and mysterious to speak out loud about what goes on in the inside conversations of our mind. Maybe a little too personal even. Let's keep it simple! One of the words I am aligning with is SIMPLICITY! So I have developed a statement to invoke a commitment to cutting out the drama, the blah blah, the overthinking, and the delay tactics: “WHAT WILL I DO TO CREATE POSITIVE IMPACT SIMPLY?" The most impactful in the game of living is the cultivation of an ULTIMATE INNER LOVE which leads to an exhilarated quality of life. I describe Ultimate Inner Love as the sensation of an inner hummmmmm. It’s like a comforting subtle vibrating sensation in the chest with feet solid on the ground. A feeling of being in charge, powerful, very comfortable in your own skin, speaking your truth with grace, and a greater capacity for empathy/compassion for self and others. The first part of this game is AWARENESS. You start by noticing more and more when you are spinning around in your ocean of habitual thoughts. Even when they seem like the absolute truth, YET they get you nowhere near exhilaration. This is a disconnection from you inner love. Marisa Peer (mentor to A-list top performers) has gone so far as to declare how we disconnect from our inner love as a major epidemic, even the world’s greatest pelage against humanity. Full teaching here. The effects show up in every relationship in our lives from food, to people, our work, our money our community, our aspirations. Those challenging relationships are manifestations/symptoms of feeling a sense of lack in one form or another with thoughts like… “THERE IS NOT ENOUGH ________” “I AM DIFFERENT SO I CAN’T _______” “WHAT I WANT IS NOT AVAILABLE TO ME” The symptoms can seem sophisticated and very factually true. But don’t be fooled. At the root is the misbelief (in some form or another) of “I AM NOT ENOUGH”. IT’S HOW WE ARE WIRED, FOR PROTECTION. I am not talking about being broken here. I am talking to you about being human. This is what the human brain does because it wants to protect us. Again…SIMPLE. So why not put this mind/brain process to constructive use simply? Best teaching on this here. (worth the visit) SAY BETTER THINGS TO YOURSELF FOR BETTER RESULTS. It’s not complicated. If we are having positive productive conversations with ourselves then our inner muscle is building new mental pathways to follow our choices vs our habits. OK, SO WHAT DO YOU SAY TO YOURSELF TO BUILD THIS INNER MUSCLE? When you notice a habitual unproductive thought try replacing it with a short phrase/mantra. Keep the phrases simple and short. Here are some known to be effective: “I CAN, I WILL, I AM” (explained here at 40 min. in) “I AM ENOUGH” or “THERE IS ENOUGH” or “I AM WORTHY OF WHAT I WANT” “I AM A GOOD GIRL/BOY” There is no explanation needed when using these mantras/phrases. You want to get out of the analytical thinking when you are in a habitual pattern so kindly interject with a simple forward moving word or phrase. It’s a practice, which means you do it over and over like a focused meditation you can do anywhere any time. Repeat your mantras over and over whenever you notice you are spinning off into unproductive thoughts. The repetition will sooth the nervous system and create a pleasurable experience so you will want to return to them as your safe place, and your point of inner power. Build that muscle! My hope is you accept this gift of love and bring into the most valuable relationship you can cultivate, with yourself. What will be your mantra(s)? Are you willing to engage in the practice? How much is your inner hum worth to you? Enjoy! Laura ps: If you would like to talk more about it; let's connect. If you have done your inner work you may not feel much of a disconnection, but you likely know people who display the symptoms, so share this gift of love with them.
Do you notice changes in yourself in your body and your rhythms when the seasons change?

It’s because we are connected to the earth’s energy even if when we are not thinking about it.

We can take advantage of those natural changes, and put them to personal service …like nature uses the different seasons to support the needs of the earth.

We can create our own personal sustainability by embracing the seasonal changes in ourselves.

Your body will naturally align with what it needs if you allow it to happen, and maybe with a little insight. But your mind might need a little more focused action to get on board with this sustainability idea.

I am going to invite you into curiosity and noticing a way to focus your mental activities in this current season of autumn.

Let’s jump back in time for a minute, back to ancient Asia when the wise sages passed down their knowledge through thousands of years.

The sages narrowed it down to 5 elements and their qualities which is known as the 5 element theory. They taught us how we have within us the same qualities as nature. In our bodies each quality governs a major internal organ such as the lungs.

These qualities are heightened during the corresponding season.

And we can use this wisdom to sustain balance in our body and in our mind. We can do this by aligning with the qualities of the current season, and by putting those qualities to use in our lives pretty simply.

The element of autumn is metal.
The quality is that of letting go.
The organs are the lungs and large intestine.

Both of those organs have the capacity to bring in what is needed and let go of what is used and served its purpose.

Out with the old & in with the new.

The invitation is to enter into curiosity with yourself by noticing what thoughts are no longer serving you. You can take it a step further by breathing out those less useful thoughts with your exhalation, and begin to invite new supporting thoughts in with your inhalation.

Ask without grabbing at it.

I do this myself by just asking without the expectation of a solid answer. I would start with 3 or 4 rounds and work up to 8 rounds of breathing with this invitation to inquiry. This is simple to bring into your daily practice with just a few extra focused breaths.
What story can I let go?
Now ask yourself is there a story that I tell myself or a story that others have told me so long I believe it? Allow it to flow out in a long stream as you exhale, letting the attachment to it go. Now take in a long rich deep breath of an inspiring and supportive thought that supports you.

What belief do I need to let go?

Next ask is there a belief I have that has been playing over and over and seems to be keeping me stuck or causes me distress somehow. Maybe something like….I have to know I can do it perfect before I try…. or is it something like…..I am just a fake, I don’t really know what I am doing.

Ask the question and let it come forward in its own time freely without expectation.

What do I do when something comes up?

Observe as you would in someone you care deeply about with equal parts of wisdom and compassion. As the observer you choose not to participate, reenact, and reattach. As the observe you choose to be curious.

When it arrives let it go with your exhalation. Then breath in a new higher thought that can turn into a new belief that has the intention to serve you...something like…. I will try this with curiosity and enjoyment…Inhale this new supportive phrase in deeply. Can you feel it inside your body?

My favorite quality to breathe in is GOOD THINGS ARE COMING MY WAY

Try this

Exhale out the old stories and beliefs and breathe in the newfound energy. Feel your personal power expand as your lungs fill with lightness, creativity, clarity and ease.

Sometimes it takes courage

Be brave and have the courage to let go and stand bare shortly… until you grow into your new stories and beliefs… the ones you choose because they support you, serve you, and expand you....and FEEL GOOD!

Maybe you old stories and beliefs have gotten you here. “Here” may feel comfortable, or it may be just getting you through, and it may be exactly what is holding you back.

The question is will those same stories and beliefs get you where you want to go… or even keep you satisfied where you are?

If you would like some help shaking off of those old dead leaves so you can gain clarity in identifying what new growth will support your higher aspirations…..Then let’s talk.

This is the start of our co-creative work together. Once we shake off the limitations, we get busy planning your new growth for the next season of your life, your vision, your business your relationships, your expansion. See you over at TheTappingChoice.com where we

LIVE IN A LIFE OF CHOICE THE ONE YOU DESIGN.

You can pick up your eBook gift and audio that guides you into your personal sea of tranquility.

Is there someone you would like to share this with? And would you like to subscribe to my YouTube channel for more goodness, and The Tapping Choice also “plays” on Facebook too! Let's Play!

Until next time … Enjoy!

Laura Long, Choice Life Coach TheTappingChoice.com
Could your self-talk be the missing link to your success?

It can be a challenge to be "successful" and still feel stuck, even trapped in your status quo. Do you feel like your personal emergency brake is pulled up & on while your inner gear is pointing to drive? Petal to the metal with the break still on!

Here is a question to ask yourself to ease the inner breaking system - am I selling my self short by "playing not to lose" rather than "playing to win" ? This type of "habit" can hide in the form of perfectionism.

Those are a few clues your inner dialog could use a review.

Let me ask you this - are you still connected to your higher mission?

Are you still excited about your job, your relationships, and your life? Is there a spark of passion still burning that brought you into your business, and your relationships (all kinds)? Or are you feeling disconnected from your purpose in parts of your life?

Now let me ask you the question again and see if it sparks an interest. Could how you talk to yourself be the missing link? I would like to explore that with your for a quick minute...

What is self-talk ?

Self-talk is the way we talk to ourselves either out-loud, but mostly what we quietly say in our mind.

The voice in our head that is either playing subtly in the background or loud and clear as we go about our day.

It’s that non-stop inner chatter that goes on about the opinion of ourselves, other people, and what’s around us.

It’s the stories we tell ourselves over and over, so often they have become a habit.

Why does it matter?

Most of our emotions, our moods, and our feelings are determined by our self-talk.

What we say to ourselves influences how we feel about what goes on around us, and how we react to it. That's huge! Take that one in with a deep breath.

This inner dialog can form the opinion we have of ourselves. Inner speech leads immediately to an inner image. Let me ask you ( it's a coach thing...to ask provocative questions)....Do you know what your inner opinion of yourself is?

Our brain processes what we say silently to ourselves more rapidly then what we say out loud. It's how our brain is organized and wired.

Our mind will fulfill what is said in part because self-talk occurs in the same part of the brain that executes behavior.

The power of self-talk comes from an alignment of your whole being with what you want. Yes...that alignment thing again! It's part of your connection to your inner image and how you see yourself in the world.

Antidote:

Begin to notice what you are saying to yourself.

What runs through your mind daily?

What are you saying when things don't seem to be working out for you?

Your personal compassion with yourself is the key element to positive self-talk.

Sooth with kindness the talk that stops you from moving forward.

Give yourself loving self-talk that counters your negative programming.

Re-frame your inner dialog to positively and consistently represent how you want to feel inside, what you want to reflect outside, and what you want to bring into your life.

There is a somatic component to this too that connects to your physical body. We will be talking about this element further in later posts. You can start by knowing of your "Sea of Tranquility" acu-point in this diagram & more in my eBook.

What to say when you talk to yourself:

Change the story as soon a you hear the old pattern playing in your head. Change the negative "here we go again, of course I'm having a hard time with ( fill in the blank) this always happens" to me.

How about a new story like "I'm going to patient with this (fill in the blank) and I am going to be extra patient with myself as I figure this out...and I will". "I am a good person, and I choose to feel at ease right now".

Include a physical touch such as your whole open palm on your "Sea of Tranquility" acu-point, breathe in slow and deep, and out long and fine while you think of the most loving way to re-frame your negative self-talk into a new useful dialog.

Check out these inspiring short videos to get you thinking about polishing up your inner dialog to expand your expressions and offerings to the world.

Here is a quick video by an Dr. Shad Helmstetter describing where self-talk comes from, and how it works in your brain. He also offers ideas how to align with what you want at a higher pinnacle.

This one is excellent with 5 quick tips in Brian Johnson’s 12 minute review of Shad Helmstetter’s book "What to Say When You Talk to Yourself".

What you say to yourself could indeed be the missing link to your success and even greater to your day-to-day, moment to moment joy!

I hope you have been inspired to open your awareness to how you talk to yourself.

Do you have success yet you still feel there is something missing? I help you expand your model of success, go deeper and explore new ways of seeing how to fully embody your success, and connect deeper with your mission for the purpose of expanding your personal and professional quality of life.

The same ways of doing got you where you are, but will they take you where you want to go?

Let’s get curious about it, first call is on me.
A state of gratitude can shift your mood and your perception.
Here is a taste of how doing your morning practices can include gratitude. Let’s talk a bit about why you would want to “live in gratitude”. What does that even mean? What are the benefits? In other words…whats in it for me! What does living in gratitude mean? It is a way of looking, feeling and thinking about each moment of your day all the way up to the big stuff such as your life. You might call it appreciation, or maybe delight, in awe, grateful for. You can only live in gratitude one breath at a time. In other words, looking for ways to be thankful and appreciative happen in the moment. It’s kinda hard to think of anything in the future in gratitude because it hasn’t happened yet. Why is keeping your focus in the moment a good thing? It keeps you from a mind spin in to the future where you start to spin-off into stories, predictions, application of your limiting beliefs, and worries. It keeps the monkey in your mind from swinging from thought to thought out of control. Having some control over your thoughts is a good! Who couldn't use a little more ease in life? Peace, then a little more, and then total peace. Peace or whatever word you use to describe the mood that comes over you while in a state of gratitude is priceless. The way you relate to others and the pure joy that delights you in every moment expands as you grow in the practice. How do you do it? Start small and start right away. Look around and see the morning sun shining through, and giving us light. Notice the smell of the coffee, the color of the tea, and how grateful you are to have it this morning. Notice how wonderful running water anytime you want is a gift. What are some of the little things in your daily life that you don't always give notice to, yet makes things easier? Move up at your pace to the bigger things. How grateful are you for an aspect of your life: great family, friends, pets, and a steady income? Focus more on what is working in your life. It's like any thing you give attention, and love to. It grows!
Ultimately a life of gratitude is more than just a good mood.

In a state of gratitude you alien with your higher self. Or if you prefer, with the universal spirit that connects us all. For some that is a higher power outside of self. Yet, it starts with you, then the connection is made any way you praise it.

Yeah, OK, how does that get me what I want?

Here is the part that takes a little trust. If you practice being in gratitude of what you want more of, then it comes easier and faster. Being in a state of lack or dishonoring of yourself, others, and your surroundings brings more of the same.

Here is how to stimulate the feelings of gratitude.
Map of where to put your finger tips to stimulate your feel good chemistry.
On each of the Tapping points express your desire to be in gratitude. Do three rounds, each with a different set up statement.

Round one: Tap through the disbelief, and the doubt of this being of benefit. Tap on the points and talk about the “Yes Buts” that come up for you.

If you are already there; tap on each point as you describe the things you are grateful for.
Side of the hand point: Repeat three times (just on this point): Even though some days it's hard to think about living in gratitude. I want to explore the idea of feeling better, even if there is a part of me that resists it. And, I love and accept all the parts of me any way. Make it yours. Express what you're feeling about this way of thinking, and being, as you tap on each point with your finger tips. Use both hands and go for it. It's easy! Now start tapping on each of the points on the body starting with the Eyebrow point, and ending on the top of the head.
Eyebrow: Sounds too good to be true to me.

Side of the eye: How could being thankful change me so easily?

Under the eye: I am used to worrying and I don’t know if I can stop

Above and below the mouth: Nobody I know acts like this and I will be the strange one.

Collar bone: I tried a bunch of stuff before and I lose interest, then it doesn’t work.

Under the arm: How can I remember to do this?

Ribs: I feel weird walking around being grateful for stuff all the time.

Wrists: What would I be like if I was not subject to a bad mood now and then, it’s perfectly normal to have a mood or two?

Crown of the head: Maybe I could be a little happier, a little more often and…..what if it was that easy?

Round two: Move your thoughts into the desire to be happier more often and in gratitude.

Side of the hand: Repeat three times (just this point). Even though there is a part of me that is holding on to the idea this gratitude thing is a little silly (or what every you feel goes here), there is a part of me that wants to be happier and believe I can have it. And, I accept all the parts of me anyway.

Eyebrow: What if I could be happier more often?

Side of the eye: My life would be more enjoyable.

Under the eye: I would have peace from the worries.

Above and below the mouth: What if I tried it just as an experiment for a while, just to see how I feel?

Collar bone: I really do want to feel more at ease and relate to others with ease.

Under the arm: I would like to have less stress in my life.Ribs: I would like to be my best so I can give my best.

Wrists: I willing to give it a try, it doesn’t sound that hard.

Crown of the head: Yeah, I want to feel better, and connect with my highest self

Round three: Now move in to pure choice once you feel you are ready. If not do a couple more rounds in desire and put to rest more of the yes buts.

Side of the hand: Even though there may be a tiny bit of me that wants to hold on to my resistance to bringing gratitude into my life as a practice…..there is a much larger part of me that wants to have the benefits. I want the larger part of me to be the one to make the choice to jump on in. And, I accept all the parts of me anyway.

Continue tapping on the rest of the points of the body with your own words that describe your choice to commit to a gratitude practice. You can’t mess it up! There is no real wrong thing to say. Just say what you feel.

In this round include some positive phrases that describe how you choose to have a gratitude practice.

Here are some ideas…make it your own!

Eyebrow: I choose gratitude.

Side of the eye: I choose to make myself happier by noticing things to be grateful for.

Under the eye: I choose to lineup and meet the positive nature of my best self.

Mouth points: I choose to align with the good nature of universal energy.

Collar bone: I choose to have more of what I take notice of in appreciation.

Wrists: I choose to be happier, and noticing when I am out of alignment.

Crown of the head: I choose to be kind to myself when bringing myself back to gratitude as often as I need to.

When you feel the shift, tap on the back of the hand point for a few seconds. Take a deep breath in and feel the changes.

That’s the idea, and it takes very little time. The beauty of tapping on your own is you can fully express yourself. So give it a try.

If you would like to take Tapping to another level, or not getting the results you like, then contact me to explore how we can work together.

Sometimes another person to help you see around the corner of your own blind spots can put just the right re-frame you need to get back on your path of bliss.

We can start with a talk about how we can work together .

Happy Tapping!
Laura Long, CAP, Pro EFT IV Certified Practitioner

Life Coach with LauraLong.pro
What is the cost of your habits on your well-being, conscious or not? (more…)
I will now let you in on the mystery of tapping.

I believe this seemingly mysterious modality can be demystified by talking about how our emotions have a relationship to all of our being, including our organs. Tapping or EFT has been watered down for the general public, but I have more faith in the GP and you. I believe if you have a little deeper understanding of what’s going on when you feel off your game, you will feel more empowered. My hope is you will feel empowered enough to make tapping a practice that transforms your ability to stay on your game, in your zone, and on your path of bliss.

The points we tap on access little rivers of healing, and vitalizing energy.

Chi is the Chinese word describing this flowing invisible substance which roughly translates to Vital Life Force Energy. Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) has mapped out these healing pathways that run through our body like tiny rivers connecting to each of our organ systems. This vital energy is influencing our body chemistry, and even our emotions.

When we tap with our fingertips on these access points, on the outside of the body, we are stimulating our life force energy (chi). We literally have healing energy at our fingertips. This flowing healing force continues internally through either our limbs, torso, or head, and eventually dives down into our organs.

Each tapping point stimulates a different pathway, and organ.

There are several points on a given pathway, which means there are several places on the body, that when stimulated, will influence the flow of chi. Each pathway governs a different organ. The pathways become interconnected in a continuous circuitry, never beginning, and never ending…until we die. Death is the extreme experience of our rivers of energy being disrupted, and unable to flow through our organs and circuitry.

When our flow of vital life energy is disrupted, we become out of balance.

We have smaller experiences of the disruption of our energy flow resulting in dis-ease (a lack of ease) in our organ systems, body chemistry, and emotions. Our human emotions are how we live in the world. Because we are human, and have a body, we experience our emotions by the fluctuating chemical reactions streaming through us. Our chemistry is governed by energy flowing correctly in our circuitry.

Are you starting to see the circle of interconnections?

It all begins with the free-flowing chi through our pathways, which are called meridians by the way. Meridians, little rivers, pathways, channels; all different words to describe the flowing movement of our most vital life force energy (chi) as it moves through our body. The correct flow of chi is the core regulator of our homeostasis. This is how the proper flow of these pathways becomes our “healing energy”.

There are several ways to stimulate the correct flow of chi.

You likely know of Acupuncture with the tiny needles on the outside of the body. They don’t hurt by the way. Acupressure, and many forms of body work, along with Qi Gong, Tai Chi, Martial Arts and Yin Yoga work with the flow of chi as well. Even our breathing, what we put in our bodies; food, herbs, medication, water, and the thoughts we think, influences the flow of chi in our meridians. Electrical stimulation can alter the flow of chi, so you might want to take regular breaks from your electronics.

Let’s take an insightful dive into our emotions.

When we tap on an access point on the body, we are stimulating the same meridians mapped out and used by ancient healers as far back as the beginning of the written word, and likely well before. With this long history has come the identification of which meridians influence which emotions.

The great thing about Pro EFT is we stimulate all of the major meridians.

The ancient wisdom teachers have associated the disruption of flow in a pathway with a corresponding emotion, and its governing organ. When we tap we access them all. By stimulating all the pathways with our tapping, and talking about our emotions, we influencing our natural healing ability with the flow of chi.

We call this “clearing the emotional blocks” to our well-being energetically.

Our total well-being most definitely includes our emotions which are also influenced by our thoughts. Thoughts can influence chi flow, so we need to work with our thoughts, our emotions, and our meridians when we are looking to make positive transformation in ourselves. When we address the energetic body, in conjunction with our emotions, we gain very rapid positive results.

Let’s talk about the pairing of the meridians into yin and yang energies.

Each of the 12 meridians are named after the organ it governs. Each organ meridian is paired with its opposite energy type. An organ is considered yin if it’s a sold organ such as the spleen, and the heart. A hollow organ is considered a yang organ such as the stomach and the small intestine. One of the yin and yang pairings is the spleen and the stomach. A balanced meridian pair is one that has an even flow of yin and yang chi between them.

Yin energy is nourishing, supporting, and the inward expression of our being.

Yang is the opposite energy which is action oriented, and a stronger display of our outward expression. To get to the core we begin with the inner expression (yin) which controls the outer expression (yang). When we discuss the emotions associated with the meridians we describe the yin meridians. If the inward emotion is balanced the out ward expression changes.

It’s natural to feel emotion; it’s how we work our way through the world.

When our emotions are in balance we move through them easily. When an emotion becomes dominate, and does not pass through us easily, we can become blocked, trapped, and stuck in moving through the emotion, and even forward in life. The excessive focus of the out of balance emotion becomes how we travel through our word. Signs and symptoms begin to show up such as illness, pain and all kinds of suffering of the body, mind and spirit.

What are the Yin organ meridians and their associated negative emotions?

Lung

Lung energy holds on to sorrow, and grief when out of balance. This may come from a loss(s) of any kind, even a disillusionment. This may show up as bouts of sadness, and/or anxiety. Feeling emotionally stopped up, and unable to express a natural feeling of loss is the lung chi out of balance. Or it’s opposite, feeling unable to let go of grief after a period of time. When the lung is in balance we are free from attachments no longer serving our best interest. We are able to let go, and allow in new life freely.

The skin, the nose, the voice, the lyrics, trachea, and bronchioles are governed by the lung meridian. Look at sorrow and grief with any lack of ease in these parts. Any disorders relating to the taking in, and releasing of breath easily, deeply, and freely will be a disruption in the flow of lung chi. The point we tap on accessing the lung meridian is on the wrist point, at the inner crease, directly under the thumb.

Kidney

The main emotion that shows up when our kidney chi is not flowing easily is fear. Fear has a tone of layers, so look deeply into the dark deep waters of our being to reveal this primal emotion. Notice how fear can stop us in our tracks. If we don’t feel safe it’s hard to move. When the kidney is in balance we move through life with courage and vitality.

The adrenal glands, reproductive organs, bones, bone marrow, brain, and parathyroids, along with hearing are governed by the kidney chi. With any lack of ease in these parts, look at hidden fears to be neutralized. Any disorders relating to water, fluid filtering, intake and release; look at taping on hidden fears, and feeling safe. The access point we tap on for the kidney meridian is the collar-bone point.

Liver

The emotion that reveals it’s self when the liver chi is out of balance is anger, and its partner frustration. This emotion can hide when repressed, so look at the larger meaning behind its manifestations. The inability to appropriately retain feelings; vacillating between interest and indifference; unpredictable actions, explosions of rage, ranting, and rash behavior are signs of a liver chi imbalance. The two sides of a coin demonstrate a liver chi problem showing up in a person leading a sort of double life. They might be calm at work, and raging on the weekends. Or, calm on the outside, and raging inside.

Ulcers, hemorrhoids and migraine headaches are dis-eases that may indicate a person dealing with anger and/or frustration as a primary emotion. The access point to the liver meridian is the rib or “liver” point.

Heart and Pericardium

Joy is the primary emotion here. You might be wondering how joy can be a negative emotion. When joy is out of balance it shows up in a couple of ways. First is the obvious lack of joy looking like sadness, depression and even anxiety? The sadness of the heart and pericardium is slightly different from the anxiety and sadness of the lung. At the core of the emotion is a lack of joyful expression rather than the feeling of not being able to let go.

The second out of balance display is the pleasure-seeking principle out of control. Here one is looking for more and more stimulation, and gratification. There is a feeling of lifelessness without it. Such craving may create a false need to constantly seek pleasure, and attention. This causes the inner candle to burn at both ends leaving one feeling confused, bewildered, and apprehensive, along with feelings of despair.

Additional out of balance manifestations are inappropriate laughter and talkativeness. Reoccurring discord in relationships with love partners and melancholy are heart/pericardium imbalances. Illnesses relating to the circulatory system including high blood pressure, palpitations, hysteria, heart pain, extreme sweating, speech problems, insomnia, and redness of the skin could warrant a look at the emotions of these meridians. The two points we tap on are at the inner wrist crease, in the center, and under the baby finger.

Spleen

When the spleen energy is disrupted in its flow, rumination is the prevailing trait that might look like worry. A spleen imbalance shows up as a pensive, contemplative, type that is very concerned with details to the point of being caught up in circular thinking that doesn’t turn off. The wheel keeps turning on the same thoughts, and it becomes seemingly impossible to have new fresh thoughts and experiences. When the Spleen energy is in balance we digest life as a nutrient that supports our adaptability, spontaneity, clarity, contentment and ease.

The pancreas is also governed by spleen chi. Any issues with sugar, look at balancing emotions of rumination and worry. The spleen filters our blood so dis-ease affecting blood such as anemia, heavy ministration and cramps, may be affected by excess churning of the mind. Fatigue, diarrhea, edema, hemorrhages, and anorexia have the same root emotion. The point we tap on to balance the emotion of the spleen is the under arm point on the side of the body. In a woman it’s at the bra line.

The root of illness, and negative emotion, is the disruption of our chi flow.

You may be asking, how do I know what emotion is out of balance? How do I know which point to tap on for which emotion? These are emotions we can all relate to at different times. There could be more than just one emotion to deal with. When we talk and tap we work to neutralize all the influencing emotions.

Because the meridians feed one into the other in a closed circuitry, we influence all the meridians and all of the emotions by tapping on the Pro EFT points.

All you have to remember is to tap on how you feel.

If you experience any of the primary yin organ emotions of sorrow/grief, fear/safety, anger/frustration, joy/sadness, and rumination/worry include them in your focus while tapping. You likely know how you feel, and that is how you know what to describe when you tap. You simply tap on what you feel. And, because it’s your energy, and your feelings, you can’t do it wrong. Honestly!

Your intention to bring awareness to your emotions, thoughts, and energy is the way to bring balance to all your meridians as you tap. Balanced meridians bring balanced emotions. Balanced emotions equate to a balanced life of good health and, the ability to travel easily on your chosen path. Bottom line is you are happier and healthier. Your path to bliss becomes clear.

You do need to tap and stimulate the points.

Softly tapping on the Pro EFT points (and do keep it light) as you bring awareness to your thoughts, feelings, and emotions is fundamentally required in this modality. It is the tapping of the access points that begins the undulating pulsation throughout your being. The vibration of your energy body becomes activated, allowing the transformation you desire. You Gotta keep those lovin' good vibrations a-happenin'.

Good Vibration Tip

Meridians run bilaterally, and that’s why we tap on both sides of the body in Pro EFT. Change tapping hands periodically to engage the fingers of both hands for yet another layer of balancing. There are 5 meridian end points bilaterally in your fingertips, and one in your thumb. You stimulate additional points when you tap with as many finger tips as you can easily apply. I don’t know about you, but its kind a hard to tap with my thumbs, so just the finger tips will work. Besides we get the same thumb meridian (lung) when you tap on the wrist points.

If this feels like more than what you can do on your own, then let's talk about it. We can work together on clearing the negative emotions getting in the way of your happy, healthy life. I act as your travel guide back to your path of bliss.

Happy Tapping!
Laura Long, Certified Level IV, Pro EFT Practitioner Certified Acupressure Practitioner Certified Yoga Instructor www.TheTappingChoice.com
References Beinfield, Harriet, L.Ac. and, Korngold, Efrem L.Ac., O.M.D. 1991. Between Heaven and Earth. New York, Ballantine Books. Print. Acupressure Institute. Warren, Wendy with Reed Gach, Michael, PhD. 2001. Intermediate & Advanced Acupressure Course Booklet. Berkeley, California. Print.
[caption id="attachment_2664" align="aligncenter" width="635"] by Tall Bridge Guy[/caption]
Logic can seem like a distant illusion when the habit of fear is solidly in place.

Fear might sound like Elephants blasting in your ear, run for your life! Or it might be a bit more sophisticated and sound like a seemingly logical reason you should not try something new, or try something that felt like a “failure” before.

Fear or anxiety can even show up as a feeling and not really a clearly defined thought at all.

False Illusions Appearing Real…what the bleep!
Qi Gong master Franz quoted this acronym during a retreat I attended:
F is for False
E is for Elusions (illusions)
A is for Appearing
R is for Real

False Illusions Appearing Real is a logical statement that sounds very empowering as long as you are not in the middle of it!

Fear is a learned process used to keep us away from situations that produce emotions we are uncomfortable with. That feels very REAL! It is also the strongest way we keep living out of alignment with our highest self. Some call it living small.

Or….. F**k Everything And Run

This same teacher went on to describe the more accurate “feeling” behind fear. Fear has a purpose. It’s to keep you safe; it’s as simple as that. Sort of like a warning sign.

In fact we have a specific part of our brain that controls the flight, fight or freeze response which we needed to be on high alert back in early days of human existence.

We still have that part of our brain actively trying to protect us and giving us signals to pay attention, and to get out of danger. But what if there is no real danger, only perceived danger?

Our beautiful three-pound universe.

Your brain has a fantastic automatic system that can even make fear a habit for you. How convenient, thank you very much….I think?

Fear is a habit ????

The purpose is to not have to think, when you need to run. That is how your lower brain communicates automatically in a feedback loop with your emotional brain and your logical brain. It automatically responds to situations that may “seem” to cause you harm.

This feedback loop is wired to protect you.

It is nice to know you are having a normal response that you may have out grown, and that’s all it is. There is nothing broken about you, nothing to fix, just to unlearn.

Your brain has learned to push the fear button.

It's automatic when the chance of unwanted stress, emotions, and thoughts appear to rise. You know it is learned because when you were a baby you had no such fears or responses.

When this process has played out enough times, the lower brain which controls the automatic responses says…OK, great, got it. You’re telling me that’s what works to keep away the potential danger, so I will take it over for you.

The danger is the emotion(s) you felt before, and want to guard against. Your brain says…..sure thing! You don’t even have to think about it anymore. I can add this to the breathing in and out thing we do for you too.

How do we rewire the automatic response…. the habit?

You are asking very little of your brain when you stop asking it to perfect new skills every day” says Rudy Tanzi, PhD in Neurology, as he describes the plastic abilities of our brain in his book “Super Brain”.

Sure the wiring of fear is there, but it is not a “hard wire job”. Our brain has neuroplasticity wired in it also! Plastic meaning moveable, mold-able, not hard and fixed, changeable. Rudy says it in many ways in “Super Brain”.

We are even more empowered by the objectivity of neuroplasticity.

Now that’s an empowering thought! Science has come up to speed with ancient wisdom. We do have the ability to decide what is not working for us and unplug it from the automatic brain response, and plug into a response of design, of choice, from our higher brain. Wow!

Tapping is the bridge.

Click here for your map of the Tapping points which includes extras.

Tapping creates the bridge needed to dialog with the lower brain by letting it know it’s safe to take off the automatic response.

It does this in an energetic dialog and a cognitive dialog; by engaging your energetic body system (meridians/qi) with your neurological system (brain/thoughts). Both induce a chemical response which is what our body uses as a catalyst to interface our cellular structure. Our body communicates with its systems (Organs and such) from the circulation of Qi and chemicals.

Simply said...

Tapping works, it makes you feel good, and it empowers you to live your life big, in alignment with your highest self!

I don’t know what to say when I Tap!

Clients tell me, when I Tap by myself I am afraid I will do it wrong. I am going to let you in on a secret. It doesn’t matter as much what you say, as it does how you feel. You are very likely to know how you feel quite easily.

The Three Steps To Tapping

How to cross the bridge which closes the gap from how you feel now and how you want to feel, be, do, experience, let go of.....

Tapping is a bridge to communicate with all the parts of your physiology. These three steps provide a path to cross in a comfortable progression with the intention to:

1. Vent/bring Awareness: Bring to light the issue. To neutralize something uncomfortable/fearful, what is no longer serving your best interest, or keeping you stuck.

2.   Desire: To explore your desires and arrive at feeling comfortable in your body, at peace in your mind, feeling safe, and feeling OK doing something different.

3.   Choose: To have something else you prefer, feels good, and best serves you.

Before you begin the 3 part bridge you will need to address your natural resistance to change, by using a 'reversal statement' as part of your set up statement.

Here is a basic formula to say while you tap on the side of your hand on the Karate Chop point, and repeat it three times:

Even though I have this _________ and it is keeping me from______( or causing me ________), there is a part of me that is holding on to it, and I love and accept all the parts of me (or use a similar positive ending statement)

Example of Set & Reversal Statement:

Even though I am nervous about talking to my boss about a raise, it's keeping me from asking for what I want. There is a part of me that is holding on to this fear, and I love and accept myself anyways.

Including the statement of what's going on/how you are feeling, then stating what it's keeping you from, combined with .... there is a part of me that is holding on to it...is the reversal and speaks to the less conscious parts of the brain that are holding the patterns in place...even if you can't identify them right now.

Take a break between each round to see how you feel , and drink water.

Step 1-Awareness or venting round: Tap for 1 or 2 rounds.

Tap on how you currently feel.

Start with your awareness of how something does not feel right/good, has angered you, or feels uncomfortable, or anything else. As you continue to Tap the pull/charge will continue to go down.

You don't need to relive the negative, so move on to the next step when you feel a little relief.

Note: You can scale your intensity 0-10 to start and between rounds. Measure so you can see how you are neutralizing the feelings. Keep track because a funny thing happens....you forget you had the problem and if you don't measure the intensity to start with you may not realize the beneficial impact the Tapping had for you.

Example: I hate talking to my boss, he makes he make me nervous, I get tongue-tied, I get frustrated, my stomach gets all tied in knots, and I am afraid I will sound stupid.

Step 2-Desire: Tap for 2 to 4 rounds, or until you're much calmer, or feel a significant shift.

Tap on how you want to feel.

Ask your self-questions like, how would it feel to not have this resistance to ______ right now? What would my body feel like? How would my life be different? Include a few statements about how it is safe to let go of the _________. You have to feel safe enough to let it go, so say as much as you need to about feeling safe.

Example: It sure would be great to feel at ease when I talk to my boss. I would like to feel ease in my body, speak clearly, and confidently.

Ping pong back and forth when you feel your “safety alarm” or otherwise "disbelief alarm" going off.

Example: I don’t have to be afraid of talking to my boss he’s not going to fire me about an idea! But he yells a lot and so did my dad, and I never want to feel that again. He is not my dad and I am not a little girl anymore. I have done my homework on this subject, and I know it well.

Move deeper into desire phrases once you get the feeling going. It’s all about the feelings…that’s what gets things moving.

Example: I would feel so great if I could speak to my boss with clarity and confidence; it would feel wonderful to be taken seriously on this subject. I really want the opportunity to present my knowledge to my boss with ease. I want to speak to Thomas (boss) with clarity confidence, and ease.

Stay on desire until you feel safe enough to choose something different for yourself. When you feel a substantial release from the pull the fear has on you….move to choice statements.

Step 3-Choice: Tap for 1 to 2 rounds.

Tap in positive choice statements:

Example: Instead of I choose not to be afraid of speaking to my boss Thomas…say I choose to enjoy the feeling of complete confidence when I speak to my boss Thomas. I choose to feel the calmness in my body.   I choose to speak with clarity, and articulate my ideas with passion easily.

Continue to notice how you feel.
The goal is to bridge the gap between how you have been feeling about something you have been resisting.....to feeling neutral, and even excited about the new experience.

From here become aware of the habits of fear and tap them down in this process as they unfold.

Tap often/daily and explore where it takes you. It's like a flower that unfolds petal by petal. Enjoy the expansion!

Laura Long, Certified Pro EFT Practitioner Certified Acupressure Practitioner

Some times you need a little help pulling it all together, and to help you see around the corner of your blind spots which we all have. If you would like help aligning with your birth right to bliss then let's talk.

For more goodness visit TheTappingChoice.com blog Work with me
Have you noticed how great you feel after a Tapping session?

Here are some ways to keep up your good feelings regularly. Start feeling good every day! Trying these ideas in small bits at a time will plant the seeds to grow your garden of life into a daily enjoyable experience.

The key to continuing the momentum of your expansion, into feeling good every day, is to make it enjoyable.

1 - Tap on the side of the hand on the karate chop point (KC) for 20 seconds while breathing deep and even breaths. Do this 10 times a day. In other words as often as you can for 3 weeks.

Your meridians follow the patterns of your state of being.

If you are overexposed to something that is disrupting the correct flow of your energy patterns, (electronics, negative thoughts) you fall out of balance repeatedly.

Your flow of chi will come to balance with several reminders per day of you intention to be in harmony. When your meridian chi flow is balanced you will keep your emotions in balance.

This practice is called a General Polarity Reversal repair (GPR). With regular correction, and removal of the toxin you are exposed to, you will come back to your natural state of harmony.

Ways to remember

Attach it to things you do regularly such as use the bathroom, when you drink water, when you take breaks, before you eat. Create some visuals for yourself to remember. Use tactile reminder you will see such as a bracelet or ring.

2 - Morning Reminder (3 minutes)

Remind yourself every morning of your commitment to be kind to yourself. Morning is the best time, even before you get out of bed.

Bring some joy to your feelings by reminding yourself of how it feels to be taking healthy, focused, conscious actions.

Find a mantra or Ultimate Truth Statement for yourself to say every morning.

3 - Make a plan

Find some fun ways to implement your plan of finding substitutes for old habits, and patterns of thought. Remember to include rewards for yourself.

Substitute: Decide well ahead of time...what you will do instead of the habits you are trying to break. Don't leave it up to will power now. Be kind to yourself, and plan ahead.

Being kind to yourself can include comforting, so it's good to find ways to comfort yourself. This time around, choose ways that benefit your well-being, and are in line with your personal goals.

Reward: Set up a reward system. Make it one that gives gratification fairly quickly. Include rewards that can be obtained regularly after each little success. Treat yourself to a movie, music, or take a break with an easy walk.

Later when you have built up enough momentum in your rewards, go for a long-term reward, like saving for a massage, or a retreat you have been wanting to take.

This lets your primal brain know it's safe, it's what you truly want. This does not have to be material. It could be a pleasurable thought, sound, or smell. Something pleasing to the senses.

Make your rewards in line with your goals. A hot bath to help you sleep, or a candle light yin yoga session in the evening will feel like a kind offering to yourself.

4 - Journal your emotions and Tap them out.

Do a Tapping session, 5 minutes every morning and night, before the old habits set in. This will calm your emotions, and allow your new choices to be followed with ease.

Put a small pad in your purse or pocket to make quick notes during the day about what to tap on during your evening tapping session.

Extra feel good points if you tap in the morning too.

There doesn't have to be anything bothering you to Tap. If nothing is on your mind, Tap on the points a couple of rounds while breathing deeply and evenly. This will bring balance to your system, and calm the monkey in your mind. You will notice a difference.

5 - Long term plan to rewire your old patterns.

Educate yourself on how your brain works. Listen or read what experts have to say on the subject of happiness.

Play or listen to audio's late at night, or even while you sleep, while you drive, exercise, cook or clean. Use your phone or notepad or CD player to listen to audio recordings that can help you create new neuro-pathways. That's what makes your habits change including your thoughts. This can be one of the substitutes you choose for the habit change.

If you are not an auditory learner, meaning you comprehend better by reading, you will find books at the library or online by these same authors on the subject of happiness and the like.

Try these calming recordings to get you started creating, and keeping up your good feelings daily.

Wayne Dyer - How to Overcome Resistance to Good - Full Version...listen a little at a time.

Robert Holden MD - How To Be Happy
This is one of my favorites! I get so much from Dr. Holden, and he is so pleasant and easy to listen to.

Ester Abraham Hicks - How to feel good instantly.

Hay House Radio - Listen to Jessica & Nick Ortner's show and see all the other great hosts for an instant feel good time.

The Tapping As A Practice Blog - for Tapping scripts, articles and more.

The Tapping Choice Pinterest page - A collection of carefully selected videos, audio, and articles by specialists in their field. You will find many ways to grow your good life garden there.

Happy Gardening, and Happy Tapping.
Laura Long, Certified Pro EFT Practitioner
WHEN IS A CRAVING OUT OF BALANCE

When it’s interfering with your life. That's when you need a bridge to help you get to the other side.

EXAMPLES: These are some, and there are many more. o SHOPPING o OVER EATING o SWEETS o SLEEP TIME EATING o CHOCOLATE o EXERCISE o TV o NEWS o RADIO o SPORTS o TECHNOLOGY

THREE UNDERLYING CAUSES: These can be traced back to events or circumstances.

1-Driven by an underlying anxiety. 2-Longing/need that is not being met; a form of grief. 3-Escape; a form of avoidance.

The largest contributor to strong cravings and addition is an underlying form of anxiety. Even the other two, longing and escape, can be a way of protecting oneself just like anxiety is.

ANXIETY IS A NORMAL PHYSIOLOGICAL REACTION.

The autonomic nervous system controls the flight or fight response that has been termed anxiety when in action. The autonomic nervous system is the part of us that reacts automatically. In this case it’s an attempt to protect oneself from danger.

I AM NOT IN DANGER NOW!

When the threat is no longer present, yet the body is still responding to danger, one seeks behavior that is comforting. This is happening out side of awareness, because we’re not dealing with that part of us that is consciously aware, and in control. It's coming from a primal automatic response that has formed a habit.

This is a very simple explanation of a complex response affecting multiple body systems as well as the energetic body. Here is an article that goes deeper into the science of anxiety if you want to know more: The science of anxiety

WHEN DOES A NORMAL PHYSIOLOGICAL RESPONSE TURN ON US?

When we are still responding to what was either real or perceived as a danger to us; we are under the influence of the less conscious part of our physiology. The automatic one, which does not respond so easily to logic, and sheer will.

It is difficult to get from an habitual, comfort seeking, less conscious behavior to a logical, conscious, balanced behavior. It’s like swimming upstream in a river, thinking that is going to get you to the other side safety. All it does is wear you out!

Once you have the desire to get to the other side, or you have completely wore yourself out; try implementing some tools to communicate with your less conscious self.

HOW ABOUT A BRIDGE?

What if you can start taking a few steps right where you’re at? Build the trust, and feel the momentum start to form as you keep moving on a solid structure; a foundation whose intention is to get you to the other side where you are at peace and feel safe.

Tapping and the tools used in the Tapping Choice coaching program can be that bridge. Tapping, along with the awareness I help you bring to light, gets your feet pointed in the right direction on that solid foundation. We work together to see where you have been, and where you want to go - one step at a time - in a safe supported way. The bridge Tapping forms gets you to the other side.

Happy Tapping, Laura Long, CAP, Pro EFT IV Certified Practitioner Click here if you want to see if the Tapping Choice is a good match for you.
I was listening to some very old audio of Florence Scovel Shinn who is Louise Hay's inspiration as a young woman. Florence was around at the turn of the century.

You may not have heard of her, but I bet you know of Lewis Hay of Hay House Publishing!
How Amazing to receive lessons from an original modern day wisdom thinker, way ahead of her time, nearly 80 years later. Florence Scovel Shinn wrote these jeweled bits in the 1920's, and they are crazy relevant to the human experience right now! You have to wonder, where did she get the info. Did she pull it from an ancient wisdom lineage, did she come to it from life experience, or did she too have a teacher who shared such secrets with her. Once again, I am reminded of how Tapping plays a huge part in the clearing and the creating described here. In other words the CHOICE to come back to your true self. Lesson One Forgiveness by Florence Scovel Shinn When someone has been unjust to you, you are filled with wrath and resentment. You cannot forgive that person. Times rolls by, and another person does the same thing.
It is because you have a picture of injustice engraved in your subconscious.
There is only one way to neutralize it. Be absolutely undisturbed by the injustice, and send goodwill to all concerned.
Louise Hay I love and accept others exactly as they are right now. The door to my heart opens inward. I move through forgiveness to love.

Lesson Two Self-Esteem by Florence Scovel Shinn No one keeps you out of your good but yourself. A thought-form of self-pity is one of the most dangerous you can have. The more you pity yourself, the worse things get.
Be above the worry belt, in consciousness, and then you will have instantaneous manifestations.
Your success, happiness or abundance comes to pass in the “twinkling of an eye.” Louise Hay I am a magnet for all good because I choose to think positively. I love and approve of myself and easily choose thoughts that nourish me.
Lesson Three Money by Florence Scovel Shinn Money is a symbol of freedom and is part of the Divine Plan. There is an invisible supply for you to draw upon. It is the bank of the imagination. Be grateful for what you have, and you will attract more to be grateful for.
Gratitude is the law of increase, and complaint is the law of decrease.
Continually give thanks for what you have, and for manifestation of invisible supply. Louise Hay I truly believe that we are here to bless and prosper each other. Life supports me in wondrous ways.
Lesson Four Health by Florence Scovel Shinn A person who is low-spirited or inharmonious will contract a cold; a happy, fearless person will be immune to germs. For example, a woman goes out in cold weather in evening clothes—lightly clad—but is quite comfortable, for she feels she is looking well and is filled with anticipation for a happy evening. If the same woman is dressed in an unbecoming gown or in a bad humor, she will come back complaining of a cold and discomfort and have a cough the next day.
A harmonious person is never vibrating at the same rate as a germ.
Louise Hay My body is a mirror of my inner thoughts and beliefs. I love and approve of myself and easily choose thoughts that nourish me.
Lesson Five: Future Possibilities by Florence Scovel Shinn Do not limit yourself to a one-station radio of life. Tune in with Infinite Intelligence.
Look with amazement at that which is before you.
With the fixed idea that your supply comes from Infinite Intelligence, you will always be provided for, in both big and little ways.
The big things in life will come easily if you have no doubts or fears.
So live fully in today, and bring your future into the now. Louise Hay: Life loves me! I am safe in the Universe, which fully loves and supports me Thank you Reid Tracy of Hay House publishing These woman are of great inspiration to live in alignment with our highest self. If you would like a little help with that, I have some great tools to help get you there. Laura Long, CAP, Certified Pro EFT IV Practitioner
TheTappingChoice.com
The level of the solution you are looking for, hoping for........

is not at the level of the problem

According to Rudy Tanzi and Deepak Chopra in their book “Super Brain”, you can gain insight from your “higher brain”. The part that has “the potential for creating new solutions”. Yes, you have the solutions deep within.

How do I access my higher brain?

            Dr. Tanzi describes it this way.....

"By entering into “allowing” you let go of the thought patterns that get you nowhere".

When I read this a note of truth struck and bells rang true! This is what Tapping does, it allows access to the higher brain.

What’s going on in the lower brain?

Here is where our issues, difficulties, and right out “problems” run lose and wreak havoc. Here are some patterns that keep our problems stuck in the lower brain:

Repetitive thinking

Old conditioning

Obsessive behaviors

Stalled actions

Not that Tapping is the answer to all things.....

But...Tapping can be the rescue for many seasoned seekers and those just choosing to wake up.   Because Meridian Tapping combines the ancient wisdom teachings of the Asian healing arts with modern awareness practices, it works to release our natural resistance energetically in our physiology.

Tapping tools simultaneously use cognitive aspects that unlock the “lower brain’s” behavior patterns. That means we talk while Tapping. For more about Tapping check out What is Tapping & How Does it Work on this blog.

“Allowing” what does that mean?

“There are many paths leading to the mountain top upon which you can see forever”

This is what my meditation teacher Asahi Sensei would tell us when we asked what is the best way, what about this method, that modality, this way of doing it....which is the best? He would answer very simply, there are many paths to enlightenment, and you can try them all, or try just one with the same results. It's up to you.

Any productive way you can find that quiets the mind from the lower brains uselessness is your path to seeing clearing. Seeing clearly allows you to make the choices that work for you personally.

Methods of allowing

You already know many of them like meditation and good old quiet down time; asking questions to your higher self/power than patiently, quietly waiting for the answers. With access to so many paths of allowing there is one that rings true for me and my clients.

The Tapping Tools allow quick, painless, and fun methods of accessing the higher brain power we all have deep within. This may or may not be your path to total enlightenment, but it is a genuine path to deeper inner awareness and empowerment...which seems like a strong foot hold into the path up the mountain.

As Deepak Chopra describes in an article

Your Brain Is The Universe ...

"Perhaps, we are all tapping into cosmic knowledge (the ultimate software), acting as a portal from one piece of hardware to another, from the brain to reality “out there.” Using the same build for the hardware, Nature has allowed us to enter our mental universe, only to discover the infinitude of the conscious universe."

My wish is you are inspired to put on your climbing shoes and start checking which path feels like your practice. Maybe there is an exploration of the many paths to be enjoyed.

If you need a little help in your exploration of the mountain of life, I am a great travel guide with many experiences in several deeper wisdom teachings as well as some total free falls. Both of which have given me an interesting perspective upon which to navigate. I would be honored to support you on your path if it feels right.

Laura Long,

Life Energy Coach, Certified Acupressure Practitioner Board Certified Pro EFT Practitioner Certified Yoga Teacher You can reach me at TheTappingChoice.com

Reference:
Deepak Chopra, MD is the author of more than 70 books with twenty-one New York Times bestsellers and co-author with Rudolph Tanzi of Super Brain: Unleashing the Explosive Power of Your Mind to Maximize Health, Happiness, and Spiritual Well-being. (Harmony) Rudolph E. Tanzi, Ph.D., Joseph P. and Rose F. Kennedy Professor of Neurology at Harvard University, and Director of the Genetics and Aging Research Unit at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), co author with Deepak Chopra of Super Brain: Unleashing the Explosive Power of Your Mind to Maximize Health, Happiness, and Spiritual Well-being. (Harmony)
What is Tapping and How Does It Work?

The two parts of Tapping

There are two parts to the greatest development in mind-body techniques named Tapping. Tapping is the modern term for EFT which stands for Emotional Freedom Technique. The emotions are tied to our thoughts, thus the talking. The Tapping accesses the Acupressure Points which controls our ability to heal by activating our own feel good chemistry.

A form of self-applied Acupressure

We lightly tap on healing spots located on the surface of the skin with our fingertips. The spots/points have a high electrical conductivity at the surface of the skin and are stimulated by your fingertips tapping on them. The stimulation accesses the life force energy of the body.

What is life force energy

It is the healing source of the body, pure energy. When the healing energy opens it heals all aspects of the body, all body systems, by the free-flowing movement through its channels called meridians.

How Acupressure works

Michael Reed Goach, Ph.D. Acupressure Therapy Author, explains it in three ways.
- Points as Gateways
The traditional translation that is thousands of years old describes the healing spots/points on the body as gateways.

When the gateways are blocked the vital life force energy stops its flow. When the free flow stops, there is dysfunction of the body systems.

The tapping stimulation of the point releases the blocks and unlocks the gate. The release of the block results in relief of the dysfunction.
- Meridian Theory
The healing energy flows through channels, path ways called meridians that flow throughout the entire body.

The meridian theory is well mapped out describing the interconnection of these channels/pathways to all of the organs of the body.

When we tap on one spot/point of the channel the whole channel and it's connections to the body system are benefited.

Endorphins and Neuron-chemicals

The medical perspective describes the stimulation of the points as releasing endorphins, your body's natural chemicals that relieve both physical and mental pain.

The release of the neuro-chemicals enable us to experience whole body healing and get to the root cause allowing a complete healing cycle leaving us whole again.

Why do you talk while Tapping

Ok, so you get all the goodness that comes by tapping your fingertips on those amazing healing spots, but why the talking? Who are you talking to, and what do you say?

The greatness of Tapping is how we combine the traditional wisdom of the points as energy gates, and the release of endorphins (who doesn’t want some of that) with our modern understanding of our thoughts, emotions, and feelings as the driving force of our actions.

What do my thoughts have to do with it

Our thoughts play a huge part in how our energy flows through those meridian channels we talked about. Thoughts and meridians are so closely connected, the traditional practitioners hundreds of years ago, applied an emotion and disorders to each of the meridians.

For example, the lung meridian influences grief, the heart meridian anger and anxiety. Yes, your thoughts do have a great influence on any disease or disorder in your body as well.

What we know currently about our thoughts and behavior is the majority of them are carried out on a less conscious level. The subconscious controls up to 95% of actions, thoughts, and thus our behavior.... and we could go so far as to say our diseases.

In Tapping we talk to both the conscious and less conscious mind. Working with he bridge between what we say we want, and what is not working in our lives.

There is a reversal that holds our natural resistance in place, and the choice to change it is the gap.

What's in it for me

The form of Tapping I work with is progressive, beyond the basic EFT formulas. I use EFT/Tapping along with other simple tools to take you beyond "the choice to change".

The next progression is to add in what you want.

That's the good stuff! We spend most of the time Tapping in your request for greatness and wellness once we cleared the blocks in the meridians.

There is nothing secret or woo woo about it. It is all based on a whole body system way of addressing issues that are keeping you from doing, saying, being, having, what you want.

We address through the Tapping Tools what is keeping you from being your true authentic self that is joyful, productive and living your highest life.

Laura Long, CAP, Pro EFT Certified Practitioner
Tapping Coach
TheTappingChoice.com

Ask High Quality Questions for a High Quality Life

Posted by Laura

On the topic of building the skill of inner-ease there are so many choices, so lets keep it simple.

We are talking about an elevated quality of life here; an alignment with your inner wisdom and with the wisdom of the universe . A couple of things that can slow down the exhilaration is the quality of the questions we ask and the judgment we apply. Quality questions can create ease, invoke curiosity and calm judgement. It’s from there we expand.

That doesn’t sound simple, quiet the opposite indeed! Stay with me for a minute cause I’m getting to the simple part which is to ask yourself empowering questions. Do you know what questions you are asking?

Inner-ease put in a relatable simple way.

It feels so good inside your body and your mind, that it could be mistaken for a drug. In a way it’s the “feel good” drug you make in your own body as your chemistry is activated and balanced. It is from there we align with our inner wisdom which is connected to the wisdom of the universe.

From the ease we travel on a path of an exhilarated quality of life. One way to travel is by asking questions. Not any questions, questions that move you forward. A low quality question can move you backwards and keep the situation stuck in stagnant grinding gears in our heads.

There are many tools to stop the grinding of the gears that keep us from our path. Here we will talk about a couple powerful and deceivingly simple ones.

And as my first spiritual teacher Asahi sensei would tell us….
“There are many paths to the top of the mountain”. It’s not as easy to get there if you can’t see the path. My hope is this will brighten the path for you.

Would you like to enjoy the trip?

We want to go up and we want to enjoy the sights, sounds, and smells as we walk our path. Maybe we even want to camp out for a while and simply enjoy where we are.

Tools that support the trek of life, and turn a foggy path into an inspirational adventure have turned out to be a wise investment. It’s like bringing along a walking stick that supports your steps.

One of my go to tools that creates the feel good chemistry; that provides the stimulation and inspiration to enjoy the path….

start by asking high pointing quality questions.

Successful people ask better questions, and as a result, they get better answers.”
~ Tony Robbins

I would like to invite you to think about the questions that will inspire and lead you and yours forward vs keeping you all stuck in the status quo. The ones that create energy, vitality, and excitement for an inspiring adventurous path?

You may have experienced working with this phrase if you have done any meridian tapping (EFT).

“I want to love, accept and forgive all the parts of me”.
~Lindsay Kenny

This sounds good in theory but doesn’t go too far when the critic is activated. You might call it the “judgement” of ourselves, others, our past and on and on….

If you judge you have no time to love

Ultimately we want inner and outer love, we want to accept ourselves, others, and we want to let go of past regrets…but that “judgment” part keeps us confused about enjoying the hike up the hill. One of the ways to move out of the stagnation of judgement is by asking high quality questions.

“Questions are never indiscreet, answers sometimes are.”
~Oscar Wilde

Expect no answer, and have no expectation of the outcome. This will help you move out of analyzing to start, which might turn into judging. Stay in up pointed curiosity, and then let the answer rise. Your only job is to listen openly once you ask.

A high pointing quality questions vs low pointing quality questions could be something like….

High pointing: How will I give some love to this part of me?
Low pointing: Why do I keep thinking of the past mistakes?

The pointing quality indicates where it will point to in your brain and your metaphoric path up the mountain. The idea is to point forward into what you want vs pointing to the past full of would’ve, could’ve, should’ve and “why” questions that tangle us up.

Low pointing quality questions might be a starting point

You can start there if that’s what comes up. Your inquiry is to turn it into a higher pointing question once you let it have a voice for a short focused time. Don’t hang out here or your brain and the universal energy will get the message this is what you want to keep. Acknowledge your feelings however.

The key to beneficial venting is to move out of it by letting it have a voice then moving to wonder and curiosity, and eventually to choice. Of course if you tap while doing that you will move through it much faster.

When we have a stuck gear we often need to work it out in the negative to get it moving out of reverse and into a new forward moving gear. Once out of the stuck gear you can play with it with something like “I wonder” or “What will I find if I open to curiosity here”.

questions that bring you forward into curiosity vs backward in regret.

I invite you to play, explore and get curious about the questions you ask yourself, your team, your loved ones. Consider bringing on this metaphoric walking-stick on to the path of life that supports the enjoyment of the environment along the way.

Here Michael Beckwith’s version of empowering questions (3 minutes).

Shout out to Tess Pierson for lighting up this concept in me.

Ever said something that keeps turning in your head, wishing you said something else, only to find out....

Oh wow, my heart felt for him.

A misinterpretation turned into a fear of losing us?

No matter how progressive we are with our modern desires...

What we do with this natural reaction is the practice of our inner mastery.

The very first line of the Yoga Sutra (an ancient wisdom text) starts by saying...

This is our one big thing to understand about ourselves and each other.

I am convinced when we all learn to sooth this inner alarm we will find the answers to the questions we keep looking outside ourselves to find.

It could help our professional and social relationships if we could understand these basic instincts and see when some one or some group/tribe is feeling threatened....especially ourselves.

When we find ways to calm that chemistry we can gain back our logic and control. Until then we are at the mercy of our fired up sensations, and low level responses.

Your body lets you know what’s up with your chemistry.

Your body talks to you if you are willing to listen.

Breathe into the tightness and let it soften with each breath.

Ever wish you would have said something different if you had thought of it?

Here is what I say to my inner kid when it's getting out of control....

OK, so now you are reminded of what you likely have heard before and tried to use when in the middle of a challenge....

Laura is a trained professional providing a whole being experience to other open minded professionals who are ready to bridge the gap between their external success and their unique version of an optimal life from the inside out.

The significance of my inner imbalances got very real after the fire. If I had not been ready with a maintenance program to work with this unexpected turn, it would have kept me off my course feeling lost and wrecked longer…. I am sure of it.

Are you afraid of your tears?

It's OK to show tears no matter who you are. In fact letting your tears come is healthy living!

Our evolution to "optimal living" is to expand our wisdom heart.

Can you feel it? Do you let your tears flow when they appear? Do you want to get out of this post as fast as you can because you don't like the idea?

This is an indication the access to your inner higher knowing is blocked off.

When the wisdom of the heart is accessible the answers, the messages, the knowing and the path show up.

An explanation and practice for “going to neutral” through the middle way

a method for emotional resilience “Learning to rest in the middle way requires a trust in life itself”.

A daily practice & stress neutralization technique to use in the moment

The practice of “Going to Neutral” is a tool for emotional resilience. Step into the middle way with the wisdom of your heart, the power of your breath, and the calming of your nervous system.

<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3866" src="https://lauralong.pro/wp-content/uploads/IMAG0708.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1440" />

Animals can have trapped emotions that affect their behavior and even their health

slowly the anxiety lessened with EFT yet there was more to do

"Is there an underlying cause for this behavior/condition”?

Yes animals have emotions, lots of them!

<img loading="lazy" class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-3867" src="https://lauralong.pro/wp-content/uploads/IMG_20160726_143518735_HDR.jpg" alt="" width="2560" height="1267" /> Emotional releases for animals by remote are now available

are you regularly cultivating your joy?

How about you?

The same ways of doing got you where you are, but will they take you where you want to go?

Does Tapping Take the place of Meditation?

Sometimes all that really matters is that it makes you feel good!

Start by Focusing on your breathing

Before you begin your meditation

This Tapping can take you less than five minutes

Tap one or two rounds on how you are fee

Tap one or two rounds on how you want to feel

Take a breath and notice how you feel, and notice the changes.

Tap in some choice statements

Over and over notice your breathe as your thoughts drift by like a cloud

Inner-ease put in a relatable simple way.

Would you like to enjoy the trip?

start by asking high pointing quality questions.

If you judge you have no time to love

Low pointing quality questions might be a starting point

questions that bring you forward into curiosity vs backward in regret.

Flush it!

How do we know when our chemistry is toxic and needs a flush?

There is not an obvious release handle to pull when we it's time to flush.

What happened when I didn't flush

All of a sudden I could hardly walk

Pain originates to let us know something is out of balance

7 things to know about pain science article

What is keeping this pain active?

What came first the pain or the trigger?

Round and round we go!

It hurt me deeply

I was forced to listen.

Acknowledge the pain and all of its parts

Thank you body for protecting me

I asked my body to help me heal

You need to feel safe to let it go

We don't get to the new perspective with out first flushing out the old.

How long does it take to let go of the pain?

Pain can be a teacher?

The transformation.

Will I ever get over it?

here is How to forgive for your own joy.

Gardeners and farmers are master creators we model to design our own life. They know how to take a tiny seed and turn it into a nourishing outcome.

Spring is a perfect time to enrich the soil of our lives.

Being the master Gardener of your life takes consistent attention to your foundation upon which you plant the enjoyable seeds of life.

There are two parts to Tapping

A form of self-applied Acupressure

Emotional releases for animals by remote are now available

I will now let you in on the mystery of tapping.