Does Tapping
Take the place of Meditation?
No way, but it sure can help the monkey mind!
“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.
Your well-being will grow as you meditate. Focus on your breath. 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 even.
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.
The 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 feeling.
Tap on the rest of the points describing how you are feeling about meditation now. 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 if you feel less anxious.
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 would like to feel like I am in charge of my thoughts rather than my thoughts in charge of me. I just wonder what that would be like. 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. 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 I will notice my breath as my thoughts drift by like a cloud. I choose to notice my breath 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 peace!
>Here are a few audio instructions to get you meditating if you would like simple instruction:
How to meditate without moving to the himalayas with entheos