Dear Tapper,

Matrix Reimprinting is the latest cutting-edge variation on EFT that takes the process to a whole new level.  If you have taken EFT Level 1 and 2 (or its equivalent) from me or another practitioner, you are eligible to take this exciting advanced class in Chicago on June 23 and June 24, 2012.  Seating is very limited, so I encourage you to sign up right away.

The regular cost is $395 for the two day workshop, but if you sign up before June 1, 2012, you can enroll for only $365.

If you have not yet taken Level 1 and Level 2, please contact me to arrange for private tutoring before the workshop in June.  Level 1 is a 6 hour workshop and Level 2 is a 12 hour workshop.  If enough people are interested, I am willing to do a 3-day “Bootcamp” to have you earn a Level 1 and Level 2 Certificate in time for the Advanced Training in Matrix Reimprinting.

I am also offering weekly refresher classes and opportunities to practice your EFT skills for $50 a class.  The usual fee for Level 1 is $150 and Level 2 is $250, but if you sign up and pre-pay for both, you can receive 18 hours of training for $365.

Please call or e-mail me for more information:  (773) 880-5492 or: kiya@eft-tap.com.

If you have all the necessary qualifications, you can sign up now on the Matrix Reimprinting in Chicago website at: 

www.tapyourpower.net/ChicagoMatrixReimprinting.html

My dear friend and colleague, Alina Frank is coming to Chicago from the Seattle area to offer this very advanced Training.  Don’t miss this exciting opportunity.

Blessings,

Kiya

Kahn wrote about several possible ways to talk to yourself. Think about how often you talk to yourself by putting yourself down. Here’s where tapping comes in. You might look in a mirror before a party and start tapping:

Even though I look like hell and feel like a loser and it makes me feel scared to show up at this party, I’m willing to accept myself anyway….

Another way is to reassure yourself. For example, before a party you might be feeling a little nervous so you tell yourself: It’s going to be fine. It’ll turn out okay. You might choose to interject some of the Choices method here, especially if your anxiety is very low: Even though I have a little bit of nervous feeling about this party, I choose to be comfortable… Then, as you go to each tapping point, you could say: I choose to be confident; I choose to feel good about how I look; I choose to have a good time, etc.

Or you could ask yourself a question. On your way to the party, you could ask yourself: What can I do tonight that would make it genuinely fun? According to Kahn, of all the possible ways to talk to yourself, asking yourself a question is the most powerful. Questions direct your mind and set trains of thought into motion. That’s what makes them so powerful. Questions generate thought. And because they are so powerful it is important to ask yourself good questions.

Fortunately, with EFT, you can neutralize the bad questions that might come up on the way to a party: What if I can’t think of anything to say? What if I embarrass myself? What if I’m a loser for the rest of my life and I never get married and live alone and shunned by the world? The what-if questions are creating thoughts and images that produce feelings of anxiety.

What makes a good question? A high-quality question has a good result. It focuses your attention on something that makes you effective. It directs your mind to something that helps you successfully handle the situation. A question is good if it leads to a good result.

Bad question: What if they don’t like me? Good question: What is something I could do right now that would make me more likable? Using tapping, you could do a couple of rounds to neutralize the negative “what-if” question and then move into tapping to come up with creative answers to positive questions. You could tap on a round of positive answers for the above question: I could tell a joke; I could be a very attentive listener; I could help serve drinks; I could join conversations about topics I know…

Ask yourself questions that lead to good results.

And remember, we have very limited seating for the exciting, upcoming Matrix Re-imprinting Class in June in Chicago. You have to complete the equivalent of EFT Level 1 and 2 to be eligible to take the course. Please contact me to see if you are eligible. If not, you can attend my Trainings, or a Refresher Class to prepare you for this very advanced and innovative process. Call or email me at: 773-880-5492 or kiya@eft-tap.com

March comes in like a lion and out like a lamb.

In my case, March is coming in like a lamb and I am quite pleased about it.  Winters in my hometown of Chicago can be quite brutal.  Traditionally, the first week of March is terribly cold and very snowy.  This week, however, we have had no snow and temperatures as high as 60 degrees.

Because of the constant scary predictions of an especially awful winter this year, I was very nervous about it.  I realize that I often forget to tap for myself in such situations.                                               Now that we have had an incredibly mild winter, I realize that I could have saved myself a lot of unnecessary fear and anxiety if I simply tapped:

K.C.    Even though I’m scared about the upcoming winter, I accept myself anyway.

E.B.     This terrible winter.

S.E.     I believe the predictions.                     

U.E.    It will be awful.                                   

U.N.    I won’t be able to stand the cold.

Ch       I won’t want to leave the house.                     

C.B.    This terrible winter.

U.A.    I won’t be able to stand it..

R.C.    This terrible winter.                

Wr.     This terrible winter.

T.H.    This terrible winter.

(Karate Chop; Eye Brow; Side of Eye; Under Eye; Under Nose; Chin; Collar Bone; Under Arm; Rib Cage; Wrists; Top of Head).

Think about a time or circumstance when you have stressed out about something bad that you are convinced will happen in the future.  Instead of dwelling on it for hours or days at a time, give yourself permission to go into your fears (and even exaggerate them), as long as you tap while you are doing it.

For example, you convince yourself that you’ll never be able to pass your exam for school no matter how hard you study.  By fretting over it, you may actually prevent yourself from studying properly so you can pass the exam.

In a case like that, where you are predicting a disaster without knowing all of the facts, I suggest trying “Exaggerated Tapping.”  It goes like this:

K.C.    Even though I’m terrified that I will flunk my exam, I accept myself anyway.

E.B.     I’m going to flunk this test.

S.E.     And then I’ll flunk out of school.                    

U.E.    It will be awful.                                   

U.N.    I won’t be able to get a job.

Ch       I will lose my apartment.                    

C.B.    I’ll have to move back in with my parents.

U.A.    I won’t be able to stand it.

R.C.    I’m going to flunk this test.                 

Wr.     My whole life will be ruined.

T.H.    Oh, woe is me!

Exaggerate to the point of absolute absurdity.  If you keep tapping while you do that, you will eventually begin to laugh.  Laughter is an excellent way to move energy in a positive direction.  Then you can begin to switch to a more positive scenario:  I am going to pass the exam…  Even if I don’t, I can still pass the course…It isn’t worth worrying about.

Try exaggerating and tapping.  You may get past your fears very quickly that way.  Enjoy the month of March.  I know that I will.

Remember, if you would like to have an EFT session and then gift one to a friend, you can get 2 sessions for the price of one in the month of March if you are one of the first 13 people to ask for the discount.  And start preparing to take the Matrix Reimprinting Workshop in June.  Contact me for more details:  (773) 880-5492 or kiya@eft-tap.com.

If you don’t like something, change it.
If you can’t change it, change your attitude.
Don’t complain.– Maya Angelou

Check out this website. The above quote from Maya Angelou was the inspiration for a simple idea that has been spreading around the world. Put a simple rubber bracelet (or rubber band) on your wrist, and follow these instructions:

1. Begin to wear the bracelet on either wrist.
2. When you find yourself complaining, gossiping or criticizing, move the bracelet to the other wrist and begin again.
3. If you hear someone else wearing a purple bracelet complain, it’s okay to point out their need to switch the bracelet to the other arm: BUT if you are going to do this, you must move your bracelet first! Because you are complaining about their complaining!
4. Stay with it. It will take many months to get to 21 consecutive days. The average is 4 to 8 months!

As usual, I realized that tapping would make the above process easier to follow, and potentially more successful. It is a variation on the method above, but I think there is always a better chance of changing a habit if I change the energy associated with the habit first.

So, try this. Do Step 1 and 2, with the added step of tapping after you change to the other wrist. For example, if I catch myself complaining about the cold weather out loud, I would switch to the other wrist and immediately start tapping:

The last part is a technique I learned from one of the original EFT Masters, Carol Look. She discovered that it sometimes helps to tap back and forth with the conflict involved in giving up a bad habit. If I say on one tapping point: I really want to stop smoking…, I can say on the next tapping point: No, I don’t! and then on the following point: Yes, I do!

I find it useful sometimes to totally acknowledge the ambivalence.

If you would like to try this challenge with me, put a simple bracelet or a rubber band on your wrist and see if you can last a number of days without complaining, criticizing or gossiping. It isn’t easy. It took me a very long time to get past one day! As soon as you switch wrists, you are back to Day 1. There is free “Complaint Free World Widget” that you can download on your computer to help you keep track.

Please e-mail me and tell me how you are doing with this challenge: kiya@eft-tap.com.

Happy New Year,

Kiya

It’s that time of year again: lots of parties, family get-togethers, decorations and good cheer–or not! In my experience, I find a lot more people who are stressed out during this holiday season than people who are joyful about it.

Wouldn’t it be nice to have the eagerness and anticipation of a child in relation to this time of year? I wish that for you, and everyone you love.

If you’d like to give a special gift to someone who could use an “emotional massage,” why not give them an EFT telephone or SKYPE session with me? You can purchase gift certificates for yourself and others at the special rate of “2-for-1.” Call or e-mail me to reserve your gift certificates and I will mail or e-mail a certificate to anyone in the world. My usual fee for a phone session is $130 per hour, but you can buy as many certificates as you wish (before January 1, 2012) for $65 a piece.

Concentrate on what’s good in your life, and tap away the rest. May this holiday be truly merry for you.

Blessings,

Kiya

Everything that happens in your life today will either appear negative or positive. Keep in mind whatever happens must have a positive side to it. A large majority of the population seems to be mentally programmed to pay attention to the negative side of life and unfortunately, ignore the positive. Make a decision right now that, regardless of what happens today, you are going to look for the positive aspect of what’s happening. Remember… every cloud has a silver lining. Do this again tomorrow and the next day until it becomes a habit to see the positive in everything. You will feel better, you will be more productive, and you will have more friends.

Bob Proctor

Bob Proctor is right, of course. We seem to be a society firmly entrenched in the “glass is half empty” approach to life. What’s funny to me is that whenever I challenge a person not to “awfulize” about how terrible the future is going to be, I inevitably get some variation on the answer: “I’m just being realistic!”

Look at that glass again. You can realistically say that it is half-empty, but it is equally realistic to say that it is half-full.

When I read the above quote, my first reaction was: “easier said than done.” Almost immediately, I realized that our wonderful tool, EFT can make it a lot easier to see the positive side of things.

Since most of us seem to be hard-wired to go for the negative, it can seem to be almost impossible to shift gears. With tapping, you get to complain all you want while you tap away the fears, doubts, and insecurities that keep you away from the positive aspects of any situation.

Here’s a Bundling Baggage example for the holidays. (Bundling Baggage is an advanced EFT technique developed by Master Practitioner, Lindsay Kenny that takes a general recurring life theme and allows the person to express different aspects on each tapping point. It can be a wonderful shortcut for getting rid of on-going negative expectations).

I have worked with many clients who “hate the entire holiday season.” Some people extend that time period from Thanksgiving all the way through Valentine’s Day. We start by allowing the person to vent on and on about how awful this holiday is going to be:

(Karate Chop; Eye Brow; Side of Eye; Under Eye; Chin; Collar Bone; Under Arm; Under Breast; Wrists; Top of Head).

After just a few rounds of exaggerating all the anticipated doom and gloom about the holidays, most people are able to laugh at themselves and lighten up a little. Then, it becomes very easy for the person to suddenly see the half-full glass. Then, all the positive aspects can come bubbling up to the surface.

I wish you and yours a very happy, full-glass holiday.

Don’t forget to call or e-mail me to purchase your half price EFT gift certificates for any of your stressed out friends: 773-880-5492 or kiya@eft-tap.com.

Blessings,

Kiya

Now that an entire older generation of my family has died, none of the holidays feel the same and I’m thinking of ways to reclaim them in a new way.

One thing I’ve talked about for years is putting the THANKS back in Thanksgiving. I know that asking people around the table to tell what they are thankful for often brings dirty looks—people are embarrassed to share that kind of intimate information, especially in a group.

The funny thing is that it would probably be easy for any group to go around and say what they are NOT thankful for. I can picture a table of relatives and friends of all ages going around and saying:

Silly examples, but I hear strangers on an elevator say things like: What a gloomy day! Cold enough for you? Hot enough for you?

I love to compliment people on elevators: great tie; beautiful necklace you’re wearing; what a beautiful baby. I always get a smile, and I feel good and so do they. Recently, I saw a man on the street wearing an old faded t-shirt. When I got closer, I saw that the faces of all of the famous cartoon heroes were displayed on the shirt. I genuinely meant it when I said: What a cool shirt!

He thanked me and walked away. I wondered if that might have been the only nice thing that anyone said to him in quite awhile.

If you tend to be “hard-wired” for negative thinking, I know that tapping can help cut that wire (or at least get it frayed a little). I suggest starting with the negative. I sometimes tell my clients that they can complain all they want, as long as they tap while they do it. On each tapping point, they get to “awful-ize” their present situation. I encourage them to get very whiney and petty and exaggerate as much as they want. We’ll use the teenage “Nancy” as an example:

When Nancy runs out of things to complain about, I’d go back over the list with her and make it much worse:

Inevitably, as I encourage someone like Nancy to complain all she wants in more and more absurd ways, her mood would tend to lighten and she might even laugh at herself and say: You know, my family isn’t that bad.

Then, and only then, I might suggest a round of what you are grateful for. It wouldn’t work to start that way, but after fully venting the negative feelings, some more positive stuff tends to bubble up to the surface.

I discovered this by accident when I tried out a technique I developed called Revenge Tapping©. One client was so furious with her ex-husband that she couldn’t wait to tap on all the awful things she would do to him (in fantasy, of course). Surprisingly, after only one round of tapping on the fantasy of kicking him, spitting on him, and emptying out his bank account, she stopped and began to cry.

Suddenly, she felt very sorry for him and began to talk about the fact that he was a good father and very successful in his business. She started making excuses for his bad behavior and even remembered some times when she really loved him.

So, eat great food and hang out with good people on Thanksgiving and when you are alone, tap away all the negativity and tap on what you are grateful for: I’m grateful for the red and yellow leaves out my window; I’m grateful for hot fudge sundaes; I’m grateful for the cute things my friend’s grandson says; I’m grateful for friends who enjoy being silly; I’m grateful for friends who like me even when I don’t like myself; I’m grateful for puppies and kittens, etc.

If you can, take a gratitude break every day. It can be just a moment or two when you let go of all the things that “suck” in your life and celebrate the things (however small) that make you smile.

Happy November.

Blessings,

Kiya

I was once asked why I don’t participate in anti-war demonstrations.
I said that I will never do that, but as soon as you have a pro-peace
rally, I’ll be there.
- Mother Teresa

I agree with Mother Teresa. I think it makes a lot more sense to dedicate a month to the awareness of breast health, rather than breast cancer. Sometimes people I train get confused when there seems to be so much emphasis on the negative emotions when it comes to tapping.

Here is the explanation. So often, I work with people who develop an on-going script about their problems: I am very insecure; I don’t fit in anywhere; my life sucks; I’m too old (or too fat or too terminally unique) to find a partner, etc.

The person may repeat these negative opinions repeatedly every day to themselves and to other people. Then, the negative phrase is deeply imbeded in the psyche to the point that the person believes that these negative self-talk statements actually define who they are.

Rather than ignore the negative self-talk, tapping encourages you to repeat the negative statement while tapping so that you can move in the direction of resolution. If we ignore the negative statement, it will fester just underneath the surface. I believe it is the main reason why simple affirmations never seem to work.

If I believe that I am an insecure person and tell myself that is the case, then I will zero in on every occasion when I feel that way as absolute proof that it is “true.” If I repeat the affirmation over and over again: I am a self-assured, confident person, my mind will say right back: No, you’re not!

With tapping, I say the phrase I am very insecure about all kinds of things while I am letting go of the energy connected to the phrase. Then, and only then, can I begin to interject the positive alternative and my subconscious mind will accept it.

For instance, I could say three times on the Karate Chop point: I am very insecure about meeting Lucille for dinner because I’m afraid that I’ll have nothing to say and it makes me feel afraid, inadequate, and tongue-tied. I would measure the intensity of each of those feelings and then come up with a positive statement: Even though —- I have this problem—-and it makes me feel—————, I accept myself anyway.

Then on each tapping point, I can express my insecurities until they begin to fall away. If I said originally that my fear was a “9,” I can check in after several rounds and ask myself: is my fear still a “9?” If the number has moved down, I will keep tapping until I get to a “zero.”

Then, affirmations will actually begin to work because the subconscious will no longer fight the positive statement. I can now say: I am a self-assured, confident person and I will easily have a good conversation with Lucille at dinner.

So, in general for the month of October, I suggest proclaiming the positive name “Breast Health Awareness Month,” while at the same time, be sure to tap away any fears or concerns that come up for you.

During October, remember that any cancer survivor who contacts me is entitled to a free 15 minute consultation and 2 sessions for the price of one.

Contact Kiya at (773) 880-5492 or email me

“He spread joy wherever he went. You know, he was filled with ‘Sacred Sauce!’”

“’Sacred Sauce’? Where did you get that expression?” I asked.

She said: “I just made it up! Feel free to use it.”

I just love the idea that when we are truly alive and showing up for life that we are filled with “sacred sauce!” Wouldn’t it be wonderful to simply set aside whatever troubles that came up since Fall 2010, and start fresh. If we aren’t dwelling on the anger and hurt and disappointment of the past, there is no blockage and the flow of “sacred sauce” is easy and effortless.

You might be familiar with a Yiddish word that has slipped into the English vernacular. The word is: “kvetch” and it means complaining about life over and over again. With the help of wonderful techniques that I learned from my friend and mentor, Lindsay Kenny, I have come up with a variation of one of Lindsay’s techniques that I call: “Kvetch Tapping.” In order to get to the freedom of flowing with your “Sacred Sauce,” you may very well need to give voice to all the negative statements floating around in your head.

For example, I was working with a client I’ll call “Mary” who was very depressed. Her head was filled with very negative thoughts about herself and life in general. With traditional counseling, I usually encourage a person to substitute more positive statements for the negative thoughts. In this case, the negative thoughts were so pervasive that my client needed to vent her negative feelings before we could move on.

I told “Mary” that she could “kvetch” and complain all she wanted, as long as she tapped while she did it. So, we set up the general statement that “Life Sucks,” and I encouraged Mary to come up with every negative statement she could think of that would support that statement.

KC: (3X) Even though Life Sucks and I feel frightened, depressed and filled with hopelessness, I am willing to accept the possibility that I might learn to accept myself anyway.

EB: I can barely get out of bed in the morning.

SE: I can’t do my job.

UE: I don’t know how to make it through the day.

UN: I hate my life.

Ch: I’m afraid my friends are getting tired of me.

CB: I’m afraid to be alone.

UA: I don’t think I’ll ever feel better.

RC: I can’t sleep.

WR: My life sucks.

TH: My life really sucks!

After several rounds of constant “kvetching,” Mary began to see some humor and absurdity in her situation. After she evened out her energy, she was able to insert more and more positive statements.

EB: The weather is beautiful.

SE: I have great friends who support me.

UE: I played with a cute puppy today.

UN: I got a nice compliment from a stranger today.

Ch: All I have to do is make it through today.

CB: I’m learning to enjoy my own company.

UA: I know I will feel better soon.

RC: I choose to sleep like a baby.

WR: My life doesn’t suck at all.

TH: My life is good!

So, go ahead, do some “kvetch” tapping, but don’t forget to add positive statements at the end after the negative statements have been neutralized.

And don’t forget, if you happen to be in the Chicago area, our next Borrowing Benefits EFT Tapping Group will be held on the last Sunday of the month, September 25, 2011 from 3 to 4:30 PM on the north side of Chicago. Call or e-mail Kiya for more details and to reserve your space: (773) 880-5492 or email

It’s getting to be that time again!  If you live in the Chicago area, please come and benefit from our monthly “Borrowing Benefits” tapping group on the north side of Chicago.  We meet in my condo from 3 to 4:30 PM on the last Sunday of the month.  The date is Sunday, August 28, 2011.  The cost is $50, and you need no prior experience with EFT.

Bring a friend and benefit from the “2-for-1” sale.  Or, come by yourself, pay $50 and you can come to the September tapping group for free.

Each tapping group has been very successful, with people reporting that they have experienced significant lessening of their own stress levels just by tapping along with whoever is working on their own issues.

If you don’t live in the Chicago area, please call and set up an affordable group of telephone tapping sessions.  Live sessions or telephone sessions are equally valuable, and the cost is $130 for a 60 minute session.  If you prefer to purchase a package of 6 or more tapping sessions, the cost is only $595.

You can pay by check or PayPal.  If you haven’t tried EFT, you owe it to yourself to learn this simple, yet highly effective stress-relief tool. 

I look forward to tapping with you,

Kiya

I have to admit, I have been quite a “kvetch” myself lately about the intense heat spell we’ve had in Chicago. I drove by a bank the other day and it said that the heat index was 107 degrees. It is hot.

I believe that I can be more comfortable on a hot day by using tapping. Of course, I can’t literally change the temperature, but I can change my emotional relationship to the heat.

I am reminded of a funny episode of M.A.S.H. where Klinger is given a sugar pill that is supposed to relieve him of the intense heat. Everyone else is sweating profusely while Klinger is parading around in heavy clothes and a mink coat.

When someone finally tells him that the pill was only a placebo, he immediately rips off his heavy clothes and starts sweating and kvetching about the unbearable heat.

How is it that patients can take a Sugar Pill, believing it is a heavy narcotic and be suddenly free of excruciating pain? Or someone with chronic Insomnia manages to sleep peacefully through the night just because they think they have taken a powerful sleeping pill?

If we accept the fact that everything is energy, then I believe that the “Placebo Effect” is simply a shifting of energy that allows the person to use their natural healing abilities because their belief system has been changed.

I think that tapping does essentially the same thing, only we get to be totally conscious of what we are doing and there doesn’t need to be a sense of being “duped.”

You can try this at home. Either remember vividly or create a cool experience for yourself. All I have to do is remember the cool water against my skin when I was in a swimming pool. Or you might want to set a big bowl of ice cubes in front of a fan and blow the cool air on your face.

Next, move away from the fan (or the cool memory), and allow yourself to give full reign to your kvetching about the weather.

KC: (3X) Even though I HATE this heat and it makes me feel angry, frustrated, uncomfortable, and irritable, I accept myself anyway.

EB: This unbearable heat.

SE: This unbearable heat.

UE: I am inside a furnace at work.

UN: I can’t stand it anymore.

Ch: I want to move to the Arctic Circle.

CB: I feel so angry.

UA: I feel so frustrated.

RC: I feel so uncomfortable.

WR: I feel so irritable.

TH: This unbearable heat.

Keep going until you have brought all the numbers down close to zero. Then start planting a new idea. You can skip the Karate Chop, and just tap on all of the points saying something entirely positive and cool:

EB: That cool fan on my face.

SE: That bowl of ice cubes.

UE: The feel of cool water when I jumped in the pool.

UN: That cool fan on my face.

Ch: I can feel cool anytime I want to.

CB: I can re-create that feeling of coolness.

UA: I feel cool right now..

RC: I can ignore the thermometer.

WR: I choose to feel cool.

TH: I choose to feel cool.

Please e-mail me and let me know if you have success with this idea.

Blessings,

Kiya

Whenever I have set up a traditional counseling therapy group, there are important issues of confidentiality, safety, and consistency. There is a careful process involved in introducing new members to the group, and the participants usually make a commitment to a certain number of weekly sessions.

Because the possibility of anonymity and confidentiality are built into an EFT Coaching Group, new people are welcome to join at any time. And because Basic EFT is so simple to use, newcomers can join in who have no experience with tapping at all. In fact, I encourage people to bring friends so they can witness how it works and easily participate.

So, once a month we gather and the group can be very different each time. I ask everyone to write down 4 or 5 issues that they would like to work on. I ask that they think of simple, specific issues that are: single-faceted, current and measurable.

For example: Last Friday, at 10 to 5, my boss gave me a huge assignment that he wanted done before I left work that day. I felt angry, frustrated and exhausted.

Next to that specific event, I ask the person to write down a number from “0” to “10” to indicate the intensity of the feelings. “Zero” means that it doesn’t bother me at all, and “ten” means that it bothers me as much as anything ever could.

The confidentiality, safety and anonymity issues are all handled by the simple fact that the person can come to the group with these issues and not reveal what they are to anyone (even the facilitator). People can come to the group and just mention their first name. If it is important to the person to keep their issue totally private, they can simply volunteer (or not) to work in front of the group, and simply say:

Even though I HAVE THIS ISSUE, and it makes me feel angry, frustrated and exhausted, I accept myself anyway.

More often than not, people who come to the group feel comfortable and are willing to openly share their issues with the group. But, it is important that everyone has the clear option to remain private.

Everyone in the group has a list of their own issues that they have written down and given an arbitrary intensity level. Then, they put their issues to the side, as one person volunteers to work in front of the group.

Everyone then taps with the volunteer, saying the same words s/he says and tapping the same points at the same time. It is a powerful experience to have a group tapping with you and adding to the movement of energy.

The borrowing benefits part works like this: as a group member, you are totally focused on the volunteer’s issue. You are doing lots of tapping, but not for yourself or your own issues. Then, after you have totally supported the volunteer, you look again at your own list. Very often you will find that the intensity level of your own issues have diminished significantly!

So, the group is “Win-Win” for everyone involved. It is a satisfying experience to support another person by tapping with them, but it is even more satisfying to know that your own issues tend to get resolved at the same time.

If you are in the greater Chicago area, call to reserve your space in the monthly Borrowing Benefits Group, meeting on the north side of Chicago on Sunday, July 31, 2011 between 3:00 PM and 4:30 PM. Call or email Kiya at: (773) 880-5492 or email.

Dear Tappers,

For the first time since I started my website, I am choosing to skip my monthly newsletter for June.  After a very long illness, my Mom died today, Friday, June 3, 2011.

My mother had a very long and full life.  It is my intention to celebrate her 95 years on this planet, but first I need to take a little time to say “goodbye” not only to her, but to the end of an entire generation of my blood relatives.

I choose to picture her in Heaven dancing with my Dad.  I picture her surrounded by the last 2 generations of grandparents, uncles, aunts and cousins welcoming her to her new life free of pain.

Thanks to all of you who have been so supportive along the way.  One little tapping tip that helped me through this long process:  every time I was alone on the very slow elevator going up to my Mom’s room in the nursing home, I said the Ho’Pono Prayer over and over again while I tapped:

EB:  I LOVE YOU,

SE:  I’M SORRY,

UE:  PLEASE FORGIVE ME,

UN:  THANK YOU.

Ch:  I LOVE YOU,

CB:  I’M SORRY,

UA:  PLEASE FORGIVE ME,

RC:  THANK YOU.

Wr:  I LOVE YOU,

TH:  I’M SORRY,

EB:  PLEASE FORGIVE ME,

SE:  THANK YOU.

And I just kept going until the elevator doors finally opened.  I often tapped and recited the prayer at least ten times that way.

Blessings to all of you.  I may blog during this time and I’ll definitely have a newsletter for July. 

Please remember, if you are in the Chicago area on Sunday, June 26, 2011, please register for my Borrowing Benefits* once-a-month tapping group on the north side of Chicago from 3 to 4:30 PM.  The cost is $50 per session.  Call or e-mail me as soon as possible to reserve your space because of limited seating.  Call: 773 880-5492 or e-mail: kiya@eft-tap.com.

* Borrowing Benefits refers to the discovery that people who gather in a group and tap for another person’s issue end up having relief from their own issues that weren’t even addressed.

But I digress. I came back to bed and switched on the TV (I know I should have tapped instead), and there it was in all its glory: the Royal Wedding. And since it was 3 in the morning, I found station-after-station going on and on about what the bride might wear and who would be at the ceremony and who wasn’t invited. And in case you haven’t noticed, it was the wedding of Prince William of England, to the “commoner,” Kate Middleton.

Up until that middle-of-the-night moment, I had absolutely no interest in the marriage of the Queen of England’s grandson. But then I got taken up by the “train wreck” that it was.

If I had my wits about me, I might have started to tap:

KC: Even though I am powerless over watching this middle-of-the-night spectacle, and I feel silly, ridiculous, and embarrassed, I accept myself anyway. (3X)

EB: This silly middle-of-the-night wedding.

SE: I am embarrassed that I can’t seem to tear myself away.

UE: I need my rest.

UN: Do I really care about the bride’s wedding dress?

Ch: How can I ever admit this to my cynical friends?

CB: You stayed up all night to watch what??

UA: I am an American woman who doesn’t believe in “royalty.”

RC: OOOO–look at all those ladies in funny hats!

WR: I am beginning to think it’s okay for me to have this guilty pleasure.

TH: I am choosing to enjoy the pomp and circumstance!

So, the truth is that I actually enjoyed watching the wedding. And I decided why: if you turn on the TV anytime of the day or night, you are bombarded by negative messages about tornadoes and uprisings and death and despair. Even the commercials are depressing–especially the drug commercials.

You see beautiful looking people skipping down the street because they asked their doctor about taking the latest funny-sounding-medicine that’s going to cure everything from headaches to anxiety to the “heartbreak of psoriasis.” And then an ominous (but much lower and quicker) speaking voice says: There are possible side effects such as: depression, suicidal thoughts, loss of limbs, and even death. Just check with your doctor to see if this wonder drug is right for you!

As my grandmother would say: Oy vay! So, for one silly night, I suspended all sense of reality as I know it and watched something that was entirely sweet, romantic, hopeful and respectful. I liked the fact that everyone was dressed in their finest clothes and people were cheering for William and Kate from around the world.

In many of the books I have read about the “Law of Attraction,” there are things mentioned about the great power of concentrated energy. Maybe for that brief moment, enough of the world stopped to smile, and Mother Earth smiled back.

Upcoming Workshops

If you happen to be in the Chicago area and would like to experience a 2-day tapping event, please click here to contact me or call (773) 880-5492. Individuals who have taken the equivalent of Level 1 Workshops will receive a Level 2 Tapping Certificate. Those of you who just want the chance to work on their own issues for 2 days worth of experience are also welcome to join in.

Space is very limited, so please contact me to participate in this great event. There is great positive power in tapping in a group. Come find out for yourself. Click here to contact me or call (773) 880-5492

I encourage people to think of tapping as a daily ritual on the order of brushing your teeth. Everybody does it, but some people spend a lot of extra time carefully flossing and brushing, while others spend 30 seconds quickly doing the minimum.

If you want to quickly fit in tapping every day, here are some suggestions:

• Tap the Ho’Pono Prayer when you first wake up. Simply tap along with the Hawaiian prayer and repeat the prayer until you have gone through all of the points: I love you, I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you; I love you, I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you; I love you, I’m sorry, please forgive me, thank you.
• Tap in the shower. Not only do you have a great opportunity to fit in some quick tapping, but the water itself will stimulate lots of acupressure points.
• Stressed out at work? Go to the bathroom, lock the stall door and tap. You don’t have to say anything out loud. Just tap.
• Are you sitting in a boring meeting or dealing with obnoxious relatives? Just tap all your finger tips together. It looks like you aren’t doing anything, but you will be stimulating all the finger points and gain some relief.

Upcoming Workshops

Borrowing Benefits Group

If you happen to be in the Chicago area, please attend one of my upcoming events. On Sunday, April 17, 2011 from 1 PM until 2:30 PM will be my monthly Borrowing Benefits Group on the north side of Chicago. It is a wonderful opportunity to tap with others and resolve some of your own issues. The concept of “borrowing benefits” is truly amazing: you can tap along with another person on a problem totally disconnected from you, and your own issues tend to get resolved in the process! The usual fee for the group is $50 per session and I am offering a special “2-for-1” offer: pay $50 and you can come to two borrowing benefits sessions. Or, bring a friend and you can each pay $25. Please contact me by April 9, 2011 to secure your space and take advantage of this special offer. Please call (773) 880-5492 or email me.

Level 2 Basic EFT Workshop

Coming up in May is my Level 2 Basic EFT Workshop. Space is very limited so please contact me to reserve your space for the fun, informative 12 hour workshop on Saturday, May 21, 2011 and Sunday, May 22, 2011 from 10 AM until 6 PM on both days. We will cover a review of all of the basics, plus some wonderful new, innovative techniques. You will have the opportunity to practice tapping with others and receive expert supervision. Whether you want to become an EFT Practitioner, or improve your ability to tap for yourself and your loved ones, this workshop is for you.

If you have taken the equivalent of Level 1 from any EFT coach, you are qualified to take this course. If you register by April 17, 2011 with a non-refundable deposit of $50, the cost for the 12 hour training is only $227. After April 17, 2011, the full price will be $250.

Please call or e-mail me to register for this workshop, sign up for Borrowing Benefits, or arrange a private tapping session with me: (773) 880-5492 or email me

I never understood the chapter “ JOB” in the Bible until I read my friend, Iyanla Vanzant’s recent book:  PEACE from Broken Pieces.  I highly recommend it (and so does Oprah).  Iyanla tells the story of her life filled with grief upon grief and trial upon trial.  Then she shares her story about gaining great fame and wealth and prestige, only to lose ALL of that and much, much more.

…When you are starting your life over, with a new sense of self, who you once were is going to challenge you.  Who you once were is going to dangle old carrots, old wounds and issues, in front of your face.  When that happens, you will be tempted to revert to old feelings, old patterns of thought, and old patterns of behavior.  When, however, you have made up your mind that the old you is dead and buried, when you have embraced a certain level of clarity about who you are and are not, as well as who you are choosing to be, you have a different response.  You recognize that the new you has a different character….than the old you had….The old you went first to doubt and then to helplessness.  The new you is willing to get up, stand up, and step up for your honor and dignity….from PEACE from Broken Pieces  by Iyanla Vanzant

Because Iyanla chose EFT as one of her many powerful tools to transform her life, I especially encourage my readers to take in her story of triumph over unbearable tragedy.  She cites my dear friend, mentor and teacher, Lindsay Kenny as one of her coaches that supported her through her most difficult journeys.

I am especially inspired by Iyanla’s courageous statement about her most tragic circumstances:

…one day, as I sat helplessly surveying the broken pieces of my mind, heart, and life, I recognized that a broken life is a test of faith of the highest order…

Few of us will ever have to face the incredible roller coaster that has been Iyanla’s life, but her story is a great testimony to the power of great Faith, and a wonderful acknowledgement of the power of tapping.

I just finished teaching a Basic EFT Workshop with an incredible group of people in March, and I’m excited about teaching Basic EFT Level 2 on May 21, 2011 and May 22, 2011 in Chicago.  In the 12 hour workshop, we will review all of the basics plus give you lots of opportunities to practice tapping and receive expert supervision.  If you have taken the equivalent of Level 1 with me or any other practitioner, please call me so we can decide if Level 2 fits for you.  My number is: (773) 880-5492.  The usual fee is $250 for 12 hours of instruction, but if you sign up and send in a non-refundable deposit of $50 by April 11, 2011, the fee is only $227.

I have been on this planet for many, many years and never before was the time ever changed on this date.  By the way, can anyone explain to me why we have “Daylight Savings?”  The states that don’t participate seem to do just fine.

And what exactly are we “saving?”  Why don’t we just start work or school an hour earlier or an hour later?  We all dutifully do it, and not one single person I know has ever been able to explain to me why we do it?  I remember hearing when I was a kid that it had something to do with little farm children being spared from walking to school in the dark.

Since I have never lived on a farm and don’t tend to walk when it’s dark out, why do I have to change my clock and “lose” an hour of sleep?

I have already started celebrating my birthday.  Shop people were very nice to me all week.  One store gave me a discount, and two stores gave me little gifts.  A restaurant gave me a free dessert with a candle in it. At church on my birthday, a very good baker is making me a chocolate cake, and the Music Director is going to sing one of my favorite songs:  You raise me up.

Then, in the evening, I’m meeting friends for dinner at one of my favorite restaurants.  I have always loved celebrating my birthday.  One cynical friend said to me years ago:  Anyone who celebrates their birthday after the age of 11 is an idiot!  I’m proud to say that I’ve been an idiot for more than 50 years.

I encourage you all to celebrate your own birthdays.  I’m certainly glad you were born.  Aren’t you?

My gift to you during my birthday month is half off an initial phone consultation.  My usual fee is $130 per session, with discounts for packages of 3 or 6 sessions.  Just mention this blog post, and you will only pay $65 for a 50 minute telephone session.  Call or e-mail me to make an appointment:  (773) 880-5492 or kiya@eft-tap.com.

My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Japan.  Let’s all send them healing energy at this time of terrible devastation.

Happy March to all of you!

Kiya

P.S.  My EFT Basics Plus Workshop for March 19th is completely sold out.  Let me know if you are interested in Trainings for the future.

What is your mantra? I have a friend who has been feeling very depressed and cynical lately. She declares on a regular basis: Life SUCKS ! When I question that very negative, absolute statement, she says: I am just being REALISTIC ! How can you argue with that?

What I came up with was looking at the two expressions: life sucks or life rocks. There’s a world of difference in the attitudes, but only a couple of letters separate the two statements. If someone says: life sucks, I imagine that the “S” stands for “severity” and the “u” stands for “unhappiness.” If someone says instead that life rocks, I think that the “R” stands for “reverence” and the “O” stands for “ownership.”

If we say over and over and over again that life sucks, we will find many examples to “prove” that we are, indeed, being “realistic.” At any given moment on any given day, there are lots of things to focus on that reflect “severity” on every level: severe weather conditions; severe disappointment in friends; severe feelings of inadequacy; severe financial situations, etc., etc. And, as a result, there is so much to feel “unhappy” about, and so we can say with great conviction that it is absolutely true that life sucks.

The funny thing is that the people who believe that life rocks may have just as many severe personal and global circumstances in their lives. They may even have many more reasons to feel “unhappy,” but a different CHOICE has been made. Those people have chosen over and over again to have “reverence” for anything and everything in life that is good or pleasant or lovely, no matter how fleeting. And best of all, they take total “ownership” for their life experiences. If they choose to own the “good, the bad, and the ugly” in life, but put their energy and emphasis on the “good” part, are they not being equally “realistic?”

I think that tapping can support anyone to transform themselves from a life sucks kind of person over to a life rocks kind of person. Here is an example of how it could be done. We would start with Lindsay Kenny’s wonderful global technique called “Bundling Baggage.” You give the life sucks person total permission to bitterly complain about everything wrong in life (as long as they tap while they do it).

KC: Even though Life Sucks, and I can prove it, I accept myself anyway. (3X)
EB: I hate that my body hurts all the time.
SE: I hate that I can’t lose weight.
UE: I hate that I can’t buy anything I want.
UN: I hate that having a partner doesn’t solve anything.
Ch: I hate that nothing excites me anymore.
CB: I hate that my friends are boring.
UA: I hate that the weather is so awful.
RC: I hate that the sun rarely shines.
Wr: I hate that no one will take care of me when I’m old.
TH: I hate that life sucks !

I encourage the person to go on and on until they can’t think of another thing to complain about. The key is to tap continuously while doing it. I also prod the person into exaggerating to the point of absurdity: I hate that restaurants serve COKE or PEPSI and not both; I can’t stand when men walk around with “comb-overs” — don’t they know how stupid they look; I hate when people say: “have a nice day!” I want to slap them and say: “have a crappy day !”

Then, when the person realizes how absurd their constant negativity can sound, they may be ready to start injecting some positive stuff:

Even though I have convinced myself that “life sucks,” I do enjoy watching my cats play;
I liked laughing until I cried at that funny movie; I was excited that my favorite candidate won that election, etc.

Remember: have reverence for even the smallest things that are pleasant in life, and take ownership that you are totally responsible for your reaction to life’s challenges. Enjoy the month of March. I always do because it includes my birthday.

For those of you who struggle with low self-esteem, and even those of you who are pretty happy with yourself, try tapping for self-love this particular week.  Below is a tapping sequence for individuals who are very critical of themselves.  But you can change the wording to fit your own self-evaluation.

If you have a lot of critical self-chatter, you might want to do a whole round or two of negative statements just to clear the air.  Remember, you are tapping while you do it so your energy remains neutral. I encourage you to exaggerate to the point of absurdity:  I’m too fat; my place is a mess; I’m late with my taxes; I still bite my fingernails; I’m lazy; I hate to exercise; I won’t eat my green beans; I’ll probably never write the great American novel; my thighs are the size of Cleveland; I sing like a dying frog, etc.

Then, begin to interject some positive statements along with the negative (and they don’t have to have anything to do with each other):

KC:   Even though I find so many things wrong with me, I want to learn to love and accept myself anyway. (3times)

EB:   My thighs are the size of Cleveland AND I have pretty blue eyes.  

SE:   I’m lazy AND I know almost all the words to “Oklahoma.”

UE:   I still bite my fingernails AND cats and children like me. 

UN:  I hate to exercise AND I love to laugh.  

Ch:   I won’t eat my green beans AND I’m a great thumb wrestler.    

CB:   I sing like a dying frog AND  I make great Smoothies.   

UA:   I’m too fat AND I have a great sense of humor.    

RC:   I love to watch old movies.    

WR:   I show up for my friends. 

TH:   I really do like myself just the way I am!

Buy yourself a Valentine’s Day card and sign it with love.  Buy yourself some flowers.  Be kind and patient with yourself.  And if you happen to be in the Chicago area, join me at my EFT Basics Plus Workshop on March 19, 2011 and March 20, 2011.  If you call me before midnight on Valentine’s Day and commit to the workshop, and pre-pay before March 1, 2011, you can still get the discount price of $100.  Call Kiya to reserve your space:  (773) 880-5492.

I love to say to a stranger on an elevator:  “What a beautiful necklace!” Usually, if it’s pretty enough for me to notice, then the person has a special feeling about it.  Often, the woman will touch it and smile so happily and tell me a little story about where or how she got it.

I love little moments like that.  And they take no extra effort or energy.

Just today, a little boy on an elevator was bursting with pride that he had his first karate lesson.  I told him that I have a friend who got her black belt when she was just 13 years old, so he eagerly showed me one of his new moves.  He was probably about 5 years old and we shared a wonderful moment.

It’s so easy to think of all the insults and slights and grievances we have about the people who cross our paths every day.  Try blessing them all, and sometime this next week, walk by a mirror and tell yourself how adorable you are!

And just  a reminder, my EFT Basics Plus Workshop is filling up fast.  The six hour class will take place on Saturday, March 19, 2011 and Sunday, March 20, 2011 from 10 A.M. until 6 P.M. both days on the north side of Chicago.  The cost is just $125, but if you notify me by Valentine’s day that you are definitely coming and mail me a $25 non-refundable deposit, you can attend for just $100.

In the workshop, I will be teaching the Basics of Energy Tapping, plus some exciting new innovations I have learned from my mentors and master teachers.  Whether the work is totally new to you, or you are taking it as a review, you will enjoy this highly informative and fun class.

Call or e-mail me by Valentine’s Day to reserve your space and to qualify for the $25 discount.  Space is limited, so if you are in the area, and would like to come, please call or e-mail me:  (773) 880-5492 or: kiya@eft-tap.com.