ADHD Life Coach Stuart meditating with E.F.T. (aka tapping)
Do you have a tough time meditating?
Have you got a mindset you wish to shift?
How about an obstacle you’d love to overcome?
Tap on it!
This article is not about the traditional tap which is a musical dance form that has moves called the stamp, stomp, toe and dig.
While tap dancing is actually on my bucket list to learn, I have never worn these shoes-with-screws, which is the formal footwear required to produce the catchy percussion.
I do have some experience tapping while wearing my bedroom slippers. It is hilariously entertaining, particularly after I trip.
I’d tap dance on impulse when a song steals my attention (which is regularly stolen by people, places and things). I dance with wild abandon despite having no formal training.
You won’t find me slipper-tapping on YouTube, Instagram or Tick Tock. (Not yet, anyway!)
The tap practice I speak of today involves one’s hands and not one’s feet.
No shoes (and no shirts) required. It requires no stamping, stomping, toeing or digging. Rather, it is more of a finger tap dance. In this practice, I am not moved by words and not music.
For me, tap dancing ADHD style is a terrifically simple and enormously effective practice. It aids me in the regulation of my ADHD presentations as well as many neurotypical aspects of my life.
For these reasons I consider my tapping to be transcendental.
Here’s how it works: I speak (or listen to) an intentionally written script while finger-tapping on key upper body spots, referred to as meridian points or energy centers.
The outcome continues to be transformative for me. Based on my tapping intention, my mindset and behavior will shift. For example, I have run farther, swam more efficiently, slept more soundly and been more productive.
Called the Emotional Freedom Technique (or EFT), tapping is also a great emotional release for me. As an active meditation, I can actually focus better! It is quite calming and the benefits are long lasting.
It is an incredibly accessible practice to ritualize. I have become a prodigious tapper and hope to encourage you to give it a go!
Unlike my impromptu bedroom slipper tapping performances which occur due to random energy bursts, I weave hand tapping into my every-day life.
The biggest difference is that I choose to do EFT less spontaneously and more strategically. I don’t wait for the hyper-highs or the lifeless lows to tap.
My tapping practice helps me to effectively manage and to moderate all that jazz.
In Part 2, I will share my top 9 reasons why I love tapping and why I consider it tops of my ADHD rituals. Portability, flexibility and versatility are just a few!
