Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

The Freedom Blueprints

By John Hoffman

Module #9 part B

Emotional Freedom
- How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare -

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

2009-2010 by John Hoffman. All rights reserved. Published by http://www.freedomblueprints.org/. No part of this publication may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means, or stored in an ad database or retrieval system without the prior written permission of John Hoffman. The Author and publisher have used their best efforts in preparing this book and the document contained herein. However, the author and publisher make no warranties of any kind, express or implied, wit regard to the informational content, documentation, or files contained in this book or in any accompanying media files such as CDs or DVD, and specifically disclaim, without limitation, any implied warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose, with respect to program listings in the book, the techniques described in the book, and/or the use of files. In no event shall the author or publisher be responsible or liable for loss of profit, or any commercial damages, including, but not limited to, special incidental, consequential, or any other damages in connection with or arising out of furnishing, performance, or use of this book, program files, instruction, audio or video connected with this information. All information provided in this document is provided purely for informational purposes only, does not in any way purport to be medical or prescriptive suggestions. Any reference to medicinal or health benefits is not meant to treat or diagnose any problem and is not meant to replace professional medical advice and should not take the place of any prescribed medication that has been prescribed by a physician. We suggest you always use caution when taking any herb or medication other than those prescribed or suggested by your physician. If you suffer from illness, disorder, are pregnant or nursing, again, please use caution. All herbs and medications should be kept out of the reach of children. Further, the author and publisher have used their best efforts to proof and confirm the content of the files, but you should proof and confirm information such as dates, measurements, and any other content for yourself. The author and publisher make no warranties of any kind, express or implied, with regard to that content or its accuracy.

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

MEDITATION One very simple, easy and efficient action that you can take in order to relax is meditation. It is scientifically proven that meditating also has health benefits as well. The main thing you need to do when meditating is to choose a way to keep your focus. A good idea would be to repeat a word, prayer, sound or phrase that will basically trigger its purpose. In order to focus, you may also want to choose an object instead of a word or sound. The first thing you need to do when trying to meditate is to adopt a passive attitude. You have to ignore any thoughts or concerns that may distract you from your meditation. It is quite hard to concentrate on a single thing, but with exercise it is possible. So do not feel down if other thoughts cross your mind at first. Any time your attention drifts just pause and rewind. Silently, repeat your focus word or phrase. Relax your muscles. Move your attention from your face to your feet. Gradually. Breathe easily and naturally. Concentrate on your word, sound or object for about 10 to 20 minutes (that would mean you are concentrating on your focal device for 10 or 20 minutes). Quietly, afterwards, stay with your eyes closed, after you have finished you concentration period. Open your eyes, but do not stand up until another minute or two pass. If you do this on a daily basis, you should choose the same time each day, because any new elements that may appear (wind, temperature, light, etc) may distract you from your action.

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

WRITE DOWN YOUR SUCCESS AND THANK YOUs It is no rocket science that if you only think about the good things, positive experiences, feelings and about the good relationships you have, then you live in a greater joy. It is called being optimistic, mainly. Everything that is worth being happy about or which brings you joy should be written down. This way you will store it and it will conserve / keep the emotion it has given you. It is indicated that you keep a journal of such things, because they can make the difference. It will help brighten up your day, maybe even your life, and it will definitely keep your attention away from the bad things. If you choose to keep such a journal, it would be best if you kept it close to your bed, so that when you go to sleep, before you fall asleep, you can save 5 10 minutes of your time and write down all those things. You do not need to be talented in writing. You will understand yourself, and you do not need to impress yourself. Picture this diary as a safe in which you have stored good energy, good emotions or memories: beautiful sunset, birds singing in the back yard, a beautiful smile in the park, a hug, a kiss etc. Learn how to celebrate every accomplishment you have, no matter how small or large it may get, by cleaning something in your closet. Save some time to take the kids to school. Wash the dishes. Clean the house. Help your spouse. Start a new project at work. This way, every new action you take, will be based on a good thing, on a small piece of good energy. You will feel the difference. One of the main purposes such a journal will have is reflection. You will re-read your actions, feelings, and you will know what to do, next time, in order to make it work better.

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

RE-ROUTE THE BAD THOUGHTS Bad thoughts will not stay away simply because one morning you said I want to live a better, healthier, happier life. They may tend to haunt you for a while, until you get strong enough not to mind them. So this is what you should do when you recognize negative thoughts cropping up: Stop. This may be seen as a mental time-out. Breathe. A few deep breaths will help release tension. Reflect. Do not be afraid to ask yourself the questions that need to be answered, and answer them honestly. Here are the main questions that may be asked in such situations:
Is this thought or belief true? Did I jump to a conclusion? What evidence do I actually have? Am I letting negative thoughts balloon? Is there another way to view the situation? What would be the worst that could happen? Does it help me to think this way?

Choose. After answering the questions above, you should be able the decide upon the way you will deal with what is causing your stress. This decision can be taken after answering another set of questions, experts underline:
If distortion is the root of the problem, can you recognize this and let go? Is the problem or constraint a real one or is it one of your minds making? If the problem is real, are there practical steps you can take to cope with it?

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

THE WORRY BOX The worry box is the opposite of the journal. It is a box, so you can throw anything inside and keep the lid on top. Do not allow your worries to get the best of you! We all have them, but we all have to deal with them. The best thing to do is to have such a place in which you can contain your worries. We are literarily saying contain. So have a shoe box, or a box of some sort and write your worries on small pieces of paper, then put them inside. This may help you lose some weight and, what is most important, it will help you focus on the more pleasurable or meaningful parts of your life. The best way to organize the worry box business is to write down three concerns you have, at the end of every day. You can also write the notes and keep them until you get to the box. The box will be the thing that will allow you to mentally let go of your worries. Once the paper is in the box, the worries are gone! Turn your attention to something else. You may choose what to do with these papers later on. Some choose to throw them out, others to throw them in the fire, others choose to read them again and tick them of, because the have dealt with each and every issue. The point of this exercise, however, is that after a while, after several months or years pass and you read the worry notes, you will smile on how pointless some of them were. You will start seeing things differently, in a way you may have never did.

RELIEVE STRESS BY USING THE EMOTIONAL FREEDOM TECHNIQUE (EFT)

If you feel agitated due to emotional problems, there is a technique that you can use in order to feel better. The Emotional Freedom Technique, also known as the EFT is a method that is a universal healing aid that you can use in many situations and also get the best results when everything else seems to fail. Some may consider it a modern day miracle. What you need to know, even from the start, is that this technique works on the same principals as acupuncture. The main difference is, however, that you will not have to use any needles. There are a lot of energy healing techniques, and EFT is just one of them. The people that master this technique also know that bad (or negative) emotions stand at the basis of most (if not all!) illnesses. They argue that because of certain energy blockings, our

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

natural energy flow is damaged, disrupted and our life force is impaired. It is the reason why, in most cases our lives quality is not reaching the standards it could or should. There are a lot of scientific arguments and theories that stand at the basis of EFT Techniques. Nevertheless, they are very simple to use and very effective! As we have told you above, the EFT can be compared to acupuncture. Indeed, it is a form of acupuncture. But you do not have to use those scary, pointy needles. Instead, you will use your fingers to tap the meridians or pressure points. While doing that, you should review your problems. EFT is good for solving physical AND emotional problems.

IS IT ANY GOOD? Well, will find thousands, maybe millions of people in the world that can definitely answer YES to that question, because EFT is not an obscure method, only used in underdeveloped countries to substitute other forms of medicine. It is, however, a very well-known procedure throughout the world and it is used by many healthcare professionals. Experts use it to treat phobias, anxieties, performance problems, virtually any sort of problems caused by negative emotion restrictions affecting someones potential. Here is a list:
Trauma and abuse Stress, panic and anxiety attacks Fears and phobias

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

Depression Addiction and substance abuse Allergies Childrens issues, And hundreds of physical symptoms including headaches, back pain and breathing difficulties.

EFT is very effective in achieving better goals in sports, speaking, sales, acting, etc.

HOW DOES IT WORK? Each human being has an energy flow that keeps him or her going. Negative emotions cause certain clogs into that energy river, which breaks the energy cycle. Because these disruptions follow certain patterns, it is common that people who suffer emotional problems follow certain patterns in their emotional issues. These problems could go on for years, until that clog is removed. So, what EFT does, is that it clears these disruptions. How exactly? Well, simply by gentle tapping with the finger tips on easily accessible points on the face and upper body. It may sound simple, and it is simple, indeed. Tapping is not that hard. However, the most important thing is to know where to tap. It will prove difficult in the beginning to find those spots. But there are ways of finding them out. Although there are maps for such things, peoples bodies slightly differ, from an individual to the other. However, once you have sorted them out, what you should do, or what the professional will do, will be to put precise amounts of pressure onto the points, while the patient is focusing on an emotion such as stress, fear, or anxiety. The tapping is a continuous and repetitive process and it requires a lot of concentrating. However, the effect will be that the patient has the opportunity to release negative memories from the subconscious mind. It is these fragments of thought that most commonly trigger unwelcome emotions and prevent us to live our lives to our maximum extent.

WHERE ARE THOSE TAPPING POINTS?

Head - top of the head; Eyebrow on your eyebrow on the side nearest to your nose; Side of the eye on the bony part of the eye socket at the side of your eye; Under the eye on the bony part of the eye socket under your eye; Under the nose between your nose and your upper lip; Chin at the crease between your chin and your lower lip; Collar bone on your upper ribs right next to where your collar bone and breastbone meet;

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

Sore spot a tender spot below your collar bone and above your breast (and rather than tapping this spot, rub it); Under the arm on the side of your body 2-3 inches below your armpit; Ribs on the side of your body down at your lowest ribs; Fingers on each finger on the side closest to the thumb where the nail and skin meet; Karate chop on the edge of your hand below your little finger (the edge you would use to make a karate chop); 9-Gamut on the back of your hand between and below the knuckles of your little finger and ring finger.

HOW TO USE EFT AGAINST STRESS AND ANXIETY? Now that you also know the main spots you have to tap, it is easier to explain how EFT is done by using your fingertips to tap them. As you could see in the picture above, those acupressure points are the same on both sides of the face and body. In order for the technique to work, the tapping has to be done firmly, and your fingers should be as firm as they are when you use them to drum on the table. The most commonly used fingers (for obvious reasons) are the middle three fingers of either hand. When you do the tapping you do not have to worry that you do not know the precise location of each spot. If you approximately know where it is, then there is no reason to worry. Just use both hands (synchronize yourself so that your hands work simultaneously) and tap the areas where the points are situated, and, of course, try to be as exact as you can.

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

Next to the tapping, the patient needs to focus his or her mind on a phrase or idea that keeps the mind tuned onto the issue. We are now talking about stress and/or anxiety so this is what the patient should be thinking of. Experts in the field of acupressure say that focusing on the issue is vital for the technique to work, because when we both focus on the problem and tap on the acupressure points, the energy system in our body is balanced and it gets relieved. It is best to be as specific about the issue as possible.

THREE WAYS TO APPROACH STRESS RELIEF WITH EFT: 1. When you start EFT, be sure that you focus on the actual physiological responses in the body. Think about what stress does to our bodies (its symptoms). That is what you need to target: increased heart rate, shallow breathing, adrenal response, cold, clammy hands and excessive sweating. 2. It is very effective to use EFT as you experience a stress response. Just take a moment to use EFT when you feel the stress issue is striking in. This way, you will be able to turn redirect the stress response towards a new direction and achieve maximum efficiency. 3. When you are preparing for the EFT, it is recommended that you do it in a quiet place. You should try to imagine a stressful situation, replay it in your mind, and then and apply the EFT until the situation that causes the stress is no longer an issue. You will know that the EFT has done its job in the moment you will feel peace with the issue. When you meet the situation again, observe yourself and see how you are doing after the treatment. If you can feel there is some change but you are still affected by the thing, the do the EFT all over again on the same subject.

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

EFT TIPS As you may know, water is a very good energy conductor. It is so because of the minerals and other substances besides hydrogen and oxygen. Pure water would not conduct electricity, but when it gets in contact with other substances such as salts or minerals, it does. It is the reason why you should drink a full glass of water before tapping. By doing so, you will be able to stimulate and prepare your body's electrical system. When you start tapping, you can either do it down either side of your body, using the first two fingers (use the hand you can manage with best). You can also use both hands, or try crossing over. Do not get overzealous and try to tap hard. It is neither necessary nor recommended. The best thing to do is to just use the same amount of pressure you would as if you were drumming your fingers on a table, just as we have already explained you in a previous chapter. Every time you complete (finish) a tapping session you should take a slow deep breath. This will help move the energy through your body. When you are tapping you may feel like yawning. This is a good sign. It tells you that you are releasing energy, so let flow and keep going. You may discover that there are benefits into tapping along with a group of others. You can do this live or you can also watch a recording. The most important thing to do when you are tapping is to concentrate on what you are doing. Be in the mood, and ask yourself "How does thinking this make me feel?"

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

BE HONEST WITH YOURSELF WHEN TAPPING Know which are your true feelings and do not lie to yourself. Give your issues a voice, your voice. There is no such thing as feeling a bad thing or a good thing. What counts is to know what you feel and deal with it. Whether you dare to talk about it or not, it is still inside you. And who else deserves to know the truth about it than yourself. Just tell the truth and do not judge yourself. There always is a solution.

HOW WILL YOU IT IS WORKING? Well, Ill bet you will know. Because if it is effective, you will feel differently. However, you may not be conscious of the effects, since they may also be outwardly subtle but inwardly very profound. You will see that some of the fears you have treated will disappear, even if you have had them all your life. You will also see that certain worries about your health, your work, a relationship and so on will have greatly decreased. Basically, you will know because you will feel like a different brand new, fresh person: easier and more optimistic.

CRITICISM OF EFT Like any other thing on this planet, there are those who criticize EFT. However, it has been labeled as pseudoscience by certain newspapers or magazines, because it cannot be scientifically tested. Other people point out that there are quite a lot of points that are used by acupuncturists, but which are not used by EFT. Even if they are not included in EFT methodology, tapping them by accident may turn out to have unpredictable results.

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

There have been studies, however, that show that both EFT and a placebo drug produced a significant decrease in anxiety and fear over a control group. Indeed, there is a lot to still be explored in this field. Because you are a rational, moral being, you may feel ashamed of what you think. You may also feel confused, because you think that by hiding the thoughts deep inside, they are gone. But you know they are not gone, and you know they are still there, and sometimes they make their presence felt. So, it is just after you ate something you do not like, or after you drank too much. Just let it out. It will be much better after they leave your system. Indeed, most people advice us to think positively. But it is as positive as it gets to get rid of the negative, is it not? Since we are being honest to ourselves, lets continue being that way and just admit it: Thinking only positive thoughts isn't realistic or even possible. Every coin has two sides. So do emotions. And it is what makes us and what keeps us human. By identifying and saying your true feelings out loud, you allow yourself to acknowledge your fears. They exist, even if you do not speak them out. They are stored into your subconscious. In fact, what you are doing is sort of a system reset. EFT tapping is the way you can release your negative thoughts and subconscious limiting beliefs and replace them with ones that serve you better and open yourself up to experience your natural joyful state.

LAUGH YOUR STRESS AWAY One of stresss most feared enemies is humor. Humor is a terrific stress-reducer and it is also an antidote to all manner of upsets. This statement is not just words. Laughter has been clinically proven to be effective in combating the worst of stress. Any person (be it a specialist or an average Joe on the topic) will tell you that it is highly recommended in worst case stress scenarios. Experts might add to that by telling you that a good laugh relaxes tense muscles, sends more oxygen into your system, quicker and lowers your blood pressure. It is also proven that laughter stimulates the immune system and this off-sets the immunosuppressive effects of stress. Next time you feel yourself start to tense up, it might turn out to be a good idea to watch your favorite comedy or read a funny book. You may also consider calling a good friend for a chat and laugh together on various funny subjects. Laughter simply melts stress away. Indeed, it is a powerful medicine! Most of what you have just read (besides the scientific explanation of the thing) you may already know. It is commonly known also that humor gives us an entirely different

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

perspective on our problems. Because of humor we have the power not to see emotional problems as threatening, thus they will no longer represent a threat to us.

The beauty, but also the weakness of laughter is, however, that it is quite difficult (if not impossible or unhealthy) to do it while in a stressful situation. A forced laughter does not have the same effect as a natural one. However, if you feel like doing it, well, then do it! Do not restrain. An interesting thing about this is that ancient civilizations used to have this habit. In Dacian (the inhabitants of what nowadays is known as Transylvania) and in the Japanese culture they were raised to laugh before danger instead of cry or show any type of fear. There are many strategies you can use in order to be able to laugh in difficult situations (nowadays). You can blow it out of proportions. Distort it. Imagine something funny could happen and spoil all the negativity it spreads. With the help of your imagination, turn the serious into ridiculous. You will feel the unpleasant sensations or emotions fading away. And remember, Practice makes perfect!

CONCLUSION A couple of American psychologists, have discovered, after years of research and social studies, a list of 43 life events that have a deep impact over the amount of stress you

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

suffer. They even figured out a way to measure or calculate the amount of stress you feel. Each of the events has a certain score attached, and that score represents the degree of stress that results from that activity. At the end of our module, it might turn out to be useful to know where you stand, in order to know the amplitude your emotional freedom actions have to have in order to rid yourself of the pressure. Bellow you have a top ten of the 43 events:
1. 2. 3. 4. 5. 6. 7. 8. 9. 10. death of a partner divorce separation from partner imprisonment death of a close family member personal illness or injury marriage dismissal from work change of job retirement

(Holmes and Rahe (1967) 'The social readjustment rating scale' Psychosomatic Medicine, 11: 213-18.) The test looks like this: Physical symptoms
tightness in chest chest pain and/or palpitations indigestion breathlessness nausea muscle twitches aches and pains headaches skin conditions recurrence of previous illnesses/allergies constipation/diarrhea weight loss or weight gain change in menstrual cycle for women sleep problems/tiredness

Emotional symptoms
mood swings feeling anxious feeling tense feelings of anger feeling guilty feelings of shame having no enthusiasm becoming more cynical feeling out of control feeling helpless decrease in confidence/self-esteem poor concentration

Behavioral symptoms
drop in work performance more inclined to become accidentprone drinking and smoking more

Psychological symptoms and negative thoughts

'I am a failure' 'I should be able to cope' Why is everyone getting at me?'

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

overeating/loss of appetite change in sleeping patterns poor time management too busy to relax withdrawing from family and friends loss of interest in sex poor judgment inability to express feelings over-reacting

'no one understands' 'I don't know what to do' 'I can't cope' 'Whats the point?' 'I don't seem to be able to get on top of things' 'I keep forgetting where I put things' loss of judgment

Stress Self Test Add up your score to check how stressed you are.
0 4 symptoms: You are unlikely to be stressed. 5 8 symptoms: You are experiencing a mild form of stress and are not coping as well as you can. You need to make some changes. 9 12 symptoms: You are experiencing a moderate degree of stress. You need to make major changes to your life. 13 or more symptoms: You need to take urgent action to reduce your stress levels. The higher your score the more urgent is the need for action.

Remember, there is no way you will be able to eliminate stress totally from your life. However, you can diminish its negative influence over it. It is also important to know that when you suffer from stress, you experience a variety of symptoms. Experts have put these symptoms into four distinct categories:

behavioral (the things you do) physical (your body's response) emotional (what you feel) psychological (your personal way of thinking.)

The most important thing you need to do is to learn how to relax, using the advices we have given you in this module. Relaxation is every bit as much of an attitude as it is anything else. When you have the certitude that you control your body and your mind, you have a head start. Moreover, if you put your body on auto-pilot through relaxation, it will instinctively know what to do about stress. There is one last thing we need to point out before you start applying what you have learned. First of all, remember how many times have you set a goal and not followed through on it? Well, that has got to change! Because chances are you had a missing element in planning your goal management.

Module 9 Emotional Freedom: How To Protect Yourself From Emotional Warfare

It is important to picture your goals as being nothing more than a wish list. You should make no decision about your goals without knowing that these four things are attached to each goal. In order for your goals to be successful, you have to keep the four things in mind.
1. 2. 3. 4. The goal has to be specific. The goal has to be measurable. The goal must have a time limit. The goal has to be your goal.

It cannot be something someone wants you to do. It has to be something YOU want from yourself. These four criteria will apply to any type of goals, so next time you decide to set a goal, be sure you consider them.