The 9 Essential Tapping Points
A Gentle Guide to Getting Started with EFT (Tapping)
This Isn’t About Perfection—It’s About Presence
You don’t need to have the right words. You don’t need to “do it right.”
You just need a few quiet minutes, your fingertips, and a willingness to meet yourself where you are. Tapping, or Emotional Freedom Techniques (EFT), is a simple but powerful self-regulation practice that blends ancient acupressure with modern psychology. It’s used around the world for emotional relief, stress recovery, trauma integration, and even physical healing. But at its core, EFT is about this:
A way to come back into your body—and back into the present—when life feels too loud to bear.
This guide offers a gentle walk-through of the nine essential tapping points, why they matter, and how to use them. You don’t need to be confident. You just need to begin.
What Is EFT Tapping?
EFT involves lightly tapping on specific points on your face and body—points associated with the body’s energy meridians—while focusing on an emotion, thought, or physical sensation that feels charged or heavy.
Instead of avoiding discomfort, EFT teaches you to witness it gently, interrupt old stress patterns, and retrain your nervous system to feel safe again.
It’s not about “getting over it.” It’s about creating enough calm to finally feel what’s real—without being flooded by it.
Why These 9 Tapping Points?
Out of hundreds of acupressure points, these nine have been refined over decades of clinical practice because they’re:
- Easy to locate and remember
- Linked to emotional regulation and physical calm
- Safe for self-use, even in moments of overwhelm
Each point corresponds to a different meridian in the body. When tapped in sequence, they help release stored tension and emotion from both the mind and body—often within minutes.
And if you’re new to EFT and want a step-by-step practice you can follow gently, the EmoAlchemy EFT Starter Kit is a beautifully soft, non-intimidating place to begin. It meets you exactly where you are, with no pressure to be anything other than human.
The 9 Essential EFT Tapping Points
💡 Use your index and middle fingers, and tap each point gently 7–10 times. Breathe naturally. You can tap on either or both sides of the body.
1. Side of the Hand (Karate Chop Point, KC)
Location: The soft outer edge of your hand (pinky side)
Meridian: Small Intestine
Purpose:
- Releases resistance
- Signals to the nervous system that it’s safe to begin
- Used with the “setup statement,” e.g., “Even though I feel overwhelmed, I accept what’s here.”
Gentle Reminder: This point opens the door. You don’t need to feel ready—you just need to tap.
2. Eyebrow (EB)
Location: Where your brow begins, near the bridge of the nose
Meridian: Bladder
Purpose:
- Softens stress, trauma, and the need for control
- Gently reduces tension and inner pressure
3. Side of the Eye (SE)
Location: On the bone beside the outer corner of each eye
Meridian: Gallbladder
Purpose:
- Releases anger, resentment, frustration
- Grounds scattered emotional energy
4. Under the Eye (UE)
Location: On the bone under each eye, beneath the pupil
Meridian: Stomach
Purpose:
- Helps reduce fear, anxiety, panic
- Promotes a sense of emotional safety
Note: Many people feel an instant drop in emotional intensity here. It’s a favorite for a reason.
5. Under the Nose (UN)
Location: The indentation between nose and upper lip
Meridian: Governing Vessel
Purpose:
- Helps release shame, self-doubt, and feelings of inadequacy
- Invites self-acceptance and compassion
6. Chin Point (Under the Mouth, UM)
Location: Between lower lip and chin crease
Meridian: Central Vessel
Purpose:
- Clears confusion
- Invites clarity and confidence when you feel stuck
7. Collarbone (CB)
Location: Just under the bony tips of the collarbone, about an inch out and down
Meridian: Kidney
Purpose:
- Eases overwhelm
- Boosts motivation and a sense of agency
- Gently moves you out of paralysis or mental “fog”
8. Under the Arm (UA)
Location: About 4 inches below the armpit (around bra strap level)
Meridian: Spleen
Purpose:
- Releases worry and obsessive thinking
- Supports self-kindness and nervous system regulation
9. Top of the Head (TH)
Location: Crown of the head (center point)
Meridian: Converges all meridians; connected to the Crown Chakra
Purpose:
- Integrates the full sequence
- Invites calm, clarity, and new perspective
Note: This point acts like an energetic exhale—bringing it all together.
How to Put It All Together
Step 1: Identify What’s Coming Up
No need to overanalyze. Just name it. “There’s pressure in my chest.” or “I feel like I’m failing.”
Step 2: Rate the Intensity (0–10)
Use the Subjective Units of Distress Scale (SUDS). This isn’t a test—just a gentle check-in. How strong is this feeling, right now?
Step 3: Begin Tapping
Start with the Karate Chop Point, repeating your setup statement three times: “Even though I feel anxious, I accept what I feel.” Then move through the remaining eight points, tapping 7–10 times per point and repeating a short reminder phrase like: “This anxiety” or “This tension in my chest.”
Step 4: Check In Again
Pause. Breathe. Notice what shifted. Re-rate your intensity. Tap again if needed, or just sit in the stillness you’ve created.
FAQs: Gentle Answers for Curious Minds
Do I need to use all nine points every time?
For beginners, yes. It creates a full-body effect. As you grow, feel free to follow your intuition.
Can I tap just on one side?
Yes—meridians run bilaterally. Use whichever side feels easier or safer.
What if I feel silly?
Totally normal. Most people do. Keep going anyway. The shift will speak for itself.
The Takeaway: Small, Simple, Transformative
Learning these nine tapping points is like gaining access to a secret door: one that leads not to perfection, but to presence—to the version of you that feels safe, calm, and clear enough to take the next right step.
Start small. Breathe. Tap. And if you’d like support along the way, the EFT Starter Kit is ready for you—with diagrams, scripts, and soft guidance for when you need it most. You’re not behind. You’re right on time.
