EFT (Tapping) for Pelvic Health

Written as a collaboration between Dr. Brianne Grogan, PT, DPT, and Jo Loch, PT and EFT Tapping Practitioner

The Mind-Heart-Pelvic Floor Connection

You've heard of the "Mind-Body Connection," but I like to refer to the "Mind-Heart-Pelvic Floor Connection." Your pelvic floor muscles are impacted by your thoughts (mind) and emotions (heart). Your level of muscular arousal changes based on what you're thinking and feeling!

Likewise, the state of your pelvic floor health impacts your thoughts and emotions. When you have a pelvic health challenge, it can lead to mental and emotional health challenges such as anxiety and even depression.

What is EFT (Tapping)?

Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) “tapping” is the practice of a simple sequence using two fingers to tap acupressure points on your own face and body. 

While tapping, we focus on the problems we are having and state out loud the reality of what we are dealing with.

Tapping is a rapidly effective stress-relief self-help tool to use in the moment, when feeling triggered or “stressed out.” 

EFT Tapping with a practitioner works deeper, to actively dispel deeper negative beliefs, emotions, energy from past experiences that we are carrying and unconscious limitations that we have acquired. 

Once negative emotions are released using a few sequences of tapping, it is easier to find a neutral acceptance of the situation, and makes space to reprogram the mind with more helpful and positive statements.

In summary, EFT tapping provides us with a quick and easy method to influence how we feel both physically and mentally!

How can Tapping help our pelvic health? 

EFT can be used as a tool to help us overcome our pelvic health challenges in two key ways:

1. Stress has a direct effect on our pelvic floor via us unconsciously bracing and "clenching" our muscles. Tapping interrupts that cycle, and instead soothes the nervous system allowing a rest and recovery state in the body. It has also been shown to directly lower cortisol levels, all of which make it a very effective stress management tool to improve quality of life!
2. EFT can also lighten the emotional burden on your body, by allowing any unprocessed feelings and beliefs to be released. The reality of living with any kind of physical condition comes with a huge amount of emotional and energetic baggage that we carry... often without even realizing it. From the early days of noticing symptoms, to how it affects your work and home life, interactions with doctors, and so on. 

In summary, tapping can be used as a tool to relax AND to help change the unresolved feelings, limiting beliefs, and negative thought patterns that you might have around your pelvic health challenges.

Where are the Tapping Points?

View the diagram below to see the points used in the video at the bottom of this post! 

Tapping Script for Acknowledging Our Pelvic Condition

by Jo Loch, Holistic Freedom Method

Note: Before you start tapping, take some deep breaths and tune in to how you are feeling. See if you can rate your emotion/ stress about your Pelvic Condition on a scale of 0-10 with 0 being nothing and 10 being the worst you could imagine feeling. 

This gives you something to compare to after the round of tapping.

Script:

Even though

I hate to even think about what’s happening with my pelvic floor, my vagina and my uterus

To be honest it’s uncomfortable even saying the words

Even though I have these feelings I choose to deeply and completely love and accept myself.

Even though

I’m having all these problems with my pelvic parts

Maybe it’s pain, discomfort, maybe it feels like a tampon not sitting right,

But it’s not a tampon, it’s my own body

My body doesn’t feel like it used to, and that brings up a lot of feelings for me

Even though I feel all of this about my body

I’m choosing right now

to accept myself anyway.

Even though

I’m starting to realise I have so much emotion involved in this problem

I thought it was just uncomfortable

I thought it was bad enough

That sometimes I might have to change my underwear

But not I can see that perhaps there is a lot of emotion tied up here too

And I am willing and open to start

to accept myself anyway.

All these feelings about my condition

It’s so embarrassing

I don’t really want people to know all of this about me

I would rather pretend it’s all fine

It’s so personal and private

I don’t want to talk about it

I don’t even want to think about it

It’s so embarrassing

What if I wet myself when I’m out

What would I do

I’d feel so ashamed if someone knew

But I don’t suppose I’m the only one that’s ever had this problem,

In fact since I’m here, I know I’m not the only one

Maybe lots of women have problems like this

Maybe lots of us are keeping quiet

Maybe it’s not just me

Maybe I’m not such a freak after all

If it was happening to a friend or loved one

Would I think badly of them?

Or would I offer some support and compassion

And maybe I have been pretending part of myself doesn’t exist

Maybe I have been rejecting my body

Perhaps I’ve been feeling like my body is rejecting me

My body has been letting me down

Is it possible my body is doing its best

Maybe my body has been through a lot

Maybe it needs a little support

Maybe I could forgive my body for what’s been happening

It was doing the best it could

Maybe I could forgive myself too

As I’ve been doing the best I could

Maybe I could start to accept

That this is a part of me

And it needs a little love right now

It’s ok to be me

Just as I am

It’s possible for me

To feel a lot better than this

Maybe if I don’t believe that

I could at least be open to the possibility that maybe it is possible one day

But what I do know is

That right here right now

In this moment

I am safe

All is well

I am safe

Tap with us!

To watch, listen, and follow along, please watch this video: