Dear EFT Universe,
Suzanne Zacharia explains her view on what shoulder tension relates to emotionally and how she uses EFT effectively to release the worry and responsibility we “shoulder” in life.
-David MacKay
By Suzanne Zacharia
EFT for the physical is a gentle way of paving the way to releasing deeper issues. Recently, a number of clients visited me for various conditions who also had shoulder tension. By using EFT on the shoulder tension, I was able to help each of them go further in releasing whatever issue they had come to address.
We hear people say things like “He carried the whole world on his shoulders” or “She shoulders too much responsibility.” Those muscles right at the top of the shoulders are known in kinesiology as the muscles connected to the brain. Some kinesiologists call them the “worry muscles” or “thinking too much muscles.”
Each of these muscles is called the supraspinatus. There is one on top of the right shoulder and one on top of the left shoulder. Together, they make up the supraspinati (plural). It is these muscles that are often tight when we:
- Worry too much; for example, if we worry about a bill, a job, a relationship, or a fear.
- Fear too much; for example, if we are nervous or anxious.
- Shoulder too much responsibility; for example, looking after an elderly relative at the same time as a teenage son is becoming too adventurous.
This shoulder pain can also become a pain in the neck or travel farther down the back as our bodies physically compensate for the imbalance.
If a client tends to have a problem with their shoulders, chances are that the supraspinati are involved. As well as addressing the issue with physiotherapy, remedial exercise, chiropractic, and massage, EFT is great as a long-term solution to release the emotional root causes. This way, we address the underlying recurrence of this muscle tension.
Phrases I normally try that hit home are:
“Even though I have this worry in my shoulders…”
“Even though I have this fear in my shoulders…”
“Even though I have this shoulder tension, I choose to let go of responsibility from these muscles.”
A couple of recent clients come to mind. Both had come for hypnosis rather than EFT but were in so much pain, I could see they were too restless to relax into a trance. So I explained that during the initial relaxation (induction), I would be using a special acupressure technique on them called EFT to help them relax deeper. I explained a little bit about how EFT works and what it feels like, then I started as usual with the relaxation, with the exception that I was tapping on their face and collarbone whilst releasing the worry in their shoulders. They relaxed very deeply and were even happy to take EFT homework for releasing shoulder stiffness should it come up.
In a way, releasing shoulder tension is a good starter, like the Constricted Breathing Technique. I find it works wonders improving whatever else the client came to work on!
