Key Takeaways
1. Your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs are literal energy systems
Your thoughts, emotions, and beliefs not only have energy, they are energy.
Energy is fundamental. The book bridges Eastern energy medicine with Western psychology, showing that our mind-body-energy system is an interconnected whole. Life energy, known as chi or prana, flows through pathways called meridians, and any disruption in this flow manifests as emotional or physical distress. When we experience negative emotions, it is not merely a mental state but a physical blockage in our energetic pathways.
Rewiring the brain. Modern neuroscience confirms the brain's neuroplasticity, meaning our thoughts can physically alter neural pathways. By treating the mind as an energetic field rather than just a physical brain, we can clear old trauma and create new, healthy pathways. This shift allows us to move past the limitations of our primitive brain's fight-or-flight responses and engage our higher thinking centers.
The body remembers. Memory is not just stored in the brain; every cell in the body has a capacity to remember.
- The heart generates a powerful electromagnetic field that influences our emotional state.
- The fascia acts as an uninterrupted electrical signaling system throughout the body.
- Traditional talk therapy often fails because it ignores these deep-seated physical and energetic memories.
2. "Walls" of self-sabotage are maintained by hidden blocking beliefs
Beliefs, whether negative or positive, are thoughts that act as filters for your experiences and may be compared to tinted glasses that influence the color of all you see.
Protective but limiting. "Walls" are energetic forces that prevent us from reaching our goals, often starting as childhood defense mechanisms. While these walls once protected us from pain or humiliation, they persist into adulthood as self-sabotaging behaviors. We find ourselves repeating unproductive patterns despite our best intentions because the energetic wall remains active.
The power of beliefs. These walls are held in place by blocking beliefs, which act as filters for how we perceive ourselves and the world. If you believe "I don't deserve good things," your energy system will actively repel opportunities, keeping you trapped behind your protective walls. These beliefs are often unconscious, meaning we must look below our surface thoughts to find the root of our self-sabotage.
Releasing the block. To break through these walls, we must address the underlying energy disturbances rather than just trying to force a change in behavior.
- Sally's fear of job interviews was a wall built to protect her from a childhood betrayal.
- Roman's social anxiety was a "glass wall" preventing him from finding a partner.
- Traditional willpower fails because it doesn't clear the energetic charge of the protective wall.
3. Thought fields contain distinct emotional signals that dictate behavior
...thought fields as invisible, nonphysical electromagnetic patterns in space binding energetically encoded information into a cohesive arrangement that affects human behavior, emotions, and experience.
Tuning into thought fields. A thought field acts like a magnetic field, organizing information and emotional experiences beyond our conscious awareness. When we think about a problem, we "tune in" to its specific thought field, activating the emotional signals bound within it. These signals act as energetic bridges between our memories and our current emotional experiences.
Three types of signals. Our thought fields contain three distinct types of energetic signals that dictate how we feel and react:
- Perturbations: Negative emotional signals (like rage, grief, or fear) that trigger knee-jerk survival responses.
- Elaters: Positive emotional signals (like joy or excitement) that can sometimes drive addictive behaviors.
- Harmonizers: Signals of calm, balance, and mindfulness that connect us to our innate healing wisdom.
Smoothing the wrinkles. Doing TAB is like ironing the wrinkles out of a crumpled bedsheet. We don't erase the memory or the thought itself; instead, we remove the disruptive emotional signal (the perturbation) so we can respond with rational choice rather than reflex. This allows us to remember past events without reliving the painful emotions associated with them.
4. The "Candy Cane Effect" explains why self-defeating habits feel good
The Candy Cane Effect... is a way of describing the intertwining of your good feelings associated with elaters, your bad feelings associated with perturbations, and the difficulties you face when dealing with self-sabotaging, self-defeating thoughts and behaviors that result from their entanglement.
Entangled emotional signals. Many self-defeating behaviors, such as smoking, overeating, or procrastination, are incredibly difficult to stop because they are a mix of positive and negative energy. The negative distress (perturbation) and the temporary pleasure or relief (elater) are tightly woven together like the stripes of a candy cane. This entanglement creates a powerful loop that reinforces the unwanted behavior.
Treating both stripes. Traditional therapies often fail because they only focus on the negative emotions, ignoring the pleasure that reinforces the habit. To successfully break an addiction or habit, we must use TAB to clear both the disturbing perturbations and the elating hooks. By addressing both sides of the energetic equation, we can dissolve the compulsion entirely.
Restoring conscious choice. Once the elating signal is cleared from the thought field, the compulsive urge disappears.
- Teresa played computer games until 2:00 AM to escape her overwhelming stress.
- The game provided a "good numb" (elater) to temporarily soothe her anxiety (perturbation).
- Clearing the elater allowed her to choose healthy sleep over mindless gaming.
5. Use the SUD and SUE scales to measure your energetic state
The SUD and SUE are both zero to ten scales for tracking your progress in self-treatment.
Quantifying subjective feelings. To track our progress during energy work, we use two subjective measurement scales. These scales act like mile markers on a road trip, helping us assess the strength of the emotional signals in our thought fields before and after treatment. Because our minds quickly forget how bad a problem felt once it is resolved, these scales provide concrete proof of our healing.
Measuring distress and pleasure. The two scales target different aspects of our emotional experience:
- SUD (Subjective Units of Disturbance): Measures the level of distress, anxiety, or upset on a scale of 0 (neutral) to 10 (worst possible).
- SUE (Subjective Units of Elation/Enjoyment): Measures the level of pleasure derived from a self-defeating behavior, even when we know it is harmful.
Indicators of blocks. If your SUD or SUE scores do not decrease after a round of TAB, it is a clear sign of an energetic block. This indicates that a hidden blocking belief or a polarity disruption is interfering with your healing process, requiring targeted intervention. By monitoring these numbers, we can systematically work through layers of emotional distress.
6. Touch and Breathe (TAB) uses meridians to clear emotional blockages
In TAB you use the acupuncture meridian system as a gateway to your mind-body-energy system.
A gentle alternative. Unlike other meridian-based therapies like TFT or EFT that rely on tapping, Touch and Breathe (TAB) uses gentle touch combined with deep, mindful breathing. This approach promotes mindfulness and acts as a soft, non-invasive gateway to release blocked energy. By holding the points and breathing deeply, we activate our body's natural healing mechanisms.
The basic protocol. The basic TAB procedure involves a structured sequence of steps designed to clear emotional distress:
- Rub the Neurolymphatic Reflex (NLR) on the chest while stating an accepting affirmation.
- Touch the side of the hand while stating a clear intention for change.
- Mindfully Touch and Breathe on 14 specific meridian points.
- Perform the Brain Integration Sequence to exercise and synchronize both hemispheres of the brain.
Solidifying the results. The treatment sequence is repeated, and if the distress is successfully lowered to a 2 or less, we perform an eye-roll exercise. This visual movement reinforces the treatment, leaving the individual in a state of calm, balanced energy. The entire process takes only a few minutes but can produce permanent emotional relief.
7. Self-testing bridges the gap between your conscious mind and body energy
What applied kinesiology and muscle-testing confirm is the correlation of emotion and strength known to the general population.
An energy feedback system. Self-testing, derived from applied kinesiology, allows us to communicate directly with our mind-body-energy system. When we think of something true, positive, or healthy, our muscles remain strong; when we think of something false, negative, or stressful, our energy system weakens. This physical response provides an objective measure of our subconscious beliefs.
Three self-test methods. The book outlines three simple, practical ways to obtain clear yes/no feedback from our body:
- The Sway Test: Standing relaxed and noticing if the body sways forward (yes/true) or backward (no/false).
- The Chain Link Method: Linking the thumbs and index fingers of both hands and testing if the link holds strong or pulls apart.
- The Glide Method: Rubbing the thumb and index finger together to feel if they glide smoothly (yes) or feel sticky and rough (no).
Guiding your treatment. These self-tests are invaluable for uncovering hidden blocking beliefs and determining where to start your healing work. They prevent guesswork, allowing you to ask your body direct questions about your emotional state and treatment needs. By mastering self-testing, you gain a reliable tool for self-awareness and decision-making.
8. Correct polarity and neurological disorganization to restore natural energy flow
In order for TAB to work properly, your energy system must be operating in the correct, natural flowing pattern.
Reversing the batteries. Polarity refers to the direction of our body's natural energy flow. When our polarity is disrupted—often due to toxins, stress, or negative beliefs—it is like having our batteries put in backward, causing treatments and medications to fail. We can test our polarity using a simple hand-over-head test to ensure our energy is flowing in the correct direction.
Frazzled and disorganized. Neurological disorganization is a state of energetic scrambling where we feel foggy, clumsy, or unable to focus. This can be tested by looking at a drawn "X" versus parallel lines "||"; a disorganized system will test negative on the "X" and positive on the parallel lines. When we are disorganized, our progress with TAB will be incredibly slow.
Simple corrective exercises. We can quickly restore proper energy flow using specific physical movements:
- Rubbing the Neurolymphatic Reflex (NLR) spots on the chest to flush out toxins.
- Centering: A yoga-based breathing exercise that gathers and protects our energy.
- NOTx (Neurologic Organizer Treatment): A structured breathing pattern performed with crossed ankles and wrists to reorganize the nervous system.
9. Shift core beliefs by replacing negative "I am" statements
Beliefs typically start with the words, 'I' or 'I am.' ... We consider them to be positive beliefs if they help you to function well in the world... Negative beliefs are those that limit your ability to function and attain your stated intention.
Deeply rooted identities. Core beliefs are deeply held judgments about ourselves that usually begin in early childhood to help us make sense of difficult situations. These beliefs often start with "I am" (e.g., "I am bad," "I am unsafe," "I am not good enough") and run like silent, destructive software in the background of our adult lives. They act as powerful blocks to our current intentions and goals.
The four primary blocks. Most blocking beliefs that sabotage our goals fall into four major categories:
- Safety: Believing it is unsafe to let go of a problem or that we cannot handle being free.
- Deservedness: Feeling unworthy of happiness, health, or success.
- Relationship: Fearing that changing will cause us to lose connection with loved ones or make others unhappy.
- Future: Believing that we are permanently broken and will never get over our problems.
The shifting process. To change a core belief, we use TAB to release the negative energy of the old belief and then systematically install a positive replacement. We rate how true the new belief feels (0-10) and repeat the treatment until it resonates as completely true. This process allows us to consciously choose the beliefs that shape our reality.
10. Program your future using Subjective Units of Future Imagining (SUFI)
If you can imagine the future you want with a clear intention, you will attract opportunities.
Proactive mental rehearsal. Instead of using our imagination to worry about future catastrophes, we can use TAB proactively to program successful future outcomes. This technique, known as future performance, combines the energy of TAB with vivid mental rehearsal to help us excel in challenging situations. By clearing the anxiety associated with future events, we can perform at our absolute best.
The SUFI scale. We measure our ability to visualize success using the SUFI (Subjective Units of Future Imagining) scale from 0 to 10. A score of 0 means we cannot picture ourselves succeeding at all, while a 10 means we can perfectly and comfortably imagine a successful outcome using all of our senses. We use TAB to systematically raise our SUFI score to an 8 or higher.
Applications for peak performance. This energetic programming is highly effective across a wide range of life activities:
- Overcoming habits: Imagining yourself walking past a bar or refusing unhealthy food with ease.
- Sports and academics: Golfers and students using centering and TAB to stay organized and perform at their peak during high-stress tournaments or exams.
- Healing relationships: Visualizing a healthy, loving connection with others or finding closure after a traumatic loss.
