While the practice of infant circumcision has been a controversial practice, it remains a common practice. Of high concern to many is possible pain and stress associated with the procedure for inftants.
Below are two accounts of using EFT on infants undergoing circumcision – one of them is from Barbara Heffel, an RN who described her use of EFT with newborns in difficulty. The other is from Dr. Larry Stoler; a psychologist who used EFT with his 8-day old nephew during the latter’s circumcision.
Dr. Stoler was the first EFT practitioner ever to report on the use of EFT during circumcision and is a long time practitioner of EFT. He is also a specialist in the healing applications of Qi Gong. In a report sent to Gary Craig’s email list (reprinted here with his and Gary’s permission) he describes what happened at that time:
“I was attending my nephew’s bris (ritual circumcision) and was asked to play a significant role in the ceremony, by being the person who holds the child, gives him the wine dipped cloth to suck and be closest to him while the mohel performs the actual ceremony. For those who are unfamiliar, in Jewish practice, the bris is performed when the child is 8 days old. I decided to tap on my nephew throughout the procedure. Even before giving the wine, whenever he started to get uncomfortable, I tapped on the eyebrow point (and sang to him and told him that I loved him). I tapped pretty much through the entire ceremony. He hardly cried at all. It was quite apparent to everyone there that this boy was unusually calm during the bris.
Coincidence? I don’t think so.
It was extremely moving to me to think that we have a method to alleviate some of the discomfort of the circumcision. Image the healing that this could lead to!”
I fully agree with Larry Stoler’s comments. From time to time, immemorial family members and others who care about the children have tried to comfort infants exposed to this procedure and ease their pain and fear by talking to them and rocking them during the procedure. While certainly well meaning and sometimes helpful, these efforts are nevertheless not all that is required in many cases. The baby is all too often bewildered and distressed as evidenced by their heavy crying and body language.
Barbara Heffel, an EFT practitioner who is a registered nurse working in a birthing center (see article EFT Used on Distressed Newborn Infants) has also used EFT on infants undergoing circumcision. Her results, while gratifying, are not quite as dramatic as when she has used it with newborns in other situations. She believes that this is due to the fact that when she attends the baby during circumcision, she is periodically interrupted by being asked to perform medically necessary tasks such giving the doctor clamps etc. This repeatedly takes her away from focusing on the baby and momentarily breaks the deep intentional bond that she finds invaluable in working with infants. She does hope to learn to “divide her attention” to a degree so that the bond with the infant remains intact while she simultaneously performs the required tasks.
When she uses EFT with infants undergoing circumcision she rests her hand on their head and gently says to the baby (while tapping on the EFT points) such comforting things as:
“Stay in your body, this will be over soon.” “I know it really hurts and it will be over soon.” “We’re right here with you…” etc.
She feels she is able to convey to the babies the fact that she is closely with them, that they have an ally, and that whatever bodily memories may be created, they will at least have the component of being supported energetically through this process.
In discussing this, she and I agreed that the ideal procedure would be to have two people attending to the baby during circumcision, one person holding the infant and talking to him reassuringly while doing EFT, and the other attending to his medical necessities. Instituting a regular practice of using EFT during circumcision as part of this medical procedure could prove to be extremely beneficial, and I am hoping that those of you who have relatives whose baby will be circumcised, or if you are in professions involved with the procedure or otherwise in control over the situation, will make use of and inform others of this important option. It is obviously noninvasive and may be a major source of help to the child and to his future well being.
Dr. Pat Carrington, EFT Master
Dr. Stoler can be contacted at LStoler@comcast.net
Barbara Heffel can be contacted at Barbarah@gvtc.com
