Wellness celebs Christiane Northrup, Kris Carr, Mark Hyman, and Deepak Chopra have all been touting a New Age healing method that claims to beat stress and anxiety through the simple act of tapping.
 

Author of a new book on the subject, Nick Ortner has been the method's evangelist with his World Tapping Summit, talks, and film about tapping. While the concept may raise a skeptical brow, his followers say get over the doubt and give tapping a try.

The practice, also known as Emotional Freedom Training (EFT), involves tapping on endpoints of meridians on the body while focusing on what is stressful or challenging us in life. Those areas of the body include the side of the eye socket, chin and collarbone.

"It's been found to be just as effective as acupuncture," physician and best-selling writer Northrup told Relaxnews. "After a few minutes of tapping, feelings of guilt, stress, and pressure start to abate."

Ortner told fitness blog Well + Good NYC that research has also shown that tapping can send a calming effect to the fight/flight part of the brain, the amygdala. "So we're retraining the brain to react differently to that stimulus of whatever is bothering us," he said.

Anyone can benefit from the method, and Northrup even suggested it as part of a healthy lifestyle for couples struggling with infertility. Ortner says the technique is beneficial for those suffering from physical pain and could even help with weight loss. The ideal program involves tapping for around 30 to 45 minutes a day, or at any point you feel stressed or uncomfortable, such as on a plane or before a presentation.