“It Really DOES Work!” – When Tapping Delivers Instant Relief for Motion Sickness

I received this powerful testimonial from Mackenzie, and it beautifully illustrates something I see time and time again with Tapping — its ability to create instant relief, even when we’re skeptical it will work:

“Years ago I had a powerful moment with Tapping when I was experiencing really severe car-sickness. It was the perfect storm of winding roads, a rather erratic driver, and feeling overwhelmed. Even though I’ve used Tapping for years with great success on a variety of things, I can still feel skeptical it will work for acute discomfort or pain, but I was desperate. I tapped on the under eye point (which I’ve learned connects to the stomach meridian) and I experienced instant relief. I was honestly rather shocked, and thought, “Wait! It really DOES work!” I went from feeling like I was going to need to ask the driver to pull over, to feeling calm and at ease. I kept tapping for the duration of the drive off and on, and it kept the nausea in check. I am so grateful to have this tool that’s always with me.”

Mackenzie, first of all, thank you for sharing this! Your experience captures something so many of us can relate to — that moment when even though we know Tapping works, we still find ourselves thinking, “But will it work for THIS?”

And isn’t it funny how we can doubt something even after we’ve experienced its effectiveness? Your honest surprise — “Wait! It really DOES work!” — made me smile because it’s such a beautifully human response. Even though my entire world revolves around Tapping, I still sometimes have that exact same reaction myself!

The “Perfect Storm” Your Nervous System Was Navigating

Let’s talk about what was really happening in your body during that car ride. You described it perfectly as “the perfect storm” — winding roads, questionable driving, and feeling overwhelmed. From your nervous system’s perspective, this wasn’t just about motion sickness. This was about multiple threat signals firing at once.

Your inner ear was trying to make sense of the constant motion and turns. Your visual system was working overtime to track the constantly changing landscape. Meanwhile, your emotional system was registering stress from both the driving situation and whatever else was overwhelming you beforehand.

When your nervous system gets that many “something’s not right” signals simultaneously, it can trigger what I call the body’s emergency broadcast system. Nausea, dizziness, that awful feeling that you need the car to stop RIGHT NOW — these aren’t signs that you’re weak. They’re your nervous system’s way of saying, “We need to get to safety, and we need to get there fast.”

But here’s what’s remarkable about your story: by Tapping on one point — the under the eye point — you were able to send a completely different message to that same nervous system. Instead of “DANGER! EMERGENCY! STOP THE CAR!” your body received the signal: “Actually, we’re okay. We can handle this.”

The Science Behind Mackenzie’s “Instant Relief”

What happened in those moments when you Tapped on that under the eye point wasn’t magic, though it certainly felt magical. Research shows that Tapping on specific acupressure points sends calming signals to the brain’s stress centers, particularly the amygdala: your brain’s alarm system. When you’re experiencing motion sickness, your amygdala is essentially sounding alarm bells throughout your body.

There are other documented cases of people finding rapid relief from motion-related nausea through Tapping. More broadly, research confirms that EFT can interrupt stress responses in real time and help regulate the nervous system. Your experience aligns perfectly with what researchers are discovering about how Tapping works with the nervous system to interrupt stress responses in real time.

What’s particularly fascinating about your choice of the under the eye point is that this point connects to the stomach meridian, which is directly related to digestive function and nausea. Whether you consciously knew this connection or your body guided you there intuitively, you accessed exactly the right pathway to address what was happening in your system.

The under the eye point, in particular, has been associated with stomach function in traditional medicine systems for thousands of years. Modern research on acupressure points for nausea confirms that specific points can indeed provide rapid relief from digestive distress and motion sickness.

Why We Doubt What We Know Works

Your honest admission about still feeling skeptical, even after previous successes with Tapping, touches on something so deeply human. Why do we doubt tools that have worked for us before?

I think it’s because our brains are constantly trying to make sense of things, and Tapping can feel almost too simple for the complex problems we’re experiencing. Your logical mind might have been thinking, “I’m nauseous, dizzy, and overwhelmed — surely this requires something more complicated than Tapping under my eye.”

This skepticism actually serves an important purpose. It keeps us grounded and prevents us from making unrealistic claims about what any single tool can do. But sometimes that same protective skepticism can keep us from reaching for help when we need it most.

What I love about your story is that despite your doubts, you tried it anyway. You were desperate enough to experiment, and that desperation actually became a doorway to relief. Sometimes our greatest breakthroughs come not from confidence, but from the willingness to try something even when we’re not sure it will work.

The Body’s Wisdom in Action

There’s something beautiful about how you specifically chose the under the eye point. You mentioned knowing it connects to the stomach meridian, but I wonder if there was also something intuitive happening there. When we’re in distress, our bodies often guide us toward what we need — if we’re willing to listen.

Your body was essentially saying, “The stomach is the problem, so let’s address the stomach.” And by Tapping on that corresponding point, you created a direct conversation between your conscious intention to feel better and your body’s innate healing systems.

This is what I find so powerful about Tapping — it’s not just a technique we apply to our bodies, but a way of partnering with our bodies. You weren’t overriding your nausea or fighting against it. You were working with your nervous system to help it recalibrate and find balance.

Tuning In and Tapping on What You Feel Right Now

Take a moment to pause and scan your body from head to toe. What do you notice? Maybe there’s tension in your shoulders, a flutter in your stomach, tightness in your chest, or something else entirely. Don’t judge it or try to change it – just notice what’s actually there right now.

The Deeper Gift: Building Trust with Your Body

Beyond the immediate relief from car sickness, Mackenzie’s story illustrates something even more valuable — the deepening trust between her conscious mind and her body’s wisdom. Each time we use Tapping successfully for physical symptoms, we’re not just addressing that specific issue. We’re also building confidence in our body’s ability to heal and regulate itself.

This trust becomes a resource we can draw on in future moments of distress. The next time you’re facing physical discomfort — whether it’s motion sickness, a tension headache, or that anxious flutter in your chest — you’ll remember: “Oh yes, I have this tool. My body knows how to use it.”

Why the “Tool That’s Always With You” Matters

Mackenzie ended her testimonial with something that really struck me: “I am so grateful to have this tool that’s always with me.” This is one of the most empowering aspects of Tapping. It doesn’t require anything external. No pills, no equipment, no special circumstances. Just you, your fingertips, and your willingness to partner with your body’s natural healing capacity.

In a world where we’re often taught to look outside ourselves for relief — to find the right medication, the right therapist, the right treatment — there’s something profoundly empowering about discovering that we carry powerful healing resources within us.

This doesn’t mean Tapping replaces medical care when it’s needed, or that every physical symptom can be addressed this way. But it does mean that for many everyday discomforts like motion sickness, tension headaches, stress-related stomach issues, anxious energy, we have immediate access to support and relief.

From Survival Mode to Flow State

What fascinates me about motion sickness, specifically, is that it’s essentially your nervous system getting stuck between two different ways of processing information. Your inner ear is telling you one thing, your eyes are telling you another, and your brain is trying to make sense of conflicting signals.

When this happens, your system defaults to what I call “survival mode” — better safe than sorry, so let’s feel terrible until we figure this out. Nausea and dizziness are your body’s way of saying, “Something’s not adding up here, and until it does, we’re going to feel awful.”

But when you Tapped on that under the eye point, you helped your nervous system shift out of survival mode and into what we might call a “flow state” — a place where it can adapt to changing conditions without triggering emergency responses.

This is why you were able to continue the journey feeling “calm and at ease.” Your body learned that it could handle the motion without going into crisis mode.

Practical Tips for Using Tapping with Physical Symptoms

Based on Mackenzie’s experience and the research on Tapping for physical symptoms, here are some guidelines that might help:

Start Tapping at the first sign of discomfort. Don’t wait until you’re desperately sick. The earlier you intervene, the easier it is for your nervous system to recalibrate.

Trust your instincts about which points to use. Like Mackenzie, you might find yourself drawn to specific points that address your particular symptoms. The under the eye point for stomach issues, the top of the head for headaches, or the collarbone for respiratory symptoms.

Keep it simple. You don’t need elaborate setups or perfect technique. Sometimes just focusing on one point that feels right, like Mackenzie did, can create significant relief.

Stay curious rather than demanding. Approach Tapping with the attitude of “Let’s see what happens” rather than “This better work.” The gentler your expectation, the more space you create for your body to respond.

Don’t stop Tapping when you feel better. Mackenzie wisely continued Tapping “off and on” throughout the drive. This helped maintain the nervous system regulation she’d created.

The Ripple Effects of Physical Relief

When we successfully address physical symptoms with Tapping, the benefits often extend far beyond the immediate relief. You feel more confident in your body’s resilience. You’re less likely to spiral into anxiety about future situations that might trigger similar symptoms. And you develop a deeper sense of partnership with your own healing capacity.

For Mackenzie, this car ride experience didn’t just solve one bout of motion sickness — it reinforced her trust in Tapping as a reliable tool for physical discomfort. That confidence becomes a resource she can draw on in countless future situations.

Tapping can help you become the driver of your own life rather than a passenger at the mercy of your physical reactions.

Moving Forward with Confidence

If you’ve been on the fence about whether Tapping can help with physical symptoms, I hope Mackenzie’s story encourages you to experiment. You don’t need to understand exactly how it works or believe it can help. You just need to be willing to try.

Start with minor discomforts: a tension headache, an upset stomach after a stressful day, or that tight feeling in your chest when you’re anxious. Notice what happens when you tap while focusing on the physical sensation rather than fighting against it.

You might surprise yourself, just as Mackenzie did, with how quickly your body responds when you offer it this kind of gentle, targeted support.

The tool is always with you. Your body’s wisdom is always available. And your capacity for healing and adaptation is far greater than you might imagine.

Sometimes all it takes is a willingness to tap on one point and discover what’s possible.

Resources to Support Your Journey with Tapping for Physical Symptoms

• The Tapping Solution App – Features specific meditations for physical pain, nausea, headaches, and other physical symptoms.
  • Settle Your Stomach – This is a unique session where we spend extra time on the under the eye point, and it introduces the concept of pressing the points instead of Tapping as a way to make the experience even more soothing. It’s a great one to help settle nausea and other digestive issues.
  • Tapping into Harmony: A Journey Through the Tapping Points – This is a wonderful session to help you learn about each Tapping point. You might learn your own favorite “go-to” point for times of stress.
  • Support Your Body Category – we have a library of sessions designed to support your health. By addressing the stress we may feel about a specific condition we can help support our body in healing.
• Find an EFT Practitioner – For personalized support in addressing chronic or complex physical symptoms with Tapping.
• Getting to Know the 9 Tapping Points Blog – If you want to learn more about each Tapping point, check out this blog post that goes into detail about each one.

Note: You can access these meditations by clicking the links above using your mobile device, or type the name of the meditation into The Tapping Solution App’s search function.

Have you ever been surprised by Tapping’s ability to help with physical symptoms? Or do you have a persistent physical discomfort you’ve been wondering whether Tapping might help with? I’d love to hear your experiences and questions in the comments below — your story might be exactly what someone else needs to hear to give Tapping a try for their own physical challenges.

Until next time… Keep Tapping!
Nick Ortner