How to Build Non-Reactive Emotional Strength Using The Zip Up
April 24th, 2008 by RyanImagine you are out at a bar. You are playing a friendly game of pool with your buddies; joking around, having a few laughs. You decide to get up and buy another round of beers.
Just as you put down the pool stick and turn around, your arm brushes against a guy walking by and knocks his drink all over him.
Before you can even open your mouth, he looks you in the eye, starts cursing, and then pushes you; trying to instigate a fight. You want to say something but you can't.
You feel combination of fear, surprise, and uncertainty. Your body feels begins to tremble just slightly, as if you were just zapped with a jolt of electricity. You are unable to do anything.
Luckily one of your friends jumps up in between both of you and calms the other guy down. The situation has been averted yet you are left with this uneasy feeling of powerlessness.
You ask yourself, "What just happened? Why did it rattle me so badly?"
Similar situations have happened to me while I was still learning all this stuff and I always wondered how I could become nonreactive or even empowered in times like those. In the back of my mind I thought about further training in mixed martial arts; perhaps that would be a way to build power into myself yet was it really the best answer?
What I've realized over the years that the best way to avoid these types of situations is to never attract them in the first place. The real power is never having to lift a finger since one's own connection to source energy does not lead one towards those type of people.
In the case that you're still learning about the law of attraction, it's very useful to understand not only what was happening here, but also what is the best way to solidify your own inner emotional strength.
If you've experienced a situation like the one above, you'll know the feeling when another person's negative energy shoots straight into you and throws your entire energy system out of whack.
This can happen in any type of heated argument; at work, with family, and especially with women. In moments like these, we can become overpowered by the other person and end up feeling weird and drained.
It's not just a verbal exchange, it's an energetic exchange.
Once our energy system is disrupted by an onslaught of negativity, it's much harder to think logically. If your girlfriend is screaming at you it's hard to consider ideas such as, "Ok, she is throwing my dvds out the window…and my xbox…oh man not my plasma tv. What belief did that guy in the forum tell me to hold?"
If your energy system is fried you will be frozen.
What is the best course of action in times like these? It's not an action as much as a state of being.
What state of being can we live with so that other people's negative energy does not unbalance us?
How do we keep our power?
What most people do in these situations is become reactive. Fight or flight. Some will fight back and others will give in. Instead of becoming reactive, a good alternative is to simply remain unaffected and balanced and talk to them. Your balanced state will outlast their outburst and eventually they can come back down to reality.
How do we achieve this balanced state?
One way is through an energy technique known as the Zip Up.
The Zip Up
(from Donna Eden's book Energy Medicine)
From the book:
"When you are feeling sad or vulnerable, the central meridian, the energy pathway that governs your central nervous system, can be like a radio receiver that channels other people's negative thoughts and energies into you.
It's as if you are open and exposed.
The central meridian runs like a zipper from your pubic bone up to your bottom lip, and you can use the electromagnetic and more subtle energies of your hands to "zip it up." Pulling your hands up the central meridian draws energy along the meridian line."
The Zip Up will help you:
- Protect yourself from negative energies
- Increase your confidence
- Focus your thinking
- Instill new beliefs
To Perform the Zip Up:
Step 1) Tap on your collar bone points with your fingers and take a deep breath
The collar bone point can be found by touching your collar bone and then going slightly in toward the center of your chest until you find a small indentation where the fingers will drop into.
Negative energies can reverse the flow our our meridians leading to emotional imbalances and health problems.
Tapping these points will reestablish the flow energy to the proper direction.
Step 2) Place your hand at the bottom of your central meridian which is located at your pubic bone. See 'start' in image.
Step 3) Take a deep breath in as you simultaneously move your hand with deliberation straight up the center of your body to your lower lip.
This is called tracing a meridian. You move your hand either touching your body or 2 inches away from it as you move. As your hand reaches your bottom lip, gently throw your hand off to the side of your body (as if you were scooping up any negative energy and then throwing it away).
Repeat three times.
From Energy Medicine:
"This is the natural direction that the central meridian flows. By tracing it in this manner, you strengthen the meridian, and the meridian strengthens you. You can zip up the central meridian as often as you wish.
Again, remember to breathe deeply as you do so, and you will begin to feel centered, in control, and in your own power. The energies of a healer's hands emanate an electromagnetic force, and tracing your meridian with your hands moves the energy in the meridian.
The central meridian is highly sensitive to other people's thoughts and feelings as well as to your own. It also directly affects each of your chakras. When you are feeling good, it is as if this "zipper" is zipped all the way up and you are protected."
So anytime we feel like another person has intruded or disturbed us, we can use the zip up to remove the unwanted energy and build an emotional shield.
How to Instill Affirmations and Confidence using the Zip Up
The central meridian is also closely tied to our thoughts and feelings which makes it very responsive to hypnosis. A powerful way to instill affirmations such as "I am confident" is to simply state them mentally when you are zipping up and imagine the belief entering all of your cells in your body.
You can even imagine you are locking the energetic zipper in place and hiding the key (as this prolongs the effect).
I have done this technique probably a couple hundred times and I have found it to be extremely powerful at centering my emotional state. I have used it before playing sports, before or after going to bars and clubs, and many times just to start the day with a good affirmation.
It's a great way to counter the negative spiral of the mind if it begins to worry.
This technique is just like working out at a gym. You don't go once and say "well I'm glad that's over with," you keep doing it to build strength. It's the same with this technique.
Do it consistently and you workout the energetic part of your body. The more you do it, the more your body will be zipped up and you will be less and less affected by others emotional outbursts.
Eventually you will have full control of your power and will be "The Oak Tree".
If others get crazy, you will be completely at peace and can usually laugh it off or deal with it calmly and with a clear thought process. Their energy will not be able to penetrate you at all and therefore your power will be maintained to a very high degree.
You have about a day or two to remove other people's energy using the zip up, if it's been longer than that, you will want to use TAT to clear them away.
It's so good, I sometimes feel like I'm cheating.
Give it a try and let me know what you think.
Stumble it!
April 24th, 2008 at 8:45 pm
I use a variation on this technique. I don’t know what it’s called, but what I do is gather my personal energy along the center meridian, then collect it into a ball just below and behind my navel. That way, should the other fellow decide that his fist is the only way to get satisfaction, my personal power is on tap, and ready to be used appropriately.
The interesting thing to me, though, is that once I started using this technique on a regular basis, the other guy has always chosen not to pursue a physical confrontation, much to my relief. I am not entirely sure why this is happening, but I haven’t need to defend myself in many years because of it.
Next step is to try your “Zip up” technique, and see how that works, because I still do get whalloped by others negativity once in a while, and that’s never fun. Thanks for the tip 🙂
April 25th, 2008 at 2:33 pm
This is a cool take on “zipping”. I remember hearing a similar thing from Ross Jeffries, but he added a step after zipping up that involved placing an imaginary suit of armor over the center line to keep your energy from leaking. If I heard him right, it’s not enough to be just zipped up you’ve got to sealed. I’m not savvy enough to evaluate the all the differences, but if anybody knows about it I’d love for them to chime in. Also, could someone elaborate a little more about the collar bone points?
April 30th, 2008 at 4:45 pm
[…] How to Build Non-Reactive Emotional Strength Using The Zip Up From: http://www.yangtown.com Imagine you are out at a bar. You are playing a friendly game of pool with your buddies; joking around, having a few laughs. You decide to get up and buy another round of beers. » more 1 […]
May 3rd, 2008 at 1:29 am
This is great Ryan, being the “oak tree” might take some time, but it’s a nice “Mission” to have. Thanks for the post and techniques 🙂
Alex Kay’s last blog post..Starting a Beginners Guide to Dating Succes
May 3rd, 2008 at 12:01 pm
thanks for the tip. i tried it and i had a sense of calmness before i started a possible confrontational phone call with my boss. Surprising he said thanks to me??? it was the first time…
May 6th, 2008 at 11:02 pm
Hey
Can we do it sitting down?
Also, do you feel the “you must do it within 2 days” thing is a limiting belief? Or is it real? Does our body naturally get rid of bad energy without TAT or Zip, but does it take longer or something?
Thanks man
bigsend
bigsend’s last blog post..Outcome Independence, Neediness, and our Mindset
May 10th, 2008 at 11:45 am
Cool suggestion, Ryan. I’m definitely going to play with this. It sounds really similar to what that guy talked about in the TruthTester video. Interestingly, doing the opposite and going down will make you weak.
May 11th, 2008 at 11:18 am
This is awesome, seems very helpful and perfect timing for me! Thanks! 🙂
Mike’s last blog post..Mike’s Crazy Plan-shaped Object
May 12th, 2008 at 3:28 pm
Marco, thats cool to hear your success with a similar method.
Bart, it sounds like Ross has some really good techniques. Imagining a suit of armor will probably work just as good as imagining yourself zipped up. The visualization really helps. As far as the collar bone points, they are the K-27 Kidney acupuncture points which connect to all your meridians. By tapping them, you are reestablishing the flow of energy into the proper direction which gives you a boost of energy, which is very useful in those times where you are feeling drained.
Thanks, Alex. Yeah being the “Oak Tree” is a great goal to hold in mind, it seems like it can be useful in any area of life.
Jared, that’s awesome man. This technique is really good at removing that slight vocal quivering one might have when in an uncomfortable conversation too.
Hey Bigsend, Yes you can do it sitting down no problem. The within 2 days thing is really more of a mental crutch, since it is easier for us to mentally remove the emotions within that time, whereas tat goes through a series of statements that cover many aspects of emotions that may become less accessible to the mind with time.
Ultimately if you were very intent on removing the emotion, you could do it any way you wanted but overcoming beliefs in that case is usually complicated that just the guideline of 2 days. The best test is to just try it on things that are past 2 days and see how it works for you.
Ariel, thanks man. Yes doing the opposite is not too good, I’ll have to finish watching that trutester video.
Mike, glad to hear it 🙂
May 17th, 2008 at 8:52 am
this tip definitely allows me to calm down faster and remain in control of situations faster before things get out of control..
May 21st, 2008 at 3:04 pm
Cool, yeah it’s a good one.
June 27th, 2008 at 8:46 am
Oh man, this is so interesting.
But, a question though, you say you used it before sporting… what for ?
Tuplad’s last blog post..Re: Marxisp VS DonFuzius
July 9th, 2008 at 12:53 am
I used it to help me focus. For example, before I go to bat during softball to focus on where I want to hit the ball. I went from getting one of the lowest averages on the team to having the most RBIs in the league and in the top 5 in batting avg, slugging and home runs.
July 18th, 2008 at 5:02 am
Wow…that’s a new & definitely interesting.
I heard Stephane talk, esp. in 7 chakras, that energy & flow control & strengtheing has alot to do with intention. Like a placebo (and placebo’s work, as you know)
Felt a subtle shift as i tried it
July 21st, 2008 at 2:44 pm
Yeah placebo’s work because energy goes where attention flows. When you focus on a particular area of the body, energy builds in that part. This is a big part of things like gi gong.
July 30th, 2008 at 5:32 am
The zip up is a great technique, but I also like to do the “separating heaven and earth” exercise (from Donna’s book) as well prior to zipping up.
September 20th, 2008 at 10:01 am
Ryan, that technique feels great! I’m going to really check this out, together with TAT and your ebook. Thanks for sharing! I’m also going to link to this in my blog, http://www.spiritualenlightenment.brighterplanet.org , which I’ve just started. Looking forward to your further teachings!
Jonass last blog post..Spiritual Enlightenment and your brain
October 6th, 2008 at 4:09 am
[…] How to build non-reactive emotional strength using the zip-up […]
October 19th, 2008 at 3:18 pm
Hey Style, yeah that one from donna eden is a great one too. What’s up Jonas! Cool man, I’m digging your new site, thanks for the link too.
October 30th, 2008 at 1:32 pm
Yeah just today I was wondering: why is that that once I am totally collected and naturally “powerful” and once i feel like my heart is being chocked? and wham here is the answer. talk about law of attraction…
thanx Ryan
November 24th, 2008 at 11:20 pm
Hey Johannes, Yeah man being connected to source is great, its brings exactly what you need right to you exactly when you need it. Cheers.
December 19th, 2008 at 6:53 am
Thank you very much for this technique Ryan and all the other tons of great information you’ve provided. They’re extremely helpful 😀
February 6th, 2009 at 6:54 pm
Hey Xiaochen, thanks man, its my pleasure. Good to hear that its useful.
March 16th, 2009 at 11:03 am
your technique is awesome
August 22nd, 2009 at 7:21 am
Wow this is a cool technique of which will be a blessing to calm my energy. Especially at the moment as there is animosity going on between me and my mum. I love her but do not like her ways and how she subtly puts me down. My energy and nerves are all over the place when speaking on the phone to her….so you can imagine what it is like when i am actually in the same room as her lol.
Thank you for sharing this for others to have the benefit of a great tool to use anywhere anytime and only takes less than a minute to do. I like easy techniques 😀
December 4th, 2009 at 3:55 am
We learned this exact technique at the meditation institute in taos new mexico. It works for most people every time, if, you really clear your mind so you can release your energy flow. Great to do even in times when you may not feel like you need it.
January 25th, 2010 at 12:59 pm
Great technique, I’m going to try it right now!
One question…you repeat the process 3 times, but do you need to include the collar bone tapping with each repetition, or is that just once at the beginning?
Thanks!
May 12th, 2010 at 3:19 am
hey ryan, thanx for sending a mail about the zip up; tried it yesterday, when I felt like a deflating balloon, caused by a strong negative energy flew, and it worked 🙂 got a smile on my face immediately and stayed feeling strong, so thanks Ryan…, I now i m going to read your ‘revive your sex drive’ (although i do have a strong sex drive, lol)
May 12th, 2010 at 4:45 pm
Hi Koert,
Cool to hear it worked for you. Yeah this is a great technique to use to stay strong in a stressful situation (or if you feel deflated too). Thanks for the comment.
Hey Jeff,
With the collar bone tapping, you just do that once during the beginning and then go on to the next steps.
Chris, right on, yeah its a great clear your mind and balance your energy rapidly.
Julie, Yes! I like easy technique too, especially ones that we can feel working. I’ve done this one and EFT too and its helped me drastically with my own parents and other family members. Good to hear you are having success with it too. Thanks for sharing.
Owais, I couldn’t have put it better myself, lol. Though I must point out, its not my technique but Donna Eden’s from her book Energy Medicine.
August 2nd, 2010 at 12:48 pm
Thank you for sharing your philosophy Ryan, & I think you may have summed everything up in just one sentence when you responded to one of your readers post’s.
‘Energy goes where attention flows.’
And it’s great to know we have the power to focus & control our own energy so lets all choose to use it for positivity.
Thanks again, I look forward to reading your materials so please keep them coming.
Regards Dale
October 8th, 2010 at 3:36 am
This is a very interesting post. With just a zip up, you will already be able to control and maintin your emotional strength.
December 9th, 2010 at 5:06 pm
Hey Ryan,
Another great post. I think this will go as a great adjunct with the EFT and TAT that I learned about on this site. I have one it a few times and definitely feel a bit calmer, stronger, and made my posture more erect. One question though, when you do the “zip” do you go up your neck to the base of the lip or skip from the upper collarbone area straight to the bottom lip?
January 20th, 2011 at 6:09 pm
Hey Jw,
Yeah it’s a good one. I plan on doing a video for this one sometime soon so its easier to understand. When I do the zip part, I go from the pubic bone up over the cheast and adam’s apple and up to the lower lip, just tracing the skin with my fingers gently.
July 26th, 2012 at 6:53 am
Hi Ryan,
Does zipping up loses its effectiveness when you apply it while lying down instead of standing?
Jared Froster