Marie’s 40-year fear of riding a bike eliminated by finding the core issue

By Marie Holliday

Hi Gary,

I would like to share with you all a Happy Christmas Story concerning EFT.  A couple of months ago I was privileged to join an EFT Level 3 Course with a delightful group of professionals, presented by Gwyneth Moss, an EFT Master and a lovely lady.

The course was held in Ilkley, West Yorkshire where I also had a bed and breakfast place by the riverside in this idyllic market town.  During part of this two-day course we were working on some personal issues.  

The issue for me was fear of riding a bicycle.  I have always put this down to the fact that I was riding my brother's bike which was way too big for me.  I fell off and badly hurt myself.  This happened at the tender age of eleven and the fear has stayed with me all my life.  I am in my fifties now, so that's quite some time.  And let me tell you that for anyone who knows the expression, “It's as easy as riding a bike,” believe me it isn't. 

So whilst working in small groups, I tapped on issues like ... this fear of riding a bike … I might fall off again, and I might hurt myself.  I even tapped on … I really don't WANT to ride a bike.

At this stage in the tapping, I felt totally uninterested in even wanting to ride a bike.  I couldn't understand this ... I can drive a car; I have driven a large van and even steered a yacht in a force 8 gale.  So why on earth am I so uninterested and in fact frightened of riding a bike? 

I was very puzzled.  During the tapping, I remember thinking I should ride a bike (Writing on my Mental Walls) ... BUT ... (Tail Enders) ... Why should I want to ride a bike?  I thought perhaps it's because my partner Stuart would like me to ride one and accompany him ... that it wasn't really me that wanted to ride a bike but Stuart wanting me to.

The part of Spain we live in is lovely and flat and ideal for biking.  So I tried tapping on Stuart wants me to ride a bike.  Within a short time it changed to I DO want to ride a bike.  This surprised all of us including myself when I had just said I DIDN'T want to ride one!

After group discussion on our issues, the course continued and I honestly had forgotten about it until Stuart asked me what I would like for Christmas.  Without even thinking, I replied instantly, “A bike.”  The words came tumbling out and I can't tell you how surprised and amazed I was.  Stuart nearly fell off his chair!  He was incredulous because he knows about my fear of riding a bike. 

I didn't even know if I would be able to ride one and still couldn't believe I had said it ... such is the power of EFT.  He bought me the present early, as the weather was so pleasant and I would be able to practice.  Luckily we live in the country and have a long driveway where I could practice without embarrassing myself.

The first day, Stuart held onto the bike and tried to push me along.  I honestly couldn't do anything for laughing and had a constant fit of giggles because I had an image of small children being pushed along by their fathers and here I am at this age!  At the end of thirty minutes I wasn't even able to set off or balance on the bike. 

We left it for the day but not to be discouraged, I waited until the following day when I was alone and started tapping.  First, I tapped on "No confidence" whilst sitting on my bike, and after several short rounds I started riding it!  No help, just on my own.  I was like a little child again, what a wonderful feeling.  Then I tapped on can't ride a bike and went a bit further albeit a bit wobbly.  So I then tapped on a bit wobbly and amazingly I rode a lot better without wobbling.

This was fun.  Then I tapped, This morning I couldn't ride a bike ... I CAN now.  So I tapped on the negative, couldn't ride a bike and on the positive, I CAN now.  Then I alternated the two phrases finishing on the positive statement I can now.

All this time my riding and balance were improving.  I then tapped for several minutes starting on the Karate Chop point and using set up statements such as:

Even though I couldn't ride a bike...I can now...not very well but I am riding a bike!

I haven't fallen off, I have stayed on this bike, and it was just a silly fear ... a fear of falling off....

I seemed to fly down the driveway on my new bike.  I cannot explain how great that feeling was.  I got to the bottom of the drive and I couldn't turn around on my bike, so I tapped on can't turn around corners.

At that instant, an image shot into my mind like a flash back of what really happened that day on my brother's bike ... no wonder I was scared.  I was actually pulled off on a "corner" near home which was covered by bushes.  Two young lads were hiding there and jumped out, pulling me off the bike.

I remember being really shocked and frightened as they started to thump and punch me in the chest and stomach.  I managed to get away, ran home very winded, and out of breath from the punching, frightened and sobbing my heart out wanting my mum.  My mum wasn't there at the time, so I had to try to console myself.

I don't know why but I never did tell my mum.  I remember being constantly worried that I may see these lads again and wondered what I had done to them.  I really didn't know them or why had they done this to me.

So this was the real reason I was so scared to ride a bike, I had buried this painful memory so deep that it had not appeared until I tapped on "corners.”  I then tapped several minutes on this event until I was OK with it.

I tested the memory the next day after using a "Cinema" technique we had learned on our course for high intensity trauma, as there seemed to be a lot of stuff around my mum not being there.  I had only just used this technique with a client a few days ago with a high anxiety trauma and she really liked it.

I felt the same with it … very safe watching a movie of the traumatic event in an imaginary cinema and I combined this with Gary’s Movie Technique.  The memory softened and I didn't have any remaining intensity.  

I had never placed this trauma in my own Personal Peace Procedure.  So when working with clients, I always use my own bike example and ask the client to write down any disturbing event, issue, trauma to tap on and how it may affect them years later even though it may seem totally irrelevant.

To finish this story, Stuart returned home and saw the bicycle parked up.  To his amazement, I jumped on the bike and rode up and down the driveway.  Whilst he knows how well EFT works he couldn't believe the difference from me not being able to ride a bike to hopping on and flying up and down the drive with confidence.

I have not been out on the roads yet but I just know that I have conquered the fear and that I can only make progress now with this new found confidence.  Whilst as an EFT Practitioner, I work so much with other people, how wonderfully inspiring to be able to conquer your own fear.

So a big thank you to Gwyneth and my fellow EFT'ers on the course and yourself Gary, for the best Christmas gift ever.  EFT and conquering my fear of riding a bike!  Warm hugs and wishes to everyone.

Marie