Breath & Energy · “Breath Is the Bridge”
The Three Thumps & Three Navel Touch
Run a brief six-part sequence of self-applied taps and navel-anchored holds, with deep breathing, to ‘balance and jump-start the body’s energies’ and leave the nervous system calmer, steadier, and more receptive before tackling a problem (or as a stand-alone pick-me-up).
Three Thumps & Three Navel Touch, honestly: ~90 seconds, breathing deeply. Thumps (~15–20s each): K-27 (hollows below inner collarbones), thymus (centre of breastbone), spleen points (lower ribs under the arms). Navel Touch (~12s each, light): navel + skull-base hold; navel + tailbone rub; navel + third-eye hook-up (push in, pull up). Feinstein teaches it to “establish energetic receptiveness” before working on a problem, or as a quick reset. The energy mechanism is unproven; what actually helps is real and ordinary — slow deep breathing, soothing self-touch, interoceptive grounding, and a focusing ritual. Run it as a settling primer, not as medicine.
What it is
This is the short opening ritual David Feinstein teaches in his Energy Psychology Interactive Self-Help Guide (2003) to run before working on a psychological issue — what he calls “Establishing an Energetic Receptiveness for Change.” It is a six-part sequence done in about 90 seconds: first the Three Thumps (tapping three sets of points — K-27, the thymus/breastbone, and the spleen points) and then the Three Navel Touch (three navel-anchored holds, breathing deeply).
Feinstein frames it as a way to “balance the energies in the nervous system and optimize their flow,” leaving you “more receptive to subsequent energy interventions” — and notes it is “worth memorizing and using whenever you are not functioning at your best.” It is distinct from the longer eight-move Daily Energy Routine: the DER is a full ~5–10 minute morning sequence; this is the compact pre-treatment / quick-reset primer, and its Three Navel Touch (a skull-base hold, a tailbone massage, a third-eye hook-up, each tied to the navel) is its own specific cluster not contained in the DER file.
Stated plainly, as the brief requires: there is no scientific basis for the “energy points” it claims to act on; held honestly as “a brief deep-breathing, self-touch grounding reset,” it is harmless and often genuinely settling.
The Method
Feinstein’s published sequence, faithfully described (breathe deeply throughout; “tap hard enough that you hear the tap, but never so hard as to risk bruising”): Part A — The Three Thumps (tap each set ~15–20 seconds, several fingers in the vicinity shown; precision not required):
- K-27 points. The two soft hollows just below the inner ends of the collarbones (where collarbone, breastbone, and first rib meet). Tap firmly while breathing.
- Thymus gland. The centre of the breastbone (the “Tarzan spot”). Tap firmly.
- Spleen points. A few inches below the armpits, on the lower ribs (roughly under the breast). Tap firmly. Feinstein’s stated purpose: these “restore you when tired, increase vitality,” and are a quick boost any time. Part B — The Three Navel Touch (follow the Thumps, breathing deeply, ~12 seconds each, light pressure only):
- The Navel/Skull-Base Hold. Find the soft area where the back of the neck merges with the base of the skull; place thumb and forefinger there with a bit of pressure. Place the middle finger of the other hand into the navel — push in and pull up. Hold ~12 seconds.
- The Navel/Tailbone Massage. Simultaneously hold or rub the tailbone and the navel for ~12 seconds.
- The Navel/Third-Eye Hook-Up. Place the middle finger of one hand on the third eye (between the eyebrows, above the bridge of the nose) and the middle finger of the other hand in the navel; gently push in and pull both fingers upward for ~12 seconds. Feinstein: this brief six-part sequence “jump-starts your energy system” and “can help prepare you, energetically and neurologically, to make progress on problems that have been difficult to overcome.” Use it before a tapping round, or alone whenever you feel off. (Sourcing note: the point names, holds, timings, and stated purposes are Feinstein’s published Energy Psychology Interactive Self-Help Guide sequence, attributed and faithfully described — not reproduced verbatim. Short quoted instruction fragments are fair-use.)
Source & Lineage
The sequence appears in David Feinstein’s Energy Psychology Interactive Self-Help Guide (InnerSource, Ashland OR, 2003), the client handbook keyed to his professional Energy Psychology Interactive program, written “in consultation with Fred P.
Gallo, Donna Eden, and the Energy Psychology Interactive Advisory Board” (24 leading energy-psychology clinicians) and forewarded by Candace Pert.
The moves derive from applied kinesiology and acupressure/meridian theory (Donna Eden’s energy-medicine vocabulary — K-27, thymus thump, spleen points, central/governing vessels) folded into Feinstein’s “establish receptiveness” opening step.
The field sits within the contested domain of energy psychology.
The Traditions' versions
Eden’s full Daily Energy Routine — the longer eight-move companion this primer is the compact cousin of.
- Qigong / Tai Chi warm-ups — brief daily tap-and-breath openers framed as moving “qi.”
- Acupressure self-massage — holding/tapping points as self-soothing touch.
- Diaphragmatic / coherent breathing — the deep breathing woven through every hold is itself the most active ingredient.,
- Grounding / “tap-in” rituals — a short somatic ritual to settle before deeper work; structurally like a pre-meditation centring.
Common refinements
Believing the energy story is doing the work. It isn’t required — run it purely as “deep breathing + a calming self-touch grounding reset” and get the same lift, more honestly.
- Rushing the breath. The slow breathing is probably the most active ingredient; let each hold have a few unhurried breaths rather than racing the count.
- Pressing too hard. The navel/skull-base and tailbone holds use light pressure and gentle finger contact — never force.
- Treating it as medicine. It will not “boost immunity” or treat illness; over-relying on it instead of real care is the main risk (Section 7).
- Skipping it as “too small.” Its value is exactly its brevity — a memorizable 90-second reset you’ll actually use before a tapping round or a stressful moment.