By Darragh Doiron

The News staff writer

GROVES — In a classic case of “I should have listened to my father,” Lezlie Armentor got misty eyed at his Meridian Tapping Techniques class on Saturday.

The acupressure method of “tapping” out negative energy from stress or physical pain has been around for thousands of years in China, and Lester Armentor is determined to spread it around Groves as well.

The martial arts instructor has applied this method for years, but his own daughter kept putting him off regarding a lesson to alleviate her chronic back pain. She said she promised him she’d attend his class, and was soon in the demo chair tapping points around her eyebrows, lips and chin.

“I had tears in my eyes when I finished. This could have saved me a lot of doctor visits,” the Port Arthur woman said.

Anita Kurth of Beaumont also volunteered to go over the exercises with Armentor, repeating affirmations of how she chose for her neck pain to go away and not return. She tapped her way around her fingers, avoiding the too-powerful ring finger.

“I don’t feel it. It’s a zero now,” she said, rolling her head around her pain-free neck.

John Daigle of Beaumont said he’ll incorporate the Easy Emotions Control course’s lessons into his life.

“I enjoyed it all. It’s going to help me forgive myself and have more confidence,” Daigle said.

Armentor said that when originally practiced, there were dozens of meridian pressure points to remember. Now tapping is focused on about 14 points around the face and hands, plus a series of taps below the armpit region. Positive affirmations designed to promote self confidence, peace of mind and persistence have been added.

Forming his index finger and thumb into a circle, Armentor also suggests making this gesture to form an “anchor,” into which stress can flow away from the body. He advises practitioners to tell pain to leave and not return and think positively.

“You cannot think of a bad and a good at the same time,” Armentor said.

Armentor keeps tissues on the worktable, because he said tears of joy are common when people focus on letting go of negative emotions. The tapping can be used in a variety of situations, such as after a fender bender, in a frustrating grocery store line or when you’d prefer not to be frustrated with family members, participants agreed.

ddoiron@panews.com