I have been meaning to do a post on Jin Shin Jyutsu for over a year now…..ever since I first started studying and practicing this wonderfully simple, yet complex, “Art of Learning To Know (Help) Yourself.” I finally got around to doing it when I recently had the opportunity to be a guest writer for the SivanaSpirit.com blog. Here’s my article that they featured….

By Zirah, August 12, 2015

Jin Shin Jyutsu: The Simplicity of using hands to heal

About a year ago I was reading a blog post that happened to mention Jin Shin Jyutsu.

I wasn’t sure if I’d even heard of it before, but assumed it was something along the lines of Jujitsu or QiGong.

I had already studied and practiced more than my share of energy processes and healing modalities and wasn’t looking to get involved in something new, but still was curious to find out what Jin Shin Jyutsu actually was.

When I got an e-mail a week later saying there was a new Meet-Up group focused on Jin Shin Jyutsu forming in my area, I thought “Talk about synchronicity and serendipity!”

So I signed up to attend, with the thought of going just a time or two to satisfy my curiosity.

I Was Hooked From The Get-go!

Well, here it is more than a year later and I’m still learning and practicing Jin Shin Jyutsu, and no one is more surprised by this than me.

The fact is, I was hooked from the get-go and it’s my favorite energy process of anything I’ve come across so far.

It turns out Jin Shin Jyutsu, or JSJ as I now call it, originated in Japan like Jujitsu, but is NOT a form of martial arts.

Instead, it is a process that works to keep the physical body’s energy pathways clear and the energy balanced and flowing.

It works similar to acupuncture, but without needles, pressure or manipulation.

JSJ is empowering to use, and highly regenerative because it speeds up the body’s innate ability to heal and regenerate itself.

It boosts the immune system, relieves stress and pain, and works to restore and maintain energy levels.

It also helps balance and harmonize our thoughts and emotions, and strengthen our connection with Source energy and “higher” consciousness.

Wow, how cool is that?!

What’s Great About JSJ

What’s great about JSJ is it’s interesting and fun, and simple….yet complex.

You can start using it within minutes of learning some of the basics, but could also spend the rest of your life, if you’re so inclined, delving into the depths of all it has to offer.

I love the fact that many of the holds or processes (also referred to as “flows”) are very easy and quick to learn, so you can begin using them on yourself right away to improve all aspects of your health and well-being.

Plus, you don’t have to adhere to any particular system of thought, it doesn’t interfere with other modalities you may be practicing, and it doesn’t require any special equipment, physical pressure, or massage know-how.

You can use it anytime, anywhere, and it works through clothing, so you can remain fully clothed while doing it.

Jin Shin Jyutsu is all about keeping the body’s energy flowing and in balance…..it can help you feel more energized, but also assist you with falling asleep if/when that’s your goal.

Here in the West, JSJ is referred to as “The Art of Learning To Know (Help) Yourself,” and for me it has really lived up to that title.

By practicing JSJ I have not only learned energy processes that relax and rejuvenate my body better than anything else I’ve tried, but have also come to know (ah, there’s that word!) myself and appreciate my body and the innate power it holds more than ever before.

It’s really nice to realize that my physical body contains an inexhaustible supply of energy, and that just by helping insure that energy is nurtured and given a chance to move and flow, my health and whole life benefit in a variety of ways.

The Hands Have It

With Jin Shin Jyutsu your hands become these wonderful tools for “jumper-cabling” the energy circuits of the body, and just by knowing where and how to place your hands you can release tensions and energy blockages which are the causes of various symptoms and dis-ease.

When one or more of the energy pathways in the body become blocked, this damming effect can lead to discomfort or even pain.

If this energy stagnation goes unaddressed for too long, it ends up not only disrupting the local area of the body, but will continue and eventually dis-harmonize the entire path or paths of energy flow.

Fortunately, JSJ is an easy to use self-help tool for ensuring the pathways remain clear and the energy is free-flowing and harmonized. And you’re working with the body’s own inexhaustible supply of energy, so you’re not having to deal with, or pull in, outside energy.

Mary Burmeister, the woman responsible for bringing JSJ to the US from Japan, said that the only reason we really get tired is mismanagement of the boundless energy source our body contains. And that if we attuned to the body and did what we could through JSJ to insure that our energy is free-flowing and unobstructed, we would never get tired.

It’s as Simple as 1-2-3!

Learning to use some of the holds or flows in Jin Shin Jyutsu is as simple as 1-2-3.

Well, actually sometime it’s as simple as 1, because a key hold or hand position that can help with all sorts of things involves simply grasping/holding (“jumper-cabling”) the thumb of one hand with the other hand.

Talk about simple!

Did you know that by doing this one little thing you can help balance and harmonize the stomach and the spleen, which is the body’s source of “solar energy” and serves to energize all the other organs?!

Holding your thumb also opens up channels for you to receive nourishment on an inner and outer level, not only physically, but also mentally, emotionally and spiritually.

And if you need help falling asleep at night….or getting back to sleep when you wake up too early….just grab your thumb.

This hold also helps dissipate worry, nervousness, stress and tension, so it’s a real godsend of a self-help tool for this day and age! Maybe this is why babies innately know to suck their thumbs to bring them a sense of security and peace.

The Benefit of Each Finger

I just mentioned some of the many benefits of holding your thumb(s), but the other digits are no slouches either!

You’ll probably be surprised to learn that our ten fingers are the keys to 144,000 energy functions, and by holding each finger or thumb for just a few minutes a day you help clean and regenerate over 14,000 functions of the body at a time!

What?! I find that totally amazing!

Hold each for 3 to 5 minutes daily and your whole body will experience a wonderful calming, rejuvenating, balancing and harmonizing effect- and it’s cumulative, so the more often you practice JSJ, the more benefit you receive.

The index finger has to do with functions of the muscular and digestive systems, the kidneys, and the bladder; it can help with teeth and gum issues, backaches, and addictions of any kind, as well as with reducing fear, frustration and mental confusion.

So if you need support with any of those issues, grab that finger and hold!

And the middle finger relates to the blood, liver and gall bladder, and feelings of anger, irritability, indecision or frustration. It can also help with eye/vision problems and relieve fatigue.

So hold this finger to work on any of these organs/areas of the body and particular mental and emotional stresses.

The ring finger relates to the lungs and respiratory system, as well as the large intestine, and holding this particular finger works to rejuvenate and bring balance to those parts of the body.

It can also be used for ringing in the ears, excess mucus, and to relieve feelings of sadness, grief, negativity, and being stuck or having trouble with letting go.

And last but not least, the little finger, or “pinky,” is connected with functions of the skeletal system, as well as the heart and small intestine, and can be used to address bone or nerve problems and heart conditions.

On a mental and emotional level, the little finger relates to trying too hard or overdoing, and can help with feelings of insecurity and low self-esteem.

Everyone Should Try It!

There’s actually a lot more to each finger and using Jin Shin Jyutsu than what I’ve mentioned here, and that’s one of the things I love about it.

You can learn just a few basics, like holding your fingers and thumbs, and gain a lot of benefit; at the same time, you could study and practice JSJ for years and always feel there is more to learn and understand.

I’m so enamored with Jin Shin Jyutsu that I think everyone should know about it and give it a try. And I look forward to sharing several more easy to learn JSJ processes in a future post, including my favorite flow that is sooo relaxing and works to balance all the energy in the body.

You can do it while lying comfortably in bed, and even fall asleep during the process and still have it be effective. HA! Maybe Jin Shin Jyutsu should be called the lazy (wo)man’s “art of learning to know (help) yourself.”

I mean really, how many things do you know of where you simply hold a finger…and can even fall asleep in the process, and are still helping everything from assuaging fear to expanding cosmic consciousness?!!

So if you’d like to know more about this gentle, yet profound, art and energy process, stay tuned for my next post on JSJ. I also recommend reading The Touch of Healing by Alice Burmeister and checking out Astrid Kauffman’s Flows For Life site.

Source: Zirah for Sivana Spirit at http://blog.sivanaspirit.com/?s=Jin+Shin+Jyutsu

FYI, if you haven’t heard of Sivana Spirit before, I highly recommend you check out their site. They carry some wonderful yoga, meditation and spiritually-inspired clothing, gifts and beautiful jewelry with healing properties. You can use the link on my “Resources” website page and get a discount on your first time purchase AND help support this blog in the process! Yea! Everybody wins. 🙂

And check out this related Self-help Health post for information on using Prime Mover, another great JSJ hold to know about!

Salud!

p.s. Be sure to give Self-help Health a follow so you don’t miss out on any future posts. Also check out the To Your Health page at my website Evolution Made Easier and my other blog for more helpful information, tips, tools and resources.

Disclaimer: Please note that any information here is provided as a guideline only, and is not meant to substitute for the advice of your physician, nutritionist, trained healthcare practitioner, and/or inner guidance system. Always consult a professional before undertaking any change to your normal health routine.