Jin Shin Jyutsu® (pronounced “jit-su”) is a time-honoured art of harmonizing the vital energy in the whole person—body, emotions, mind and spirit. Through the power of touch, practitioners balance the body’s energy, promote optimal health and well-being, and facilitate one’s own profound healing ability. The therapeutic art of Jin Shin Jyutsu enables us to experience and remember the simple, innate gift of awareness that we all possess. In this awareness are the tools we need to harmonize each other and ourselves.
How did it originate?
Jin Shin Jyutsu is based on knowledge of our energetic nature that dates back to the most ancient Japanese text, the Kojiki (AD 712). Master Jiro Murai rediscovered this text in Japan in the early 1900s. After clearing himself of a life-threatening illness, he devoted the remainder of his life to study this ancient art. His student, Mary Burmeister, brought the art of Jin Shin Jyutsu to the United States in the 1950s. Through her practice, writings and teachings, she has shared the art with thousands of people worldwide.
How is it helpful?
Jin Shin Jyutsu treatment is helpful for promoting wellness, inducing relaxation and reducing the effects of stress. It works to restore emotional equilibrium, relieve pain and release the causes of both acute and chronic conditions. It’s a valuable complement to both conventional and alternative therapies. The gentle, non-invasive nature of Jin Shin Jyutsu treatments allow the recipient to feel at ease and receptive to the healing process. It’s appropriate for everyone, including children, the elderly and frail individuals. It has been helpful for back pain, fibromyalgia, chronic fatigue, immune dysfunction, endocrine imbalance, as well as respiratory and digestive problems.
How does it work?
Jin Shin Jyutsu works with the life energy that flows through our body on pathways similar to the acupuncture meridians. Along these pathways are specific areas (26 on each side of the body) called “Safety Energy Locks.” These locks act like circuit breakers, locking when the flow of energy in a pathway is too much, too little, or stagnant. By locking, they protect us from further disharmony. When a Safety Energy Lock is blocked, symptoms such as pain or dysfunction will appear in that area of the body. By using hands as “jumper cables” to specific Safety Energy Locks in certain sequences, practitioners can unlock the blockage and release imbalance and symptoms. Once the energy flows freely, harmony and wellness are restored.
The art of Jin Shin Jyutsu is always working on all levels of the body, emotions, mind and spirit. As we address the symptoms that have manifested on the outer layers of our form, we also work with emotions, attitudes and—more deeply still—the blueprint of our energetic system. The harmonizing that occurs at the deepest levels then spirals back outward, restoring balance of the mind, emotions and physical body.
What is involved in a session?
A Jin Shin Jyutsu session lasts about an hour. While the client is lying on a comfortable table, the practitioner works non-invasively, over clothing. The practitioner listens to the energetic pulses located on each wrist to gather specific information about harmony and disharmony in the client’s energy system. This information is used in connection with the client’s symptoms in choosing the flows that are most needed. The practitioner’s hands are placed on a series of Safety Energy Locks, two at a time, in sequence. This series of hand placements is referred to as a “flow.” The hands on the two Safety Energy Locks act as jumper cables awakening the movement of energy and assisting the client’s energy system to harmonize itself.
People who receive a Jin Shin Jyutsu session report feeling profoundly relaxed and centred. The effects of a session continue to unfold for at least several hours. Significant shifts in symptoms and underlying conditions can occur.
What is Jin Shin Jyutsu self-help?
Jin Shin Jyutsu treatments are very effective when applied by a practitioner in a session, but it can also be learned and applied for self-help healing. Clients are often given simple self-help homework to do between sessions. Through the study of self-help, we can learn to know ourselves and help ourselves.
How can I learn more?
An excellent introductory book is The Touch of Healing by Alice Burmeister with Tom Monte (Bantam, 1997). Or, go to the website: www.jinshinjyutsu.com.
Read about another way to balance the body’s energy in QI GONG: An effective antidote to modern stress
[su_panel background=”#f2f2f2″ color=”#000000″ border=”0px none #ffffff” shadow=”0px 0px 0px #ffffff”]Angelika Fey-Merritt, M.A, M.A.T., is a Certified Jin Shin Jyutsu Practitioner and Psychosynthesis counselor. First published in Alaska Wellness.
Photo by Juan Pablo Arenas from Pexels
