Jin Shin Jyutsu to Release Neck Tension
Do you often wake up with a stiff neck or feel tension building after a long day at your desk? Neck discomfort can make everything feel harder: turning your head, relaxing your shoulders, even thinking clearly. The good news is that there is an easy and effective Jin Shin Jyutsu self-help hold to release neck tension.
Watch the video for this Jin Shin Jyutsu quick hold
In the video, I explain the simple steps so you can practise the hold yourself.
What causes stress and tension in the neck?
The neck carries the weight of the head, allowing us to turn, nod, and look around. In Jin Shin Jyutsu, all the levels or depths of energy are found in the neck. The neck also serves as a key channel for blood flow and communication between the brain and body.
On average, the human head weighs about 4.5 to 5 kilograms (10 to 11 pounds). For men, it can be closer to 5.5 kilograms, and for women, around 4 to 4.5 kilograms. That’s quite a load for the neck to balance all day long, especially when we’re looking down at screens or sitting for long periods.
Here are a few common causes of neck tension:
- Stress and emotional strain: When we “try too hard,” hold in feelings, or take on too many responsibilities, the neck and shoulders become rigid.
- Poor posture: Hours spent on phones or laptops with the head leaning forward create imbalance and fatigue.
- Energetic stagnation: When energy can’t move smoothly through the upper body, we may feel heaviness or discomfort in the neck area.
- Fatigue: When we’re run down, the whole system struggles to maintain harmony, and tension accumulates easily.
When the neck is tight, everything feels tight. The shoulders lift, the jaw clenches, and even breathing can feel restricted. That’s why it’s so beneficial to use this Jin Shin Jyutsu hold for a few minutes to release neck tension and allow the whole being to flow again. It’s easy! You can do it practically anytime, anywhere. Even a few minutes at your desk.
Safety Energy Lock 12 to the rescue
For neck discomfort, we focus on the energy site or Safety Energy Lock number 12, located on either side of the neck. When we place the hand on this SEL, we recharge it. When we do this, it changes our ‘effort-ing’ reality into an ‘effortless’ reality: from DO-ing into BE-ing. As you hold the neck, feel the tension and stress melt away after only a few minutes.
Here’s how to do it:
You can practice either side. I like to do whichever side feels more comfortable on my neck, shoulders and arms. By practising one side, the tension will start melting on both sides. You can practice this sitting, lying or even standing.
Place the whole of the left hand on the back of the neck,
(left fingers are on the right side of the neck and the palm of the left hand is on the left side of the neck), and
Place the right hand on the coccyx (tailbone), palm against the body. If you find it difficult to do this, you can use the back of your hand and come up a bit onto the sacrum.
You can also reverse the hands. Place your right hand on the neck and your left hand under the coccyx.
The more you practice this, the more tension you release and the easier the whole body will feel.
Safety Energy Lock 12 is also helpful for sciatica – see this older post: Self Help For Sciatica with Jin Shin Jyutsu
Want to practice Jin Shin Jyutsu regularly?
If you’d like to explore Jin Shin Jyutsu further, I offer weekly group sessions where I gather with people from around the world to practice different Jin Shin Jyutsu exercises. Each week offers a new focus – a new way to harmonise energy and deepen awareness.
The shared group energy often amplifies the calm and clarity that this practice brings. If you’re interested please visit this page: Jin Shin Jyutsu Group Practice
It’s a wonderful way to care for yourself and connect with others through Jin Shin Jyutsu.