Powerful experiences with Jin Shin Jyutsu
The powerful experiences in this Jin Shin Jyutsu story started by holding the thumb: one of the simplest, yet most dynamic self-help tools in the practice.
In fact, the journey began with something just as simple: a conversation. For my friend and fellow practitioner Kay, her interest in JIn Shin Jyutsu was sparked when her friend returned from a course in New Zealand. She was completely lit up with excitement as she said: “Kay, you sooo have to learn this.”
At first, Kay brushed it off. “No new courses,” she said. She wasn’t looking for anything new.
Watch the video of Kay’s Jin Shin Jyutsu Story
Jin Shin Jyutsu self help: hold the thumb and fingers
But her friend had other ideas, and began explaining something that piqued Kay’s curiosity: what each thumb and finger represents in Jin Shin Jyutsu and how simply holding them can help bring balance and relief.
- The thumb, she said, helps with worry and supports digestion.
- The index finger relates to fear and the water element, especially helping the kidneys and bladder.
- The middle finger eases anger and harmonises all the elements.
- The ring finger is connected to grief and supports healthy breathing because it relates to the lungs
- And the little finger helps when we’re trying too hard in life and supports the heart
Simple, gentle, and hands-on. It all sounded intriguing.
The thumb to help digestion
The very next day after their conversation, Kay doubled over with intense stomach pain. Desperate for relief, she remembered her friend’s words, and decided to try holding her thumb.
She sat quietly for 20 minutes. Her stomach began gurgling and rumbling – loudly. Then it did a huge roll, and she passed an impressive amount of wind.
The pain? Gone. Completely gone.
She was stunned. “Surely that wasn’t because I held my thumb?!”, she thought.
The middle finger for a headache
Two days later, she had a headache – unusual for her. With no painkillers in the house, she remembered that the middle finger is known as the harmoniser.
She held it gently. After just four minutes, the headache disappeared.
That was the moment she knew that this practice was something she truly wanted to explore.
She bought The Touch of Healing and read it from cover to cover. That’s when she learned what Jin Shin Jyutsu means:
The Art of the Creator through Compassionate Man.
She was hooked. But it would be another year before she could attend a formal seminar.
Along came a spider…
Then, something unexpected happened.
Four months later, Kay was bitten by what she believed to be a White Tail spider. Her leg swelled dramatically. She couldn’t put her heel to the ground, and the pain was intense.
At the time, there were widespread fears about white tail spider bites causing serious tissue damage. While we now know that these fears were likely exaggerated and not backed by research, Kay’s reaction was very real, and very alarming.
In distress, she began holding each of her fingers in turn, not really sure what she was doing, just trying to find some relief.
Then she remembered something she’d read in The Touch of Healing about how to work with bites. She followed the instructions: she placed her right hand over her left, directly over the bite.
After 40 minutes, she lifted her hands. A clear liquid was coming from the fang marks. The pain had almost completely subsided.
By the next morning, her leg was back to normal.
That moment sealed it.
That was the moment that sealed it: Kay was deeply moved. For her, it was confirmation that Jin Shin Jyutsu is more than just a technique, but rather a profound healing art.
In the years since, she’s never looked back. As Mary Burmeister says: “Jin Shin Jyutsu is a lifelong study”, and Kay would wholeheartedly agree. Even now, she continues to explore its depth with the same awe and dedication she felt in the beginning.
Want to practice Jin Shin Jyutsu regularly?
If you’d like to practice Jin Shin Jyutsu in a group of like-minded enthusiasts, I offer weekly online sessions where we gather from all over the world to support and restore ourselves through guided flows. For more info see Jin Shin Jyutsu Weekly Group Practice.
Want to learn more?
You may like my online resources