What makes Jin Shin Jyutsu so profound?
When people ask me what Jin Shin Jyutsu is all about and why I’m so passionate about it, I always find it difficult to answer. Not because I don’t know, but because trying to explain something so profound in a few concise sentences feels almost impossible. Nevertheless, this gift that we have been given – the gift of Jin Shin Jyutsu – is profound. When we know how to use it, that is.
At its heart, Jin Shin Jyutsu is about energy – how it flows through us, how it gets stuck, and how we can bring it back into harmony. When I practice, I’m working on all aspects of me: physical, mental, emotional, digestive and spiritual. And the most astonishing thing is just how simple it can be to ‘do’ this. Sometimes, all it takes is holding a thumb or a finger.
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Our built-in blueprint: the 26 Safety Energy Locks
One of the things that first amazed me about Jin Shin Jyutsu is that our bodies already carry a kind of blueprint for balance. We each have twenty-six energy sites, called safety energy locks, located on both sides of the body (they are mirror images of each other). Each site has its own meaning and purpose. When energy gets blocked, discomfort shows up, sometimes as pain, sometimes as fatigue, sometimes as emotions that don’t shift. By simply placing my hands on those sites and holding them, I can release, clear and recharge them to move the energy again.
This wasn’t always my reality. Before I discovered Jin Shin Jyutsu, I worked in an office like so many people do. My energy was always running on empty. I would start my day tired, and by the afternoon I was completely drained. My solution back then was the same as most people’s: sugar, coffee, anything to give me a boost. But, of course, it was only ever temporary. After lunch, I would hit a wall. I was unproductive, foggy, and I felt pretty miserable.
And then came the migraines. They were awful, and nothing seemed to help. That’s what eventually led me to Jin Shin Jyutsu. This was the beginning of my transformation.
My lifesaver: discovering the Spleen Flow
The first practice that truly changed my life was the Spleen Flow. When I learned how to use it, I discovered I could re-energise myself whenever I needed. No coffee, no sugar – just a simple flow that revitalised my entire being.
Not only that, the Spleen Flow calms the mind and nervous system, regulates body temperature, and supports the body’s natural cleaning processes. In fact, the physical spleen is the largest lymphatic organ, so it plays a huge role in detoxifying the body. But what really struck me was how different I felt after practicing it. It was like switching on a generator! After only a short period of time, the lights came back on. I felt alive again.
Breath is everything
Mary Burmeister says: “Every time we correct the respiratory function, it enhances the body’s harmony.”
The deeper I went into my practice, the more I understood that Jin Shin Jyutsu is, at its essence, about the breath. Breath drives everything. When the EXHALE and INHALE are in balance, we are in harmony. But when something shocks or upsets us, the first thing we do is hold our breath.
Think about it: when we get scared or hurt, we gasp – and then we forget to exhale properly. Without a full exhale to LET GO, we can’t inhale to receive pure energy. So from there everything gets thrown off balance.
Mary Burmeister, who brought Jin Shin Jyutsu to the West, often said that we need to exhale to empty the vessel so that we can inhale to receive pure energy. So remember to exhale! This is ultimately what the gift of Jin Shin Jyutsu IS – balancing the breath. It’s so simple, and yet it changes everything.
IT IS ALL in our hands (Literally!)
One of the things I love most about Jin Shin Jyutsu is that the tools I need to practice this ART are always with me. Each finger connects to different emotions or ATTITUDES:
- Holding my THUMB helps me when I WORRY
- The INDEX FINGER supports me when FEAR creeps in
- The MIDDLE FINGER eases ANGER
- The RING FINGER soothes GRIEF
- And the LITTLE FINGER is wonderful when life feels like an EFFORT
Even better, if I don’t have time to hold each of my fingers I can place my fingers in the centers of my palms. This helps to lift my spirits and re-energises beating DESPONDENCY and FATIGUE.
Life is movement
Over time, I’ve come to see that pain itself is just stuck energy. The biggest obstacle to our natural flow is FEAR. When there is FEAR and it gets stuck, it can ‘dense’ down and create blockages in our energy pathways which can show up in all kinds of ways – physically, emotionally, mentally.
But energy wants to move. Life itself is movement. Jin Shin Jyutsu gives me a way to keep my energy moving, to stay in the flow of life. And when energy moves, I feel lighter, happier, healthier, and more alive.
The gift of Jin Shin Jyutsu keeps on giving
Jin Shin Jyutsu can support us before medical procedures, during recovery, or in times of pain. From the first breath of life to the last, it’s available, always there whenever we need it.
To me, Jin Shin Jyutsu is truly a gift. But like any gift, if we don’t know how to use it, we may not even realise it’s there. Once we do, it transforms everything.
That’s why my passion for Jin Shin Jyutsu has never faded. It is always moving, always teaching, always bringing me back into balance.
Why I love sharing Jin Shin Jyutsu with others
One of my great joys is sharing Jin Shin Jyutsu with others by teaching and practicing. Every week, I hold group practice sessions online with people from all around the world. We come together, we practice, and we experience the flows together. The group energy is powerful, supportive, and deeply restorative.
So if you’re curious, I invite you to join me. The gift of Jin Shin Jyutsu is there for you too – 24 hours a day, every day of your life.
If you’d like to know more about the RealTime Group Practice sessions please see HERE