The Little Finger in Jin Shin Jyutsu
In Jin Shin Jyutsu, each thumb and finger plays a role in harmonising spirit, mind and body. While the thumb, index, middle and ring fingers often get the spotlight, I find that the little finger in Jin Shin Jyutsu is often overlooked. Yet it can be extremely powerful for our overall wellbeing. The little finger is also known as the pinkie or baby finger. And it can bring about a great shift from effort and tension, to calm and clarity.
Watch the video: Jin Shin Jyutsu and the Little Finger
Discover the power of holding Little Finger
Let’s be honest, how often do you think of holding your little finger? I would dare to say not a lot. Maybe because it’s smaller than the rest, or perhaps because it’s easier to ‘grab’ another finger. But here’s what I would like to shout out about: holding the little finger can recenter, re-energise, and rebalance us in incredible ways.
While the thumb is related to WORRY and the other fingers to FEAR, ANGER, and GRIEF, the Little Finger in Jin Shin Jyutsu is related to EFFORT, TRYING TOs, and PRETENSE. These are all different ways of naming the same attitude or fixed emotional response.
Think of those situations when you cover up your feelings: you’re crying on the inside but laughing on the outside (PRETENSE). Or when life feels like one big performance and you’re running on empty, trying to be everything to everyone, trying to please everyone (TRYING TO). That’s when holding little fingers can really help.
By simply holding the little finger, we can change the state of EFFORT to a state of effortless, of ease. It’s not about giving up or slacking off. It’s about letting go and letting life FLOW.
A simple practice for real-life stress
So how does changing an efforting reality to an effortless reality work in real life?
Well, imagine this: you’re rushing to a meeting and discover you have a flat tyre. Your heart’s racing, your mind’s spinning, and the day is fast spiralling into stress. You could carry that tension with you, letting it snowball. Or, you could STOP. Sit quietly, and hold your little fingers for just two minutes each.
What happens then is that your breath slows. Your heart calms. Your thoughts clear. And suddenly, the outside world begins to mirror that inner harmony.
You call the meeting location, and guess what? The person you’re supposed to meet up with is delayed too, so you can reschedule for another day. Great! Then help arrives for your flat tyre. And everything starts flowing again.
As within, so without. When we harmonise our inner energy, our external environment often responds in kind. It’s like magic!
Holding the Little Finger in Jin Shin Jyutsu
Sit quietly.
Wrap your left hand around the right little finger (image shown)
Relax the hands and hold for a couple of minutes, then
Wrap your right hand around the left little finger
Hold for a couple of minutes.
You can do this as often and as long as you like.
Emotional and physical benefits
Beyond easing stress and anxiety, the little finger supports the heart and small intestine energy flows in the body.
Have you ever felt heart palpitations due to anxiety or even after eating something that didn’t sit right? That used to happen to me. But now, I simply hold the little fingers, especially the left little finger. Those palpitations often subside within seconds. It’s such a simple practice, yet incredibly effective.
The little finger also comes in handy if you feel sleepy or tired, especially after lunch. If you experience that 2 pm energy crash, it might be your small intestine energy needing a bit of help. Holding your little fingers during this time, between 2 and 4 pm, can help digestion and restore vitality.
When you’re ‘trying too hard’
There are times in life when we push too much: trying to be the best, trying to please everyone, trying to live up to expectations. That constant ‘trying to’ can be exhausting.
By holding the little fingers, even for just a few minutes, can bring about an experience of deep release. From a feeling of striving to simply being. I remember when I felt particularly exhausted and discouraged I held my little fingers for a good while (about 20 minutes) – and I felt engulfed by a profound sense of peace, calm, and wellbeing. It was so lovely, and I felt so different afterwards.
Because we often underestimate the toll that ‘trying to’ takes on our system. Trying to fix, to prove, to achieve, to avoid, to deny. It drains us. Holding the little finger helps us stop trying and start being. It brings us back to center, to our true selves.
Reconnect with your joy
The little finger in Jin Shin Jyutsu also speaks to our sense of mortality, and how often we deny it. When we disconnect from the truth of our human experience, we can drift into fear, numbness, or disconnection.
By holding the little finger, we reconnect. We embrace our wholeness, our aliveness. We become more present, more joyful, more at peace with the flow of life. It’s not about morbidity. It’s about vitality. It’s about living life in the NOW.
Join the practice
If you’d like to explore Jin Shin Jyutsu more deeply, I offer a weekly group practice session where participants from around the world gather to practice different flows together. It’s a supportive and uplifting way to deepen your self help practice.
For more information, see Jin Shin Jyutsu Weekly Practice