Learning is remembering
There is no other help but self-help! Jiro Murai, a Japanese man who fell gravely ill at the beginning of the twentieth century, validated that on himself. By holding his fingers in various postures (mudras), he was able to heal himself and live for another 50 years. He dedicated the rest of his life to the study of the mystery behind our ability to heal ourselves with our hands. He passed his knowledge onto his American-born student, Mary Burmeister, who, in turn, brought it to the United States and shared it with family, friends, neighbors, and students.
Both Jiro and Mary insisted that what they taught was not a technique but an art. After several iterations, Jiro eventually named it Jin Shin Jyutsu with a meaning that Mary translated into English as the Art of the Creator through the Compassionate Man. She frequently dubbed it “The Art of Getting to Know (Help) Myself.” I call it simply “The Way of Hands”.
This site is dedicated to the art of healing ourselves with the help of our hands regardless of its many names. For, the art is not new, and people have been using their hands to alleviate discomforts and tensions since time immemorial. Every child who has felt unwell knows their mother’s healing touch is real. As adults, we like to hold our hands or place them in different positions. In distress, we might place our hands on our chest, while standing in front of others, we might hold our wrists. Placing our hands in various positions is not simply a personal quirk or habit, but a response to innate knowledge deeply buried in our genetic memory.
Know Thyself
“The truth is that within each one of us lies the power to cast all misery aside and to KNOW complete PEACE and Oneness – to BE that beautiful creation of perfect harmony – to truly KNOW (Help) Myself”, Mary Burmeister
Jiro and Mary were well-versed in the ancient philosophical traditions of both the West and the East as well as the principles of Yoga and Traditional Chinese Medicine. Many concepts from these traditions found their way into the body of Jin Shin Jyutsu. The most fundamental one, of course, was that our natural state is that of harmony. We are out of harmony, or sick, by living in discord with our true self. We find relief, therefore, by a process of removing the blocks to harmony rather than making an effort to create harmony.
The Hermetic principle of “What Above, So Below” is also incorporated into the fundaments of Jin Shin Jyutsu. Its harmonizing sequences build on the relationship between “above” and “below”, “left” and “right”, “front” and “back”. They remind us that life is non-linear and non-local. If I have abdominal distress, the cause is most likely on the back of my body. Or, if I find myself with a headache, holding my feet might be highly efficient to get relief.
The concept of chi (qi) or prana is yet another cornerstone of Jin Shin Jyutsu. By placing our hands on the body, we stimulate the circulation of chi and help it restore its harmonious circulation. And here is what makes Jin Shin Jyutsu unique among all its cousins. By applying it, we don’t move, take, or give energy. A client and practitioner simply join together with the common intent for harmony, and in the process, they both receive it.
But when you know for yourselves
The best way to find out what Jin Shin Jyutsu is and does is to directly experience it.
Place your right hand on top of the head and your left hand between the eyebrows. Keep your hands relaxed without pressure or tension in that position for about 3-5 minutes. If you need to lie down and prop your arms with pillows, feel free to do so. Be comfortable!
Next, move the left hand from between the eyebrows to the tip of your nose. Hold it there for another 3 minutes or so. Be aware of your sensations. Do you feel a pulsation in your hands? Warmth? Relaxation?
Continue in this fashion by moving your left hand to the middle of the chest (sternum), to the base of the sternum, and to the pubic bone. Keep the hands in each placement for about 3 minutes or longer if you like it. Finish by placing your left hand on the pubic bone and the right hand on the coccyx.
You have just completed the self-help harmonizing sequence for the Main Central Vertical Harmonizing Energy. Repeat the sequence for seven days in a row. What difference does it make?
The Main Central Vertical Harmonizing Energy is the most fundamental circulation in Jin Shin Jyutsu. It follows an oval shape that circulates down the front and up the back of our body. It is the source of all other energetic flows. It gives birth to the Left and Right Supervisors along the pathway of which reside twenty-six pairs of mini-chakras. Mary Burmeister named them Safety Energy Locks and they serve as regulators of our energetic circulation. When all our Locks are open, the energy circulates harmoniously and we experience health and peace. If disharmony occurs, the corresponding Safety Energy Locks shut down to prevent the disharmony from spreading to other areas. In the area of a closed Lock, we experience tension, pain, and discomfort.
By placing our hands on the Safety Energy Locks, they will re-open eventually and we’ll feel better. Keep in mind, however, that if we don’t remove the true source of disharmony, the locks will shut down again and our discomfort will reoccur.
To give and to receive are one in truth
The benefits of the art are not limited to only those who “receive” it. During a session, both giver and receiver experience harmonization of their energetic flow. To give and to receive is indeed one process of mutual healing! And in this healing, we do not transfer energy from one to another, but instead, we transcend the perceived world of scarcity to tap into the original, limitless Source of Abundance.
For those who wish to practice the art on others, I recommend that they enroll in an authorized 5-Day Basic Seminar. These seminars teach the art’s principles together with the harmonizing sequences for various situations and how to apply them effectively. In a self-help context, however, everyone can place their hands and experience the harmonization effect of Jin Shin Jyutsu without limitations or extensive training. We can place our hands on our body, or hold our fingers or toes as the case may be, for as long as we wish and for as long as it feels good.
Be ye transformed by the renewing of your mind
Keep in mind that Jin Shin Jyutsu may not be used as a substitute for any medical treatment, but rather it can complement it. We don’t stop our medications unless our doctor directs us to do so. Yet, we practice the art, and then we feel better: calmness and clarity replace anguish and suffering. Our mind renewed, the body follows. Our perception changes and we find that happiness has always been there for us. We never had to worry, suffer, fear, or try too much. All that we ever needed to do was “to stop an instant and be still.”
Enjoy the journey – dream a happy dream!…