Learning is remembering
There is no other help but self-help. Jiro Murai, a Japanese man who fell terminally 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 60 years. He dedicated the rest of his life to the study of the mystery behind our ability to heal 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 generously with family, friends, neighbors, and students.
Both Jiro and Mary insisted that what they taught was not a technique but an art. Jiro himself named it Jin Shin Jyutsu, which 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.”
This site is dedicated to the art of healing ourselves with the help of our hands regardless of whether it is called Jin Shin Jyutsu or something else. For, the art is not new, and people have been using their hands to alleviate discomforts and tensions since time immemorial. Every child who feels unwell knows their mother’s healing touch is real. As adults, we like to place or hold our hands in different situations. When we are distressed, we might place our hands on our chest. If we should need the strength to stand our ground, we fold our arms. And, when nervous, we like to hold our wrists.
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 get 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 adding effort in creating harmony.
The Hermetic principle of “What Above, So Below” is also incorporated deeply into Jin Shin Jyutsu. The harmonizing sequences of the placement of hands build on various relationships 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, my issue is most likely on the back of my body. Or, if I find myself with a headache, placing my hands on the lower part of the body might be an efficient way to help myself.
The concept of chi (qi) or prana is yet another cornerstone of Jin Shin Jyutsu. The idea is that by placing our hands on the body, we stimulate the circulation of chi and help it restore its harmonious circulation. Unlike other traditions, however, the intent in Jin Shin Jyutsu is purely for harmony. We don’t move, take, or give energy.
But when you know for yourselves
The best way to determine what Jin Shin Jyutsu is and does is to directly experience its effect.
Place your right hand on top of the head and your left hand between the eyebrows. Keep your hands relaxed without pressure in that position for about 3-5 minutes. Then, move the left hand to the tip of your nose. After another 3 minutes, move it to the middle of the chest (sternum). Follow with the left hand on the base of the sternum and the pubic bone. 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 known in Jin Shin Jyutsu as the Main Central Vertical Harmonizing Energy.
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 branches and circulations. It gives birth to the Left and Right Supervisors along the pathway of which reside twenty-six 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. If we don’t remove the true source of disharmony, however, the locks will shut down again and our illnesses will reoccur. And so, by using the Jin Shin Jyutsu harmonizing sequences, we not only alleviate the symptoms, but we also work on the deeper causes for our manifested disharmonies.
To give and to receive are one in truth
The benefits of the art are not limited to only those who “receive” it. Whether we place our hands on someone, or someone else places hands on us, the energetic flow of both parties becomes harmonized in the process. To give and to receive the art 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 world of scarcity to tap into a limitless Source of Abundance.
For those who wish to practice the art on others, I recommend that they attend at least one 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 and training requirements. 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!…