So many people are intimidated by the pulse listening in Jin Shin Jyutsu. I would know. I was once one of them and thought pulse listening was only for the advanced practitioners. It doesn’t have to be like that, however!

“Listen only for harmony”, says Mary Burmeister and gently reminds us not to get bogged down into too many details. Why worry about fingers and depths and textures and lines and what not. When things get too much or too complicated, go back to simplicity.

So, here is something very simple and practical you can do if you wish to listen to pulses but are too intimidated by them. Simply listen to the pulses before and after in the context of harmony. If you are so inclined, you can assign a number on a scale from 1 to 10. One can be the closest to chaos and ten – closest to harmony. Don’t linger too much wondering if it is 5 or 6. The key is to be prompt, so that you don’t overthink and second-guess yourself.

Now, see how the level of harmony changes by applying a Jin Shin Jyutsu flow. And on that note, why not do the same with other activities? Listen before and after you take your doctor-prescribed medicine, drink a glass of wine, go to the gym, or take a relaxing bath. Your options are limitless. Very soon, you will be close friends with the pulses and will be able to understand their language.

The words can be inadequate or misleading, while our thoughts – frequently confusing. Not to mention that the body can take very long before it can reflect what is under the surface. Yet, the pulses will always be there to give us immediate feedback on our harmony and well-being.

If you wonder how to place your hands on yourself, here is where I have posted more detailed instructions.