Jin Shin Jyutsu
Jin Shin Jyutsu (last word is pronounced “jitsu”) is a healing art that facilitates the flow of energy in the body. It is based on the premise that the cause of all illness—mental, emotional, and physical—is a blockage in the flow of energy. Originating in Japan, Jin Shin Jyutsu’s teachings were passed on orally from teacher to student until the early 1900s when Jiro Murai organized it into a coherent system of healing. He was inspired to do so after healing himself of a life-threatening illness using what he knew of the art—knowledge he gained by imitating the mudras depicted in temple statues associated with Tantric Buddhism. One of his primary students, a Japanese-American woman named Mary Burmeister, is responsible for collating his teachings into several books and sharing the knowledge with students all over the world.
We function best when our internal (subtle) energy flows freely.
The underlying principle of Jin Shin Jyutsu is that we function best when our internal (subtle) energy flows freely. Our energy, like a river at its delta that branches into smaller and smaller rivulets, oversees all the processes of our body down to the cellular level. This energy is the matrix upon which our body is built. Stress, environmental factors, poor diet, and injury all interfere with its flow. Blocked or restricted flow of subtle energy can lead to discomfort in body, mind, and spirit. When stress and other adverse conditions are prolonged, the initial disharmony can deepen, causing disease. Jin Shin Jyutsu encourages the restoration of harmony. In other words, by cultivating balance we can avoid becoming sick in the first place.