Harmony and balance are the hallmarks of health and wellness of our biological systems. The ancient Japanese understood this and developed healing practices that attempted to bring order when disharmony and imbalance, in the manifestations of stress, anxiety, and disease, affected people. One such ancient healing practice out of Japan is Jin Shin Jyutsu, an art designed to help release tension, stress, fatigue and a host of other mental and emotional ailments.
As with many other traditional Asian medical arts in ancient history, Jin Shin Jyutsu prescribes pathways of energy flowing through the body as the mediator of harmony and balance. When these pathways, primarily through the manipulation of the fingers and palm of the hands, are diminished or blocked, sickness or other illness arises. Through Jin Shin Jyutsu, practitioners promise health, wellness and vitality if you receive this type of massage, or practice this self-massage, regularly.
Let’s distill the history of, outlines the parts of the hands relating to, and how to practice Jin Shin Jyutsu for greater stress reduction and tension.
History of Jin Shin Jyutsu
According to the Japanese imperial castle’s records, known as the Kojiki (or in English, “Records of Ancient Matters”), created at the request of Empress Genmei. Along with moving the seat of government to Nara during her reign (and for the succeeding seven reigns of Japanese monarchs), Genmei would be remembered not only as one of four empresses of Japan, but the reason for the Kojiki being created. (She also abdicated to her daughter in 715 CE, the only time an empress would succeed another empress in Japan, in the era known as Reiki.)
In the Kojiki, Jin Shin Jyutsu was described in writing for the first time from the ancient healing practices collected and passed down verbally over the preceding 2,000 years. Subsequently, it would take another 1,200 years for Jin Shin Jyutsu, long forgotten by the world at-large in Japan, to rise back to common use. Jiro Murai, who became terminally ill according to medical doctors at the time, studied the Kojiki in hopes of finding a way back to health. He came across what is now known as Jin Shin Jyutsu in the Kojiki and after his experience, he decided to bring this ancient healing practice to the rest of Japan.
In the 1940s, Master Murai passed his knowledge on to Mary Burmeister, a Japanese-American English teacher living in Japan, who then brought Jin Shin Jyutsu to the United States. A small group of practitioners continue to teach the original practices from Masters Murai and Burmeister at the Jin Shin Jyutsu Institute in New York City.
Hands and Releasing Tension Using Jin Shin Jyutsu
The way that Jin Shin Jyutsu sees the hand and body connection is by diagramming the parts of the hand and where in the body and the accompanying tensions live. By working around the fingers, each digit represents a type of tension. The thumb covers worry (stomach and spleen), the forefinger represents fear (kidneys and bladder), anger resides in the middle finger (liver and gallbladder), the ring finger holds sadness (lungs and colon), and the pinky finger is where nervousness lays (heart and small intestines). The palm holds a special position in the hand as the place that balances out these negative emotions, being the happiness area (belly button).
The exercise of Jin Shin Jyutsu combines breathing and holding individual fingers on either hand in succession. So, to start, wrap your left hand (overhanded) around your right thumb. Then, you take three deep breaths while holding that right thumb.
Next, you wrap your left thumb with your right hand and repeat the three inhalations and exhalations. Now, your right index finger is next. You will continue alternating fingers with the breathing until you’ve done so with all your fingers.
Finally, you will press your left thumb into your right palm while using the left fingers to press against the back of your right hand. Again, breathe in and out deeply three times. Switch hands and repeat the same palm press.
By the time you’ve completed this Jin Shin Jyutsu routine, you should feel the relaxed and refreshed nature that is promised by this ancient Japanese healing practice.
Let us know how you feel after performing Jin Shin Jyutsu in the comments!