Are you in pain and need help? Are you living with an illness that is not being resolved and you need support? Are you looking for a drug-free, non-invasive approach to wellness? Do your emotions feel out-of-control? Do you want to be empowered to help you heal yourself? Do you just want to maintain your health in general?

Jin Shin Jyutsu (JSJ) translates as “the art of the creator through compassionate man”. It is an ancient Japanese healing art that is thousands of years old and was passed down from generation to generation for healing and harmonizing the life force energy in the body. The Kojiki (AD 712), an ancient cultural text, has references to the Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu.

JSJ fell into obscurity overtime and was re-discovered in the early 1900s by Jiro Murai, a research scientist who had access to the Imperial Palace Library to research these ancient texts. Murai lived a life of excess, and eventually became deathly ill. He retreated to his family’s cabin in the mountains for isolation and to die. After many days of JSJ self-help mudras, Murai miraculously healed himself. In turn, he decided to dedicate his life to the study and resurgence of JSJ for the world. He established a school and treated people with illnesses.

Mary Burmeister, a Japanese American residing in Japan, fell ill, and Murai offered her JSJ treatments. After a month of weekly treatments, Burmeister was able to return to full health. In turn, she decided to dedicate her life to the learning and teaching of Jin Shin Jyutsu. She eventually returned to America and asked for Murai’s permission to bring this healing art to the west. She held classes and gave treatments in the U.S. starting in the 1950s until the end of her life. There are currently 17 international JSJ teachers and many more practitioners throughout the world.

“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 the perfect harmony—to truly know (help) myself,” Burmeister once said.

Physio-Philosophy and Methodology

Jin Shin Jyutsu is a physio-philosophy integrating spirituality and the esotericism of astrology, numerology, music tones, color, ancient wisdom, elements, attitudes, age, seasons, tastes, smells, minerals, metals, day of the week, direction, planets and cervical vertebrae—all in relation to the body and its qualities. From this physio-philosophical foundation, the Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu was born, and the essence of which is simply being the channel though which the infinite aesthetic powers of the Creator flow. Jin Shin Jyutsu is also known as: the Art of Happiness, the Art of Longevity and the Art of Benevolence.

Like Chinese acupuncture, where needles are placed along energetic pathways to release blockages and support balance in the body, JSJ has the same effect, but using only the hands. We can place our hands on ourselves, or on another person, in a variety of different hand placements in response to an individual body’s medical and emotional needs. It is used privately by certified practitioners to help clients with health challenges and dis-ease, including hospital settings and cancer centers for relieving symptoms of anxiety, pain and nausea.

“Pains are effects. Use them as guides to the cause.”  ~ Mary Burmeister

Like Chinese acupuncture, JSJ goes to the cause of the disharmony, rather than just the symptoms. A JSJ practitioner uses several different diagnostic tools to determine a patient’s need in the present moment. The patient’s medical history can help give some foundational information, as well as body reading, pulse listening and how the patient expresses their needs.  All these factors determine the course of treatment toward harmonization during a session.

As a patient, you receive the treatment lying on a cushioned table, fully clothed (removing belts, jewelry and shoes), lying face up. The practitioner would assess the treatment protocol and place their hands on various areas on the back and front of the body. These specific hand-placement areas are called Safety Energy Locks (SEL), which are areas of energetic vortexes spiraling through the different depths of the body that move freely when the body is in a harmonious and healthy state. 

There are 26 SELs found on each side of the body and down the middle, and these SELs are known as a “precious toolbox”. When the SELs are blocked or congested due to an injury, illness, toxins, genetic condition, change in weather or extreme emotion, they lock up and we experience the pain and discomfort of being imbalanced.

These SELs act as a safety valve to communicate where the body needs attention and needs harmonization. The harmonization of the life force energy in the body is done by placing the hands on two SELs at a time to “jumper cable” the energetic pathway and free up the blockage or congestion felt. The relief and healing effect can be immediate or take place over time. Most people fall asleep during the session.

Self-Help

After a treatment, a Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner will also educate and empower the patient to care for themselves. The patient is encouraged to treat themselves with Self-Help frequently over time for it to have an effect. It is cumulative.

An example of a Self-Help practice for overall arthritis throughout the body is placing the left-hand fingertips into the crook of the inner right elbow, while bending the elbow to place the right-hand fingertips over the right shoulder. Drop the shoulders, relax the breath and the body. Breathe fully. Hang out here for two or three minutes or longer until you feel a swirling, pulsating or effervescent sensation under both fingertips equally. This is the life force energy in the body harmonizing toward health. Do these hand-placements as often as you think about it. It does not matter which side of the body, or where you are. It can be done while sitting, standing or lying down. It can be done while meditating, watching Netflix or waiting for a bus.

“Turn all problems into projects.”  ~ Mary Burmeister

Jin Shin Jyutsu may help the following projects: anxiety, depression, panic attacks, deep grief, emotional regulation, pain relief, insomnia, skin conditions, migraines, mobility, concussion, nausea, healing from injury, tinnitus and seasonal issues. It could also help critical medical conditions such as cancer and diabetes, as well as conditions involving the heart, digestive, urinary, kidney, respiratory, endocrine and circulatory systems. Jin Shin Jyutsu is used for both people and animal health. 

Julianne Roshan Dow is the Founder and Director of the Dow Integrative Institute, located in Riverdale, NY and Kent, CT. She is a certified Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner, Self-Help teacher and a yoga teacher who integrates several different healing modalities to help others with their emotional and medical needs. She has worked as a private practitioner and in a hospital setting for the past 20 years. Her area of specialty is women’s health and fertility, emotional well-being and animal health, and she welcomes long-COVID patients. Connect at JulianneDow.com.

Dow Integrative Institute - 23 Maple St, Kent, CT

Julianne Roshan offers an integrative non-invasive approach to holistic healing and wellness through ancient and hospital researched modalities, such as Jin Shin Jyutsu, Yoga Nidra, Medit... Read More »