If you don’t know what it is and appreciate simple visuals I hear ya.
If Acupuncture and Acupressure had a baby, it’d be Jin Shin Jyutsu. And I’ve only recently discovered it myself while listening to a podcast highlighting the work of Dr Lisa Saff Koche and at the time her book launch for Get Lit. She is doing incredible work in South Florida at Spectra Wellness. You can research her, buy her book, learn. I’m not here to replay all the nuggets but she spoke my language of body healing through health minded choice and lifestyle. I took notes.
A little background before I dig in…. When I was a very young girl my Father dabbled in holistic health practices of meditation and biofeedback (no fun for an active 6 year old), & acupressure. I liked the calming practice of breath work with tensing muscles and then relaxing to go to sleep even as a little girl and practiced it on my own with slight variations all through my life. But it would take my overwhelmingly painful periods during my preteen years for me to appreciate the acupressure (applying steady pressure to energy points on the body) he would practice on my heels to alleviate my pain. And it’s taken me until now to appreciate the meditation.
I also did dabble in acupuncture some years back. I didn’t feel any effects. Although relaxing in the moment, I didn’t feel much calmer overall. I witnessed no health shifts. But it was during a traumatic period of life so that likely played into the body response. I expect I’ll try it again one day. But not caring too much to gamble and caring a lot about finding modalities I could self practice Jin Shin Jyutsu sounded rather fascinating.
Acupuncture and Acupressure are each based on Eastern energy methodology of moving energy “Qi” (pronounced Chi) through the body. Science has shown our bodies are energy conductors so this should not sound all too foreign. It is understood that through stress, lifestyle, trauma energy becomes “blocked” and in turn physical, emotional & spiritual challenges are created. the longer the block exists, the more entrenched the issue. JSJ works directly alongside these modalities and is equally as ancient a modality, with focus on 26 main energy safety locks which are essentially locations for energy interchanges. It’s not invasive like acupuncture, not likely to cause any discomfort like acupressure can. The practitioner simply puts fingertips on two locations simultaneously which correspond to each other. The touch is held 2-5 minutes (or until needed) to feel the harmonizing of the energy pulse between them. Once harmony is established another connection can be focussed on. You have your shoes & jewelry off and clothes on. You can talk or be silent. You can fall asleep, meditate or listen to music which is likely playing…..you may feel something during the treatment, it might be felt in delay. It’s always interesting to me how energy work can be felt by the body in such a variety of ways. And the odd “aha’s” that can arise….super cool.
So of course I did a bit of googling and I bought a book and flash cards and I found a practitioner in my area. I did a hands on self treat when my hip flexors became acidic and the energy shift I felt put my head into a spin. And the discomfort released. So I was ready to lay back and experience a session with a true practitioner. And a couple days ago I had my first session. It was light and airy hour. My head became a bit “thick” like I had congestion…but I didn’t have any. A few times I could feel my heart beat in what felt like two locations and it thumped deep inside my body like it was in a cavern. It was very peaceful.
I made one stop after my session and had a sudden onset of sleepiness. Possibly a slight headache, or tension or heaviness/thickness in my head… but then again I couldn’t really put my finger on how I felt. I had a great lunch with steak and Brussel sprouts and my homemade avocado ranch..I made the choice to hang at home versus heading to yoga studio. I couldn’t figure out what I wanted. I didn’t hold thoughts well. I seemed to only be present.
I was reminded of a time when our Australian Shepherd had fleas. And because her favorite spot was pushed up against the screen door of my Fathers office, that room got fleas too. So hearing about how you could use a blend of Eucalyptus oil and water to rid the fleas without chemicals, we gave her a good bath with that added and we used a spray bottle to spray the office…. and presto….fleas gone. But the poor dog didn’t recognize the scent of her spot anymore and out of habit she’d head to a location and circle to plop down and got confused….you could almost hear her wonder if she was lost. That’s how I felt. As though there was a habit, a rhythm I was forgetting to remember.
And later, when I took time in my sauna with my Insight Meditation app in play, I had an amazing “thought free” meditation. Words were just simply not my thing. Again a memory to relate. I talked with my hands as a kid; still do. But when I was young they were up in front of my face and I moved my arms like a dramatic Italian in a movie. Mother couldn’t get me to stop, and one day in the midst of a story she grabbed my hands and held them down… I lost my thoughts. I lost my memory of what I had been saying…this is how I was relating to words. I thought I knew what I was intending to think about but I couldn’t put my language to it.
I also limboed between feeling tired and feeling rested but calm. Not quite either one at any given time. I went to bed at 10. If you know me, you know this is past my bedtime. And when I woke the next morning at 6am I chose to do a meditation and after made the choice to lay there until my alarm went off 45 minutes later….I was going to do what I refer to as a “feeling visualization”. I’ll write on that some other time. But I fell back asleep, turned off my alarm somehow and woke at 8:45! I was probably in high school last time something like that happened. And motivation kept it’s distance all day…..I couldn’t tell you what I did the rest of the day.
Today, after going to bed at 11 pm last night- I know, crazy wild for me- I do have a bit of get up and go and I did go to yoga. I did take time to sauna and meditate. But something is different. I’m neither tired nor rested. I’m not thought-full nor thought-less. I feel void of habit. I feel a disconnect to my current every-day and somehow connected to my dream-day. My body feels “different” but not sure quite how. My back popped when I did my floor twist (and it hasn’t in ages) so something must have shifted in my internal flow.
The curious thing about JSJ is that it’s not a diagnostic modality, although there are energy flows that support specific benefits. It’s all about harmony. And once found, then maintained, there are benefits that emerge. Better sleep, less discomfort and pain. Better focus, less directionless-ness. It is known to support a state of presence….I can attest.
It is said that results are more significant when sessions are bundled. Especially if there is a specific issue you are working toward healing. I’ll go once per month this and next and will have 4 treatments in 5 days when I vacation in May. I have the tools to self practice in the interim for general maintenance and am interested to see the impact I have supporting self for now and what shift will occur in May when I bundle the sessions.
If you are afraid of needles, &/or dislike massages, but really are looking for something that can provide some healing support- whether that be from stress, illness or otherwise. I would strongly advise looking into JSJ. It’s a subtle but powerful artful modality.
I am excited for it to be part of my healing journey.
Inner Calm 