Japanese Acupressure - The Art of Jin Shin

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There's a healing art that is so simple it seems to come from nothing. There are no prescription medicines, no diets, no exercise routines, and no special equipment.  We need only our hands and our awareness to tap into the energetic source of healing power.

The Art of Jin Shin (also know as Jin Shin Jyutsu) 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. This blockage creates conditions where disease can develop eventually.

The human body runs on energy at the cellular level. The physical and emotional bodies function best when the internal energy flows freely. This energy is the matrix upon which the body is built. 

Stress, environmental factors, poor diet, and injury all interfere with its flow. Blocked or restricted flow of energy can lead to discomfort in body, mind, and spirit.  When stress and other adverse conditions are habitual, the initial disharmony can deepen, causing disease.  The Art of Jin Shin encourages the restoration of harmony. In other words, by cultivating balance and harmony we can avoid becoming sick.

The Art of Jin Shin rests the hands on specific sites on the body that facilitate the flow of energy. Sites located along the central energy pathway in the body restore energy that feeds the body’s other main energy currents. Sites along secondary energy currents are called Safety Energy Locks (SELs). The SELs become blocked when they are exposed to stress, which diminishes the flow of energy. The diminished flow creates minor symptoms which alert that something is out of balance. If we do not pay attention and the SELs remain blocked, the initial stress goes deeper, causing illness.

There are three primary energy flows in the body. The first is the Main Central which descends from the crown of the head to the perineum, then ascends the back to the head. This flow is the source of our life energy (Qi in TCM); it serves as a foundation for the other two primary flows. Balance of the Main Central flow is linked to the state of our health. The Main Central helps with memory, reproductive functions, breathing, and spinal issues, as well as circulation to the legs and feet.

The Main Central energy divides into the Left and Right Supervisors which flow down the front and up the back of the left and right sides of the body, including the legs. These oversee the functions of the two sides of the body.

From the Main Central and the Supervisors Flows come a third type of primary flow, the Mediator, which circulates between the other primary flows and keeps our emotions and attitudes healthy. The SELs are located on the Supervisor and Mediator flows – 26 SELs on each side of the body. From the three types of primary flows arise flows connected with all the organs, as well as flows that govern every process in the body.

Going beyond hands-on treatment, the art of living a harmonized life also includes discovering how to live in harmony with what is. Decreasing our attachment or aversion to what is happening around us actually keeps us healthy. In addition to hands-on treatment, we recommend adopting healthy lifestyle habits to bring the body into harmony.

The Science Behind the Art of Jin Shin

Sixty years ago, scientists started using the concepts of quantum physics to understand biological processes, which has given them a vocabulary to describe the subtle forces that healers have been working with for thousands of years. 

Scientists have seen that fascia, the connective tissue found throughout the body, is made of collagen proteins arranged with water molecules in a highly structured way, similar to crystals. That arrangement allows fascia to be a conductor for the flow of electrons and protons. Some scientists theorize that acupuncture meridians, called flows in the Art of Jin Shin, may be pathways of decreased resistance to the flow of electrons and protons within the crystalline matrix of tissue in the body. It is further theorized that the free movement of these subatomic particles plays a major role in the process of healing. (For more information on this topic, read Energy Medicine in Therapeutics and Human Performance by James Oschman.)

If you are interested in learning more about the Art of Jin Shin, or if you would like to experience a session, make an appointment with Sheila Gravely by clicking the button below.

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Photo Credits: Photo by Katherine Hanlon on Unsplash  

 

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