Jin Shin Jyutsu: The Power To Heal Myself With Five Finger Medicine

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Mary Burmeister was an American born of Japanese parents. While she was a young adult in Japan teaching English, she met Jiro Murai, a Master and teacher, who had re-discovered an ancient healing art. Over time this art became known as Jin Shin Jyutsu, “The Art of Knowing or Helping Myself.” Master Murai asked Mary if she wanted to bring a gift back to the United States, and she said, “Yes.” That gift is the art of Jin Shin Jyutsu.

Mary studied with Master Murai for a number of years before she came back home to the United States in the early 1950s. She continued her studies for years before she started sharing her understanding with others. Since the first Jin Shin Jyutsu class I had with Mary many years ago, I have been holding my fingers and using the Main Central every day. Helping to harmonize myself in these ways has transformed my life. My attitudes have changed from those of worry, fear, anger, sadness and pretense, to knowing myself, experiencing love, peace, happiness, and being who I truly am.

Jiro Murai was a truly remarkable man. He was able to feel the energetic pathways in his own body, and then he drew them in drawings to show others what he had experienced. I, too, have felt some of the energetic pathways in my body, and others have told me that they, too, have felt the pathways moving through their bodies. Similar pathways of energy flow have been acknowledged for thousands of years by practitioners of acupuncture, chi kung healing and tai chi. These energetic pathways are not dense like bone or muscle; they would be considered virtual or invisible to the naked eye. These spiraling energetic pathways are flowing throughout the body as long as we are alive.

When all the tissues, organs, and systems are functioning in harmony, we feel health and energetic. However, when we have too much stress from mental, emotional and/or physical fatigue, organs and tissues can become stagnant, and result in our experiencing pain, feeling sick, or having other such symptoms. Instead of functioning properly, an organ can be sluggish or overactive in its function, as modern technology can show us with various tests.

Our 3-D Spiraling Energetic Pathways

All the energetic pathways can be imagined to be virtual long spirals moving throughout the tissues. When the organ/tissue/system is in harmony, the spiral is moving easily along its route; however, if there is an obstacle or some sort of stress, ie, muscle spasm, the spiral may be slowed down or blocked from flowing along its natural route, and go in another direction, or reverse and go in the opposite direction, spiraling counter-clockwise instead of its usual clockwise spiral. Interference in the natural spiraling flow is the beginning of disharmony in the body.

To correct the diverted energy pathway, we can place our hands at specific locations on the body where energy becomes stagnated, which Jin Shin Jyutsu calls Safety Energy Locks (SELs). We can think of each safety energy lock as spiraling energy a few inches in diameter. When we place a hand or finger on a safety energy lock, it is acting as a sort of jumper cable, similar to what we use to hook up from one car battery to another to give the dead battery a jump start. Jiro Murai referred to this jumper cabled energy as light/divine energy projecting from our hands. We are born with this energy. All we need to do is allow this energy to come out through our hands.

We can think of our hands as stimulating the stagnant energy to move, simply by placing each hand on a safety energy lock, which may be as far apart as the neck to a toe. How can we clear a stagnant virtual pathway by placing one hand at one end and the other hand at the other end? Here is an example of how this stimulation can happen: Imagine a number of people sitting in a long line of chairs, and the first person nudges the elbow of the next person, that person nudges the elbow of the next person, and so on until the last person in the line has had her elbow nudged. All the people sitting in the line had their elbows nudged.

Similarly, a spiraling wave of change is moving from the safety energy lock that we are holding with one hand to the other safety energy lock held by the other hand. Instead of just imagining a line depicting this this pathway, see the pathway in three dimensions, and imagine a cylindrical shape. Each energetic pathway for any particular organ, as well as all other energetic pathways, are flowing all the time, spiraling along their course. Every part of the body, from the largest organ to the smallest parts of us, are moving in dynamic equilibrium constantly.

Our hands are instruments of healing. We can help ourselves anytime, anywhere; just hold a finger. If that is not possible, then be present with the breath, let go of all worries and fears, smile and be thankful to be alive. When we honor what is within us, we are connected to our soul, and then the power to heal is available. When we are healed, we are not healed alone. All those around us also benefit from our healing. The harmony spreads. As more and more of us live from our souls as compassionate and kind human beings, we form a community of peaceful people.

Upon awakening to a new day, allow the feeling of joy to flow over your whole being and smile. Give thanks for another day. Then start using the exercises listed below.

Holding The Fingers

By holding a finger, one can help many functions in the body. One can help change an attitude.

Holding the THUMB will help one to dissipate worry. Holding the thumb also helps with stomach ache, nausea, sinuses.

Holding the INDEX FINGER will help erase fear, with whatever one is afraid of: flying, passing an exam, speaking in front of a crowd, a blood test, failing, falling. Holding the left index finger will help the left shoulder.

Holding the MIDDLE FINGER helps if one is angry or feels frustrated or needs general harmonizing. Also, holding the middle finger helps the eyes.

Holding the RING FINGER helps if a person is feeling overwhelmed by grief. Also, holding the right ring finger can help the right hip area.

Holding the LITTLE FINGER helps with pretense, when one is laughing on the outside and crying on the inside. Also holding the little finger can help digestion or help the heart.

We can help ourselves by holding each finger. Simply wrap the right hand around the left thumb, or wrap the left hand around the right index finger, etc., until one has held each finger for at least 3 minutes, which takes 30 minutes to hold all ten fingers. However, one could hold a finger for 24 hours if one felt inclined. Holding the fingers has helped arthritic hands; fingers have become slimmer at the joints, and more flexible.

If you do not have the time to go through the sequences of holding the fingers, then just hold the center of the palm to help everything, or hold any finger of your choice: the thumb for worry, the index finger for fear, the middle finger for anger, the ring finger for sadness, and the little finger for pretense. If that is not possible, just be present for each breath. When we can no longer hold the fingers, there is still the breath.

Harmonizing The Whole Body With Main Central

The beginning of this life starts in the womb when the sperm and egg combine. Invisible energy starts flowing in the embryo to orient the cells during cell division in forming the body, with head at one end and feet at the other end. This is the basis of our form; first we are energy, and then we are matter.

The first energy to flow through the body is up the middle of the back and down the midline of the front. This basic energetic flow is continuous throughout our whole lives as long as we are living. When it stops, the body dies. This basic energy is called the Main Central. Here is how to keep the Main Central clear. While in each position, slowly breathe out and in for several deep breaths. “Exhaling is the key,” Mary emphasized.

STEP 1: While lying down, place your right hand on top of your head (stays here until the last step). Place your left hand between your eyebrows. This revitalizes your body, helps memory, helps sleep.

STEP 2: Place your left hand on the top of your nose. This helps your reproductive system, stomach, balances appetite.

STEP 3: Place your left hand in the notch between your collar bones. This balances reproductive and creative functions, helps thyroid and parathyroid.

STEP 4. Place your left hand on the center of your sternum (breast bone). This helps youthfulness, immune system, thymus, breathing, hips.

STEP 5. Place your left hand at the base of the sternum (solar plexus area). This helps digestion, vision, and joints, revitalizes body energy.

STEP 6. Place your left hand 1 inch above the navel. This helps breathing and reproductive function.

STEP 7. Place your left hand on your pubic bone. This helps the spine, helps letting go of tensions in the head, chest and abdomen.

LAST STEP: Place your right hand on the tail bone, with your left hand still on the pubic bone. This helps circulation of your legs and and feet, energizes the back.

Jin Shin Jyutsu is an ancient art which is complicatedly simple. Anyone can start holding his/her fingers to help himself/herself. One can transform oneself from any attitude and manifestation of that attitude even without knowing anything about Jin Shin Jyutsu. One can heal oneself completely. Our health is in our own hands.

Reprinted with permission of the author from The Power To Heal Myself (©2009, Betty Jean Wall) and Now Help Myself (©2019, Betty Jean Wall).

Betty Jean Wall was born to Chinese immigrant parents in Tallulah, Louisiana. She was trained as a biologist, receiving her PhD from University of Pittsburgh, and worked for many years doing research in various institutions, including Marine Biological Laboratory in Woods Hole, MA, where she eventually settled. Since 1980, she has studied the healing arts, including Jin Shin Jyutsu, Rolfing, Tuina, Therapeutic Touch, and Chi Kung healing, learning how to help herself and others. 

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