The Touch of Healing

by Alice Burmeister

  “IN 1981 I started studying Jin Shin Jyutsu with Mary. With her able guidance and my increasing awareness and understanding, I am able to use my jumper cables to energize my total being by utilizing my Diaphragm and Umbilicus Function Energy. They help my sixth depth, which represents ‘the expanding principle of motion’—just what I needed to reverse the contraction my body was experiencing. By energizing my Diaphragm Function Energy, I watched my slanted eyes straighten, my flushed face lighten, my accelerated pulse quiet, my breathing improve, and all my body functions stabilize.

  “NOW, WHEN MY total being gets discombobulated by something, I hold my palm or use the diaphragm flow ‘quickie’ to receive the energy I need, and I feel myself return to balance.” (This story continues at the end of the Umbilicus Function Energy section.)

  UMBILICUS FUNCTION ENERGY

  Guardian of all the organs.

  At ten P.M., after taking over from the Diaphragm Function Energy at the outer ring fingernail, the Umbilicus Function Energy ascends the back of the wrist. (See Figure 6.19.) Flowing by the elbow and the joint of the arm and shoulder, the energy arrives at the third front rib (between the breasts), where it separates into two parts, A and B.

  Part A initially scatters at a point opposite the third rib cartilage. It then continues flowing through the fifth rib before traveling into the heart. From the heart, the left side of A passes through the pancreas and into the stomach. The right side of A delivers energy to the gall bladder before it, too, enters the stomach.

  Part B (on both the left and right sides) ascends to the shoulder and passes through the neck muscle and the first thoracic vertebra, to a point about two inches from the opposite ear. At the ear, B divides into parts 1 and 2.

  Part 1 moves from the back of the ear, diagonally through the head, and emerges at the inner edge of the eyebrow. From there, it crosses to the outer edge of the eye and into the occipital bone, where the left and right flow intermingle.

  In the meantime, part 2 flows from the back of the ear into the ear itself, before traveling out to the center of the lower eyelid. At this point, part 2 of the Umbilicus Function Energy becomes the Gall Bladder Function Energy.

  The hours during which the Umbilicus Function Energy receives the maximum energy are between ten P.M. and midnight. Its associated season is also year-round.

  Like the diaphragm flow, a disharmony of the umbilicus flow can result in total despondency.

  FIGURE 6.19

  To Balance the Umbilicus Flow

  The umbilicus flow arises out of the sixth depth and is therefore harmonized by jumper-cabling the palm. The “quickies” are the SEL 19s and the SEL 20s.

  1. Place your left hand on the right SEL 20 (at the upper part of the forehead, slightly above the eyebrows). At the same time use your right hand to jumper-cable the left SEL 19 (at the elbow crease, on the thumb side). (See Figure 6.20.)

  2. Place your right hand on the left SEL 20 (at the upper part of the forehead, slightly above the eyebrows). At the same time use your left hand to jumper-cable the right SEL 19 (at the elbow crease, on the thumb side).

  FIGURE 6.20

  (THIS STORY IS continued from the Diaphragm Energy Function section.) “By energizing my Umbilicus Function Energy, all the weaknesses I’ve experienced have improved; many have disappeared. The Umbilicus Function Energy has truly gotten my body into order. I am really enjoying my straight limbs and erect spine, improved assimilation, elimination, stamina, eyesight, resistance to viruses, and calm.

  “SINCE MY FORTY-FIFTH year, I’m experiencing changes in my menstrual cycle. My body’s ability to handle the smooth flow of bodily substances, a function of the umbilicus flow, is put to the test on a monthly basis. When I experience symptoms like headaches, neck tension, ear ringing, night sweats, or bloat, I utilize the Umbilicus Function Energy and watch the symptoms disappear.”

  GALL BLADDER FUNCTION ENERGY

  Body of objective thought; controls man’s personal decisions and mental reactions.

  Shortly after emerging at the center of the lower eyelid, the Gall Bladder Function Energy divides itself into two parts, A and B. (See Figure 6.21.)

  Part A circulates the cheekbone before ascending to a point a quarter-inch from the outer edge of the eyebrow. At that point, the energy describes a half-circle around the back of the ear toward the earlobe. Part A then turns toward the back of the head and ascends in another half-circle to the forehead. Upon reaching the forehead, the flow travels in yet another semicircle toward the back of the head, where it splits into two parts, 1 and 2.

  FIGURE 6.21

  Part 1 flows to the acromion (the front of shoulder-and-arm joint). Part 2 flows from the first thoracic vertebra (at the top of the back), diagonally to the rear of the shoulder joint. From the joint, 2 descends to the hollow of the acromion. It then continues into the chest, where it crosses Gall Bladder Function Energy part B before descending to the seventh front rib cartilage. At the seventh rib, 2 intermingles briefly with B again before splitting into two branches. One of these branches of 2 flows to the stomach; the other flows to the umbilicus and scatters.

  Part B, meanwhile, has descended from the cheekbone to the front of the shoulder, through the front of the fourth rib, and on to the seventh rib cartilage, where it comes to intermingle with part 2 of the A flow.

  Remember that there are two sets of all the various branches of the gall bladder flow mirroring each other down the left and right sides of the body. However, along part B, the left and right pathways flow through different organs. The left part B travels through the liver, the gall bladder, and then on to the fourth lumbar. The right part B goes through the spleen and pancreas en route to the fourth lumbar. From the fourth lumbar, the left and right parts B continue on into the abdomen. Leaving the abdomen, both flows circulate around the pelvis and then emerge at the opposite side of the rectum. Continuing along the opposite side buttocks, each flow descends along the outer side of the legs and into the outer ankle, where it separates into two parts. One part flows across the top of the foot to the ring toe. The other part flows diagonally across the top of the foot to the big toenail, where it becomes the Liver Function Energy.

  The Gall Bladder Function Energy is at its peak between the hours of midnight and two A.M. and during the spring season.

  Anger is the attitude associated with disharmony of the gall bladder flow.

  To Balance the Gall Bladder Flow

  The third depth creates the gall bladder flow. The gall bladder flow is therefore harmonized by jumper-cabling the middle finger.

  The following exercise can also be used:

  1. Place your left hand on the left SEL 12 (at the back of the neck, midway between the skull and the shoulders). At the same time, use your right hand to jumper-cable the right SEL 20 (on the upper forehead, slightly above the eyebrows). (See Figure 6.22.)

  2. Place your right hand on the right SEL 12 (at the back of the neck, midway between the skull and the shoulders). At the same time, use your left hand to jumper-cable the left SEL 20 (on the upper forehead, slightly above the eyebrows).

  FIGURE 6.22

  “A SCHOOLTEACHER FROM Los Angeles was scheduled to go to Europe the next day, but she had a terrible migraine headache and didn’t think she’d be able to go. She was talking to her friend on the phone about it, and he said, ‘You need a Jin Shin Jyutsu session,’ and gave her my number. She called, and I said, ‘I’ll meet you at my office.’ She was in too much pain to drive, so her mother brought her in. She was really having a rough time.

  “I REMEMBERED HOW Mary said the gall bladder flow was very good for clearing out migraines, so that’s what I used. At the end of that flow, she said, ‘The pain is almost gone! Nothing like this has ever happened before!’ And at the end of the session she was peaceful and ecstatic. ‘I can’t believe this,’ she said. ‘Now I can go to Europe.’ When she came back, she began to study Jin Shin Jyutsu, and now she’s a practitioner.”

  LIVER
FUNCTION ENERGY

  Binds the soul to the body.

  At two A.M., from the inner side of the big toenail, the Liver Function Energy ascends through the inner ankle, up the leg through the groin, and into the pubic area. (See Figure 6.23.) The left flow ascends through the right side of the abdomen and the right side of the stomach before entering the gall bladder. The right flow ascends the left side of the abdomen and the stomach on its way into the pancreas.

  Both the right and left flows then move through the diaphragm and separate into three parts, A, B, and C. Part A ascends and then crosses over to the first front rib and the underarm area, then scatters and flows into the pleura. Part B crosses over to the opposite side of the throat, where it moves up to the back of the eye. After moving up through the cerebrum, it turns down along the back of the head and into the esophagus, then scatters at the outer side of the stomach.

  Part C flows into the lungs and becomes the Lung Function Energy, thus completing the cycle that began twenty-four hours ago.

  The Liver Function Energy is at its peak between the hours of two and four A.M. and during the spring season.

  The attitude associated with disharmony of the liver flow energy is anger.

  To Balance the Liver Flow

  By holding one of the middle fingers, you can balance the third depth, which in turn balances the liver flow. Or you can directly revitalize the flow itself with this simple “quickie”:

  1. Hold the left SEL 4 (at the base of the skull) with your left hand, while holding the right SEL 22 (under the collarbone) with your right hand. (See Figure 6.24.)

  2. Hold the right SEL 4 (at the base of the skull) with your right hand, while holding the left SEL 22 (under the collarbone) with your left hand.

  FIGURE 6.23

  FIGURE 6.24

  “ONE DAY WHILE working as a home health care nurse, I was seeing my own patients and covering for another nurse who was on vacation. I was sent to a man named Timothy, who was dying of liver cancer. Timothy, an elderly Irish gentleman, was lying on his couch looking pale and emaciated, in severe pain, with a massively distended abdomen and short of breath at rest. Timothy indicated to me that his greatest concern was that his daughter was being married on Saturday (three or four days away), and he was afraid he would not be able to walk her down the aisle, since he could not even walk the several feet from his couch to the door. I asked if he was interested in experiencing an energy harmonizing art I knew to see what happened. He agreed. Each day for three or four days, I quickly performed my conventional nursing duties and went to work on energy harmonizing. I used the Liver Function Energy. Timothy’s energy improved daily, and his symptoms were partially relieved. The wedding was the next day. I said good-bye and wished him well.

  “I RECEIVED A call the following Tuesday from his wife. She said that her husband had not only walked his daughter down the aisle but had danced with her at the reception. He died a couple of days later. Before he died, Timothy said to his wife, ‘Tell Pattie, it was because of her and the Jin Shin Jyutsu. Tell her thank you.’ Of course, I was amazed and deeply thankful for him and his family. For myself, I not only got to be involved in this man’s journey, I believe this experience was the reason I remained in home health care.”

  Collectively, the twelve organ flows constitute an amazingly comprehensive network that conveys nourishing energy to every region of our body, twenty-four hours a day. As we continue to heighten our awareness of the energy routes that make up this network, we can better understand that we are not just a collection of interlocking parts but a glorious, unified whole. Moreover, the better we comprehend the manifold relationships that exist between the various flows, the safety energy locks, and the depths, the more “immunized” we are against the fear of the unknown—a fear we might ordinarily feel when confronted with “big scary labels.” It enables us to realize that a big lung project, for example, does not necessarily indicate an irreparably damaged lung. Rather, we learn to perceive it as a large but correctable disruption of energy somewhere along the network that nourishes the lungs.

  Of course, if we faithfully practice the finger holds and “quickie” exercises presented throughout this chapter, we may never reach the point of dealing with many of those “big scary labels.” We were already well acquainted with how the finger holds help us maintain an overall sense of well-being by balancing the all-encompassing depths. Now we also have at our disposal twelve “quickies” that allow us to directly jumper-cable SELs located along a particular organ flow. Using these SELs enables us to jumper-cable any energy that might be stuck at some point along that flow. (It should be noted that these “quickies” are shortened versions of longer Jin Shin Jyutsu exercises for balancing each of the twelve flows. These exercises, which often involve jumper-cabling a number of different SELs along the flow, can be rather detailed and are thus beyond the range of this book. Anyone interested in learning more about them is encouraged to attend an authorized Jin Shin Jyutsu class.)

  In the next chapter we will present three very special and powerful exercises that can specifically help to revitalize our spleen, stomach and bladder flows. Yet they are also excellent for maintaining a overall sense of well-being and for providing a quick boost of energy. As such, they are recommended for everyday use and are often referred to as the general daily sequences.

  general daily sequences

  chapter seven

  The twelve organ flows, along with the depths, the Trinity Flows, and the safety energy locks, are the concepts that form the core of the Jin Shin Jyutsu healing art. After an initial exposure to these concepts, it is not uncommon for students to be astonished at the seemingly endless number of ways in which their subtle interactions can influence almost any aspect of the body, mind, and spirit. But upon first encountering these concepts, many people find themselves feeling somewhat overwhelmed. Often new levels of awareness will induce a sense of confusion if we attempt to comprehend unfamiliar ideas using old, familiar formulas. In her classes, Mary has often reminded new students that “confusion is progress.”

  The daily sequences are complete because they clean the total front and the total back.

  Along similar lines, many of us who lead busy lives may have also wondered about the practicality of learning and integrating all of these new concepts and practices into an already-full schedule. The general daily sequences described in this chapter serve as a practical and effective solution to this particular dilemma. Not only are they easy to learn, but they are quite helpful in unloading much of the “dirt, dust and greasy grime” that can accumulate during the course of a busy lifestyle. For this reason, they are often referred to as the “janitors.”

  Each one of these three janitors serves to clean up a different range of energy within the body. These ranges are referred to as the Anterior Ascending Energy, the Anterior Descending Energy, and the Posterior Descending Energy. Revitalizing all three in succession is an especially good way to deal with almost all of the various stresses that we regularly confront in modern life. Moreover, all three of these sequences may be just as easily applied to oneself as to another, which makes them particularly good for self-help purposes. For all of these reasons, they are particularly recommended for everyday use.

  In applying the sequences, just follow the same procedure that you have followed up until now. Simply hold each position for a few minutes, or until a pulsation or a deep sense of overall relaxation is felt. At that point, move on to the next step. It may be difficult to feel the rhythm of the pulse change at first, but with practice you will find yourself growing increasingly sensitive to it.

  If time permits, use the sequences for both the left and right sides of the body, or simply jumper-cable the side of the body where there is more tension. There are no rigid rules. It is okay to adjust a sequence to whatever feels most convenient and comfortable. If, for instance, a particular step feels especially revitalizing, use that step regularly. It can serve as a personalized “quickie” r
evitalizing exercise. Finally, remember that there is an effective three-inch radius surrounding each area. You need not be overly concerned with precision. The body’s wisdom knows how to use the energy channeled through the depths, flows, and safety energy locks. A close approximation to the location described in the sequence is sufficient to send an abundant flow of life energy through the appropriate safety energy lock.

  ANTERIOR ASCENDING ENERGY SEQUENCE

  This particular sequence works to revitalize the Spleen Function Energy. In Jin Shin Jyutsu the spleen is often regarded as a source of the body’s “solar energy.” As such, this sequence will deliver an excellent energy boost when you feel run down or fatigued. Since the spleen flow, when harmonized, also serves to alleviate worry, this sequence is quite good for calming the nerves. It also serves to strengthen the digestive function.

  For the right side of the body (see Figure 7.1):

  FIGURE 7.1

  1. Place your left hand (the palm side or the back of the hand, whichever is most comfortable) at the base of the spine (coccyx).

  2. Place your right hand on the right SEL 5, between the inside ankle bone and the inside heel. (See diagram.) (If this position is uncomfortable, place the right fingers on the right inside of the knee or on the pubic bone.)

  3. Move your right hand to the left SEL 14, at the base of the left front rib cage, at the center.