Awakening Our Inner Healer

“At the center of your being


you have the answer;


you know who you are


and you know what you want.”


~Lao Tzu

      When I found a holistic approach to wellness, it set me on the path to clearing long standing dis-ease in my body and restoring balance in ways that I never thought were possible. When I had my very first Jin Shin Jytusu session back in 1998, my inner healer woke up! Until that point in my life, I was unaware that I even had an inner healer. My inner healer was reminded that she had work to do, revealing to me the power that is within us.
      Because it is a common belief that we need a doctor to "fix" us, there are many among us that do not realize that we each have an innate ability to heal and that being whole is our birthright.
      Think about it, for our entire lives, we have healed cut fingers and skinned knees, mended broken bones, overcome colds and flu without even thinking about it. Healing occurs without conscious effort, as does every breath and heartbeat and body function. The Innate Intelligence of our bodies has the ability is to maintain the body, to take the food, sunshine, water, air and thoughts that we consume and turn it into what our bodies need to heal and become whole.
      Wholeness or "health" is our natural state of being.  Our Innate Intelligence provides us with all of the tools needed to heal ourselves. The assistance that we get from a practitioner or doctor merely provides support for our own bodies’ natural healing abilities. And when we attend to the cause of the disharmony, rather than masking the symptoms, our inner ability to heal is supported.
      With Jin Shin Jyutsu Energy Work, we seek to clear the energetic stagnation that produces dis-ease in our bodies. When the stress that is held in the body is removed, our inner healer is able to get to work returning balance and harmony. This enables us to tap into our natural ability to create the healing we need in our life, to help the body to fulfill its innate functions harmoniously, and to produce health and EASE.
     Awaken your inner healer by developing a daily self-help practice as simple as holding your fingers to transform the negative effects of our attitudes and regular Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions.

“You have within you right now,


everything you need to deal


with whatever the world can throw at you.”

~Brian Tracy

Designed to Heal

”There is deep wisdom within our very flesh, 

if we can only come to our senses and feel it.”  

~Elizabeth A. Behnke

Our bodies are designed to heal themselves, we need only find ways to bring the body back to harmony and balance so that healing can happen. For a session, the fully clothed client lies face up on a very comfortable treatment table. Jin Shin Jyutsu is gentle with hands placed over the client's clothes and does not involve manipulation, massage or rubbing.
    As the energy pathways are cleared and energy flows freely, the body will heal itself from everyday stress. It boosts our own profound healing capacities and thus promotes optimal health, well-being and vitality.
    Healing is the process of becoming WHOLE, a harmonizing of body, mind and spirit and a reconnection with Source. The word HEAL comes from the Greek word Holos; to make whole, entire, complete. This Source or power that brings us into being has the power to heal. It is this sense of balance and well being to the whole body-mind-spirit that Jin Shin Jyutsu emphasizes and that we experience as remembering wholeness.
    Jin Shin Jyutsu is highly recommended both before and after surgical procedures. It can minimize bleeding and swelling during the procedure, and promotes rapid healing and detoxification of medications/anesthesia.
    A Jin Shin Jyutsu session generally lasts an hour although half-hour children's sessions and mini sessions for busy adults are available. Benefits extend well beyond hands-on sessions with the practitioner, as clients are taught the application of self help geared toward their individual needs.
   Let's get you back on the path to relaxation and wellness.Experience deep relaxation.Harmonize body, mind and spirit. Boost your immune system. Let go of Stress!

“Give your stress wings and let it fly away.” 

~Terri Guillemets

On The Healing Path

On The Healing Path 

"Habitual recurrence to the harmony
will increase your mastery of it".
~Marcus Aurelius

    Our bodies are designed to heal themselves, we need only find ways to bring the body back to harmony and balance so that healing can happen.
    A common question people have when they first set off on the healing path is, "How many sessions will this take?" Well, it varies depending on the nature of the your project and what you want to achieve. Each of us is unique, so consequently, there is no set number of required sessions that works for everyone.
    Know that the body wants to heal itself. The amount of time it takes to heal depends on how long and how elaborately your energy system has been adjusting to the disharmonies in the energetic pathways of the body and how out of balance you are - body, mind and spirit.  

    It takes awhile for us to get out of harmony. The goal of each healing session is to focus on the harmony and to return the body, mind, and spirit to a place of balance. By releasing the blockages of your flow of energy, the life-force energy in your body is increased. Each healing session allows us to find and release energies that you may have tied up in a specific project, such as health issues, relationships, emotions and attitudes or anything else you wish to work on to bring more joy and harmony into your life.  It is in this place of balance and free flowing energy that healing occurs.
    The process of change and transformation can happen quickly but it does not run on a fixed schedule. The rate of improvement is specific to you and may include a reduction in pain, deep relaxation, an increase in energy, or an improvement in overall health. If the condition is acute, it will usually resolve in fewer treatments, while chronic conditions may take longer. Your rate of healing is also dependent on how much energy or change that your body/being can withstand at any given time. Each session builds on the last since the healing process works in layers. As some parts of your body begin to heal, new underlying patterns become exposed and can also be addressed. Over a period of time, we clear more and more issues and learn how to operate in a new and healthy way.
    When more time is spent receiving healing, the healing patterns are set more strongly, so your body begins to heal faster. The effects of regularly returning your body to balance are cumulative and lead to deep and sustained changes in the your life. These effects can become long lasting with a maintenance program of regular Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions paired with daily self-help.
    You might even consider having an INTENSIVE series of treatments. An “intensive” consists of a series of several treatments over a short period of time...Your intensive can be tailor-made for your own situation/schedule/needs. It could be 2 sessions a day over a week, 2 sessions a day for a few days, 1 session a day for a week or 2, every other day for a week or 2, or any other combination that works for you.      
     Receiving a series of sessions close together brings harmony on a continued basis for the week and allows us to affect a change in patterns of disharmony, and the habits and attitudes that create imbalance.  This is a dynamic way to move energy, to clear out, deep clean, and harmonize our total BE-ing.
     An intensive treatment series can breathe new life and energy into our depleted physical being and bring about a reconnection with our essence. The goal is to bring about deep relaxation, to restore a sense of beauty and harmony into body, mind and spirit and to unleash the inner healer.
    When we have an opportunity to keep the body’s systems clear and balanced without the time in between to fall back into unhealthy patterns, we actually give ourselves a fresh start on a clear path, we bring to our BE-ing a mindful, go with the flow way coping with whatever life brings.

Send me an email or give me a call to schedule your Healing Intensive. 

"Healing may not be so much about getting better,as about letting go of everything that isn't you - all of the expectations, all of the beliefs - and becoming who you are."
~Rachel Naomi Remen

Nurture

"The best way to nurture children's inner lives is by taking care of our own inner selves  for their sake." ~Sylvia Boorstein Nurturing ourselves may well be one of our greatest challenges in life. As women, we tend to put everyone else first, thinking that our role is to please and accommodate our loved ones and our jobs before tending to our own emotional, physical, or spiritual needs. For many, it takes a "special" day like Mother's Day or our birthday to allow others to DO for us! But when our habit is to put others first, the result is that we are stressed out and depleted and have little left to give. However, when we make the time to take care of our own needs, we have so much more to share with our families and our jobs!  Eda LeShan says, “When we truly care for ourselves, it becomes possible to care far more profoundly about other people. The more alert and sensitive we are to our own needs, the more loving and generous we can be toward others."  It is important that we find ways to nourish ourselves, to listen to our bodies and to tap into healthy resources like Jin Shin Jyutsu to maintain a sense of balance and to nurture our spirit and well-being. It might be helpful to think of caring for yourself as if you were your own child.  According to Lauren Mackler, author of 7 Steps to Nurturing Your Inner Self, "A great technique for treating yourself better is by developing your Inner Nurturing Parent. Imagine you had a little child in your care. You'd make every effort to keep her healthy and safe; to love and support her; to be forgiving of her mistakes, her inevitable slips; and to let her know how precious and important she is. That's what a loving parent does. Only, in this case, you're the parent and the child." Mary Burmeister, the mother of Jin Shin Jyutsu encouraged her students to, "BE your own testimony." Think of nurturing yourself as setting the example for your children and those you care about by giving to yourself at least as much as you give to others. Love is the great healer. The capacity for self-love and the ability to self nurture is bigger than you and me, it will bring balance and peace to the world.  "We've got this gift of love, but love is like a precious plant. You can't just accept it and leave it in the cupboard or just think it's going to get on by itself. You've got to keep watering it. You've got to really look after it and nurture it." ~John Lennon

Awaken your Inner Healer

Awaken your Inner Healer 

“At the center of your being
you have the answer;
you know who you are
and you know what you want.”
~Lao Tzu

      When I found a holistic approach to wellness, it set me on the path to clearing long standing dis-ease in my body and restoring balance in ways that I never thought were possible. When I had my very first Jin Shin Jytusu session back in 1998, my inner healer woke up! Until that point in my life, I was unaware that I even had an inner healer. My inner healer was reminded that she had work to do, revealing to me the power that is within us.
      Because it is a common belief that we need a doctor to "fix" us, there are many among us that do not realize that we each have an innate ability to heal and that being whole is our birthright.

      Think about it, for our entire lives, we have healed cut fingers and skinned knees, mended broken bones, overcome colds and flu without even thinking about it. Healing occurs without conscious effort, as does every breath and heartbeat and body function. The Innate Intelligence of our bodies has the ability is to maintain the body, to take the food, sunshine, water and air that we consume and turn it into what our bodies need to heal and become whole.  

      Wholeness or "health" is our natural state of being.  Our Innate Intelligence provides us with all of the tools needed to heal ourselves. The assistance that we get from a practitioner or doctor merely provides support for our own bodies’ natural healing abilities. And when we attend to the cause of the disharmony, rather than masking the symptoms, our inner ability to heal is supported.

      With Jin Shin Jyutsu Energy Work, we seek to clear the energetic stagnation that produces dis-ease in our bodies. When the stress that is held in the body is removed, our inner healer is able to get to work returning balance and harmony. This enables us to tap into our natural ability to create the healing we need in our life, to help the body to fulfill its innate functions harmoniously, and to produce health and EASE.
     Awaken your inner healer by developing a daily self-help practice as simple as holding your fingers to transform the negative effects of our attitudes and regular Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions. 

“You have within you right now,

everything you need to deal

with whatever the world can throw at you.”

~Brian Tracy

Restore and Regenerate

  As winter made one more blast this weekend, I found myself thinking of the promise of rebirth that is just around the corner. The regenerative cycle that is always at play, all year, everyday, just below the surface... 

"Life stands before me like an eternal spring with new and brilliant clothes." 

~Carl Friedrich Gauss

“Of all the beautiful truths pertaining to the soul
None is more gladdening or fruitful than to know
You can regenerate and make yourself what you will.”
~William James 

     How do you get back to your best self? What is it that recharges your battery? How do you restore and regenerate? It is important that we take the time to know what recharges/refuels us and that we find ways to enhance our well-being by always supporting ourselves and especially during times of stress. 

    The dictionary defines REGENERATE as
1. formed or created again
2. spiritually reborn or converted
3. restored to a better, higher, or more worthy state

     For me, it is all of the good things that I do for myself regularly that recharge my batteries-yoga, meditation, eating good healthy food, fresh air, mindful breathing, loving my family, reading uplifting and inspiring books, daily self-help, etc. And to really restore and regenerate, regular Jin Shin Jyutsu keeps me on the path to harmony and balance.    

   The following Self-Help Tip is a great way to Quietly Regenerate Body, Mind and Spirit.The key to Quietly Regenerating is Safety Energy Lock #25. It is located at the sit bones. Anatomically part of your pelvis (the ischial tuberosity), the sit bones are quite literally the bones under the flesh of the butt that you sit on.

Holding the 25's will relieve bodily tensions, lower back tensions, knee and leg discomfort while helping you maintain alertness and memory. This flow filters out all toxins released during physical activities and removes tiredness from the body to enjoy the benefits of exercise. The 25's relieve mental tension, bring us an energetic mind and a sound body, and takes care of our overall sense of vitality.

It is said that holding the 25's for 20 minutes per day does the equivalent for maintaining the body and mind in good shape as an hour and a half hour jogging session! The 25's can be helpful in appetite balance, to support weight loss and will clear out the colon. 

Simply Sit on your hands (with the palms up or down, which ever is most comfortable for you). I do this simple flow myself most nights while watching TV with my family. If it is too hard on your hands to sit on them, I find that doing this while lying in bed is pretty easy too! The longer you can sit on your hands/hold your 25's, the more grounded you'll feel.

"Be gentle first with yourself if you wish to be gentle with others."
~Lama Yeshe

Empowered Kids

Empowered Kids

"You are very powerful,
provided you know how powerful you are."
~Yogi Bhajan

     Last week, I got a phone message from my 11 year old daughter. She was as at school and  having a belly ache. She had been having a belly ache before school, so I had given her some self-help to do. When I saw that there was a message from the school, I thought... oh no.. she needs to come home. But her message said, "Mom, I don't need you to come get me, I just wondered if you had something else you could suggest for me to do so that I can stay at school, my belly is really hurting..."
     Wow, I was amazed! It was one of those proud mama moments. One of my goals (both as a parent and as a holistic practitioner) is to empower people to take charge of their own health through Jin Shin Jyutsu Self-Help! and here was my dear one asking for ideas on what she could do to help herself! Pretty cool, eh?!
     Mary Burmeister wrote a children's self-help book called Fun with Happy Hands, which offers a delightful introduction to the Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu and helps children of all ages learn simple and FUN ways to help themselves. My daughter, Rebecca, has owned this book since she was pretty little and has been actively learning Jin Shin Jyutsu Self-Help from me and this book most of her young life.
     I think that it is important that while we are teaching our children self care skills like potty training, tying shoes, making healthy food choices, how to get dressed, and so many others, that we also empower them to actively participate in their own care and well-being. Teaching your child independent skills can be easier said then done, especially if they are accustomed to having things done for them. But if we give them the tools that they need to self-soothe and help themselves, they become empowered with good coping skills and a confidence in their body's ability to heal.
     I  like to think that from an early age that I taught Rebecca about her ability to balance attitudes by simply holding her fingers. But in actuality, she taught me a lot about them! I would watch her at a few months old choosing which finger or toe to suck. Confidently and consciously choosing! It was amazing to watch and taught me so much about the innate nature of Jin Shin Jyutsu. We are all working towards helping ourselves all of the time. The practice of Jin Shin Jyutsu brings awareness to what we are doing and allows us to have a different relationship with our BE-ing.  We literally hold BALANCE in our own hands!

Self-Help Tip:

We can teach our children how to cope with emotionally difficult situations like worry, fear, anger, sadness and the challenges of being true to ourselves (pretense/trying to). If we are always trying to do it all and being burned out, stressed out and overwhelmed, the lesson that we gift our children with is how to be stressed. However when we use these same self-help techniques to enhance your own coping skills, we teach them how to cope and BE. Simple! 

"Happiness is not a matter of intensity 

but of balance, order, rhythm and harmony." 

~Thomas Merton 

Forest Fires and Flu

Forest Fires and Flu

"Fever itself is Nature's instrument.
Fever is a mighty engine which Nature brings
into the world for conquest of her enemies."

~Dr.Thomas Sydenham (1624 - 1689)

You might ask, what do forest fires have to do with the flu?

     When everyone around me is getting sick, I rarely succumb. If I feel something coming on, I boost my immune system with Jin Shin Jyutsu, herbs and Vitamin C and D, and I usually manage head IT off at the pass. In fact, it has been so long since I had the flu, that I can't even remember when the last time was! 

     But as the year turned from 2012 to 2013, I could feel it coming on and even though I used all of my tools to head it off, it was coming. Once the flu hit, it was like being in a long dark one-way tunnel.  So I crawled in bed for the next six days....seems that my body needed a vacation! I focused on keeping hydrated and sleeping. I drank lots of water and herbal teas with lemon, honey and ginger, and Miso soup with garlic and cayenne.  My fever started at 101°F but then hung just below 100°F for 3 days. 

     After recovering, I found that I felt lighter, more expansive as if some of the old junk got burned off! What a great feeling!  

     Most people look at the flu as a bad thing, but Dr Sherri Tennpenny says, "If everything on this planet is here for a reason and there are no mistakes, perhaps an episode of the flu, with the increased mucous, cough, nasal drainage, and diarrhea is the act of cleaning out the internal dross. Supporting the body through this elimination process with homeopathy, herbs, and Chinese medicine, instead of suppressing the symptoms with Western medicine tools may be the key to long-term health and longevity. From this perspective, instead of being the problem, viruses may be part of the solution, the clean-up crew. It should be noted that the human race evolved because of its relationship to microbes, not in spite of it. What a novel thought! Instead of fearing the flu and doing everything possible to avoid it, including spending billions of dollars to create an experimental vaccine, it may be okay to spend a week or two in bed, clearing out accumulated toxicities." 
     Fever is an important part of the body’s defense against infection. Most bacteria and viruses that cause infections thrive at our normal body temperature of 98.6 °F. A fever signals that a battle might be going on in the body. It is considered an ally and a beneficial partner in the healing process.  By manifesting a fever, the elevated metabolic heat can burn off toxins and pathogens at a faster rate. During the higher body temperature the production of immune cells and the blood circulation is increased, sweating helps to eliminate toxins, not feeling hungry saves energy that would be otherwise needed for digestion and the resting helps recuperation and healing. After the fever has served its purpose the body returns to normal. As long as the fever doesn't rise too high or too quickly, holistic practitioners prefer to support the fever rather than suppress it. Fasting, rest, drinking plenty of fluids and beneficial herbs are used to encourage the purposes of a fever.

     All of this has me thinking about forest fires. Like the flu, they are another one of those things that we often think of as destructive and to be avoided at all costs, but recent research shows that forest fires are actually beneficial to soil because they play an important role in helping to maintain the earth's nitrogen cycle and serve important ecosystem functions. Some trees have fire resistant bark and cones that require heat to open and release seeds for regeneration.  Fires typically move through burning lower branches and clearing dead wood from the forest floor which kick-starts regeneration by providing ideal growing conditions. It also improves floor habitat for many species that prefer relatively open spaces. Fever is Nature's instrument indeed! 

     It is not surprising that I felt lighter, more balanced and regenerated after my bout with the flu! 

     Optimal nutrition and hydration, exercise, reduction of stress with Jin Shin Jyutsu, yoga and meditation,  and proper rest are some of the things you can do to boost your immune response. It is recommended to seek medical care if one’s fever is above 104 degrees for over six hours or in any fever in an infant under four months of age.

"The best and most efficient pharmacy is within your own system."
~Robert C. Peale

Self Help Tips:

Expect to Be Well and Minimize Winter Woes

"Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit. When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions,the gates of the soul open."
~B.K.S. Iyengar 

Wow, it looks like Winter weather is coming to town this week! As I write tonight, the wind is whipping outside but we are snug and warm in our cozy home. As we make our way into winter, I encourage you to Expect to Be Well. I know people who not only expect to get sick all winter but they worry and fear that they will get sick and they do, often.  The attitudes of Fear and Worry dis-harmonize the body and dis-ease of one kind or another creeps in. So set the intention  to BE WELL, it will go a long way to keeping you in Balance.

We prepare our homes, gardens and vehicles for winter by doing regular preventive maintenance. If we are smart we will do the same thing with our bodies. Every Jin Shin Jyutsu session boosts your immune system and prepares your body for whatever life throws at you. Daily Self-Help and Regular Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions will also help you to heal faster if you do catch something and a session when you feel something coming on can often prevent a cold from taking hold. 

Here is a wonderful Daily Self-Help Flow to help you to stay healthy. It is especially helpful if you feel something "coming on." Don't explain the feeling away as tiredness, because chances are if you are tired, then you are more susceptible to whatever is "going around." This self-help is used to build or increase immunity for colds and flu.

Place your left hand on your right neck/shoulder area (the soft muscle area where your neck and shoulder meet). Place your right hand at the fold of your right leg at the groin. Hold until you feel a rhythmic pulse in both places. Then switch: place your right hand on your left neck/shoulder area. Place your left hand at the fold of your left leg at the groin. Breathe and Be Well. 

Maintaining a healthy energy system is the best preventive for keeping the body from being invaded by colds, flu and other illness. Jin Shin Jyutsu leads to better sleep, strengthened immune system, reduced aches & pains, reduced depression, minimized effects from stress, improved moods. The benefits of Jin Shin Jyutsu are cumulative. The more regularly you practice self-help and get sessions, the more benefit there is for you. Those aches and pains go away faster, stay away longer or go away entirely.

“Take care of your body.
It's the only place you have to live.”
~Jim Rohn

Sweet Dreams

Self-Help Tip: 
Sweet Dreams 

"Your life is a reflection of how you sleep, and how you sleep
is a reflection of your life."
~Dr. Rafael Pelayo

     My favorite Jin Shin Jyutsu flow to help with both sleep and hormone balance is a simple, one-step flow. In my house, no one is allowed to wake me in the middle of the night, unless they have tried the "Sleep Flow" first... it is rare that Rebecca wakes me up now, and when she does, after I get her settled, I use the "Sleep Flow" to get back to sleep myself. 
     There is a strong relationship between sleep and hormone balance. Sleep is essential to maintain proper hormone balance and health.  For adults a minimum of 6 hours of sleep each night allows the body to re-energize and replenish hormones. Some of the common symptoms of hormonal imbalance - night sweats, hot flashes and sleep apnea -  make getting enough sleep a challenge. So you can see that it can become a vicious circle. 
     Getting less sleep than you need affects at least 10 different hormones causing them to shift and disrupt appetite, fertility, mental health as well as cardiac health. 
     This "Sleep Flow" is also known as the "Hot Flash Flow" as it has the amazing ability to stop a hot flash pretty quickly! It is dynamic for acid balance and serves as a "Natural Tums." Use to fall asleep, and for hot flashes, hormone balance, heart palpitations, coughing and lung congestion, nose bleeding or clogging, snoring, throat discomfort and more. 

Here is the Flow:
Rebecca demonstrates how to do the left side of the sleep flow in the above photo. 
Left Side-With your left fingertips hold below the base of the left thumb on the palm, hang the right hand over the shoulder at the left side of the neck.
Right Side-With your right fingertips hold below the base of the right thumb on the palm, hang the left hand over the shoulder at the right side of the neck.

     When the energies of our body, mind and spirit circulate freely, we enjoy a life of longevity, happiness, and balance. 

“Sleep is the golden chain that ties health and our bodies together.”
~Thomas Dekker

Touch Therapy Benefits Cancer Patients

Jin Shin Jyutsu in the News:

“The best and most efficient pharmacy is within your own system.”
~Robert C. Peale

Last week, I shared Jin Shin Jyutsu at a local center that provides hospice and palliative care. The CAM Fair was an opportunity for the health professionals at the center to experience a variety of modalities for themselves as self-care, but also to get an idea of what was available to help their patients. In preparing for this fair, I looked over medical studies that consider how touch therapies can support healing and transitions.
One of the newest of these studies was published earlier this year from the UK Markey Cancer Center in Lexington, KY, where they have a Jin Shin Jyutsu Practitioner on-site. This study, included 159 patients currently undergoing cancer treatment. Before and after each session, they were asked to rate on a scale of 1 to 10 their symptoms of nausea, pain, and stress. The patients experienced significant improvement in their symptoms, even after just one session of Jin Shin Jyutsu. The average decreases recorded were three points for stress and two points for both nausea and pain.
"I was pleased to see quantitatively the improvements that patients noted in these primary areas of discomfort. It was interesting to note that regardless of age, sex or diagnosis, cancer patients received a statistically significant improvement in the side effects from treatment. It is encouraging to note that Jin Shin Jyutsu made improvements in these areas without adding additional unwanted effects that so often occur with medication interventions."  ~Jennifer Bradley 
The Jin Shin Jyutsu Institute Website has a listing of this study and well as other medical studies that look at the effects of Jin Shin Jyutsu.

 Natural forces within us
are the true healers of disease.
~Hippocrates

Boost Your Resistance to Stress

Self-Help Tip:
Boost Your Resistance to Stress 

"Every day brings a choice:
to practice stress or to practice peace."

~Joan Borysenko 

Stress is something that we all experience to some degree everyday. While stress can help motivate us to get things done, too much stress can take a toll on our bodies and our emotional well-being. The brain reacts to stress and danger by generating hormones that temporarily shut down the body’s non-emergency functions to help us respond. When we get caught in chronic stress patterns that constant hormonal response degrades our health. It is important to realize that even low-grade stress and anxiety can damage the body’s ability to defend itself against viruses, bacteria, and other pathogens. It is of vital importance that we find ways to boost our resistance to stress in our lives.

"The key to success is often the ability to adapt.” ~Unknown 

This Spring, I began studying herbal medicine and was introduced to the class of herbs called Adaptogens. The term adaptogen is used by herbalists to refer to an herb that increases the body’s resistance to stress, trauma, anxiety and fatigue. Some common adaptogenic herbs are the Ginsengs (Asian, American, Siberian), Ashwaganda, Astragalus, Holy Basil, Licorice Root, Schisandra, Reishi, shiitake and maitake mushrooms. You can read more about these herbs and their actions on the internet. 

These incredible herbs are used to improve the general adaptability of your body by stimulating the body's own self-regeneration process. They are recognized for their ability to increase resistance to a variety of stressors - chemical, physical, and emotional. They also help the body recover from physical stress like lack of sleep, recovery from surgery, heavy manual labor, running long distances, and even high-altitude sickness. To qualify as an adaptogen, it must be completely safe and non-toxic, it must have broad uses for health, and it must specifically reduce stress, both mental and physical.

As I learned about the wonders of Adaptogen herbs, I realized that regular Jin Shin Jyutsu also has an adaptogenic action on the body as it has the same ability to stimulate the body's self-regenerations and self-healing abilities.

One of my regular clients recently said, "I know that my weekly sessions are helping me with my health challenges, but more importantly, these session hare helping me to cope better with the stresses of my busy life!" She has discovered for herself the adaptogenic action of Jin Shin Jyutsu! When we give our bodies the support that they need to deal with stress, we enable them to heal themselves. The combination of daily self-help and weekly sessions can help you to adapt with ease to whatever life throws your way. 

 "I vow to let go of all worries and anxiety
in order to be light and free."
~Thich Nhat Hanh

Root Yourself to the Earth

Self-Help Tip:

Root Yourself to the Earth   

“Remember to breathe.
It is after all, the secret of life.”  
~Gregory Maguire

Breath is the simplest and most perfect of all the tools we have for health and balance. It is the purified essence of life and provides over 99% of our oxygen and energy supply. There is a strong relationship between our emotional state and the quality of our breathing. Poor breathing depletes energy and negatively affects mental alertness as well as causing or worsening all dis-eases! The first step in healthy breathing is to become conscious of how we actually breathe. 

The breath can be used with awareness at any moment to balance the life energy and bring us into a place of harmony and healing flow. Within the breath lies the key, our power to transform our lives and the world. The breath releases endorphins, helps to clear and focus the mind, strengthens weak abdominal and intestinal muscles, and has deep purifying effects on the respiratory and nervous system.

In Jin Shin Jyutsu, we are invited to focus not on the inhalation but instead to observe  the Exhalation, as it is the key to clearing the body. "The Meditation of the 36 Conscious Exhalations" is a great way to access this Limitless Life-Power.  Sit with your hands folded in your lap. Drop your shoulders. Bow your head and SMILE from the very soul of you. Begin by counting each exhalation.  One, exhale, inhale. Two, exhale, inhale....... Allow your breath to unfold naturally.  When we EXHALE long and deep, we release all of the stale air held in the lungs. Imagine that your exhalation is even longer than the inhalation. Observe the pause that happens just before the inhalation begins. Inhale deep into your belly. Instead of  expanding your chest, expand your belly. You will begin to realize that once you have fully exhaled, the next inhalation "just happens". No effort is necessary. Again observe the pause that happens just before the exhalation begins again. Just by focusing on these pauses,the breath becomes deeper and slower. Bring your attention to these pauses. If you lose count, just begin again. This exercise can be done all at once, or broken into 4 session of 9 breaths each. In time, your breathing will automatically become deeper and more rhythmic. As you count each breath, your attention is focused on the counting and this in turn serves as a way to quiet the mind.  As you EXHALE, unload all the dust dirt and greasy grime that is held in your body. Exhale from head to toes. INHALE from toes to head. RECEIVE the Cosmic Energy of Abundance and connect to the Cosmic Energy Force. 

Receive each breath with awareness and gratitude. Breathing is the best way to root ourselves to the earth, to stay centered even during chaotic times. Welcome to the effortless reality of your life. 

"For breath is life,
and if you breathe well
you will live long on earth."
~Sanskrit Proverb

Immunity Booster

Self-Help Tip:
Immunity Booster 

“Take care of your body.
It's the only place you have to live.”
~Jim Rohn

Maintaining a healthy energy system is the best preventive for keeping the body from being invaded by colds, flu and other illness. Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions  and daily self-help will tune up your body’s energy system and will leave you feeling calm, energized and totally rejuvenated.

We all know that we are more susceptible to common colds, flu and other ailments when we have experienced stress of any kind in our lives...and who is not exposed to stress?! Jin Shin Jyutsu is a great way to eliminate the effects of stress on our bodies. Many experts say that the majority of disease is stress-related. These stress-related diseases continue to claim more lives each year.

Here is a wonderful Daily Self-Help Flow to help you to stay healthy. It is especially helpful if you feel something "coming on". Don't explain the feeling away as tiredness, because chances are if you are tired, then you are more susceptible to whatever is "going around". This self-help is used to build or increase immunity for colds and flu.

Place your left hand on your right neck/shoulder area (the soft muscle area where your neck and shoulder meet). Place your right hand on your right groin (at the fold of the leg). Hold until you feel a rhythmic pulse in both places. Then switch: place your right hand on your left neck/shoulder area. Place your left hand on your left groin. Breathe and Be Well. 

"Health is a state of complete harmony of the body, mind and spirit.
When one is free from physical disabilities and mental distractions,
the gates of the soul open."

~B.K.S. Iyengar 

Time to Emerge from Our Winter Cocoon

Time to Emerge from Our Winter Cocoon

"Every gardener knows that under the cloak of winter lies a miracle,
a seed waiting to sprout, a bulb opening to the light, a bud straining to unfurl.  
And the anticipation nurtures our dream." 
~Barbara Winkler

Even though the calendar still indicates that we are deep in winter's embrace, our recent weather says otherwise. The daffodils are pushing up, my quince bush is blooming and the air smells like Spring. And even though I know that we are likely to get more cold weather and even a snow or two, my thoughts are turning to Spring planning for the garden and my life. 

The smell of Spring in the air brings to mind the process of Spring Cleaning, that age old tradition of  cleaning the house from top to bottom which is conducted in the first warm days of the year. Windows thrown wide open to let the fresh Spring air blow through the house to clear out the staleness that comes from being shut to the winter cold, to clear out the dust and darkness of the winter, and to make a fresh start.

As we emerge from the cocoon of Winter, besides cleaning our houses, we have a need to clean out physical being and to restore balance.  One of the traditional Jin Shin Jyutsu ways of Spring Cleaning-body, mind and spirit, is to do a Week-long Healing Intensive.  An “intensive” consists of two one-hour sessions per day for 5 days in a row. Receiving a series of sessions close together brings harmony on a continued basis for the week and allows us to affect a change in patterns of disharmony, and the habits and attitudes that create imbalance.  

Jin Shin Jyutsu is cumulative, so having ten sessions in one week is a dynamic way to move energy, to clear out, deep clean, and harmonize our total BE-ing. This intensive treatment series can breathe new life and energy into our depleted physical being and bring about a reconnection with our essence. The goal is to bring about deep relaxation, to restore a sense of beauty and harmony into body, mind and spirit and to unleash the inner healer. When we find balance, we set into motion the power of our innate ability to heal which brings about profound changes to our vitality and sense of well-being

I invite you to experience this rejuvenating and refreshing treatment, that brings balance, harmony and clarity to the many layers of your life. A week-long healing intensive brings the opportunity for deep cleaning and gives you access to the benefits that come from having a number of appointments in close succession. When we have an opportunity to keep the body’s systems clear and balanced without the time in between to fall back into unhealthy patterns, we actually give ourselves a fresh start on a clear path, we bring to our BE-ing a mindful, go with the flow way coping with whatever life brings.

Send me an email or give me a call to schedule your Week-long Healing Intensive. This is a special accelerated healing process involves 10 Jin Shin Jyutsu treatments in 5 days. On each of the five days you receive two treatments, one in the morning, and a second later in the day. The fee for this series of treatments is $450 for the total package, paid in one payment at the start of the week.  

"The best is yet to be." 
~Robert Browning

Inner Peace

"Peace comes from within."
~Buddha

      Inner Peace awaits. It is always amazing to me how often a client gets up from my table at the end of a session with new insights and clarity about a particular situation/decision or about their life direction. As a healer, I am the "holder-of-space", giving you the opportunity to go deep within to see the divine unfold before you and to connect to that calm, centered, place of knowing. 

Awaken Your Inner Healer

  "…each patient carries his own doctor inside him. We are at best when we give the doctor
who resides within each patient
a chance to go to work.”
~Albert Schweitzer

      It is clear to me that my very first Jin Shin Jytusu session back in 1998 woke up my inner healer. Up to that point in my life, I was unaware that I even had an inner healer. In our culture, we are led to believe that we need a doctor to "fix" us. But when I found a holistic approach to wellness, it set me on the path to clearing long standing dis-ease in my body and restoring balance in ways that I never thought were possible. My inner healer was reminded that she had work to do, revealing to me the power that is within us.  We each have an innate ability to heal and being whole is our birthright.
      Think about it, for our entire lives, we have healed cut fingers and skinned knees, mended broken bones, overcome colds and flu without even thinking about it. Healing occurs without conscious effort, as does every breath and heartbeat and body function. The Innate Intelligence of our bodies has the ability is to maintain the body, to take the food, sunshine, water and air that we consume and turn it into what our bodies need to heal and become whole.  It maintains our bodies and is a creative force in our lives.

“You have within you right now,
everything you need to deal
with whatever the world can throw at you.”
~Brian Tracy

      Wholeness or "health" is our natural state of being.  Our Innate Intelligence provides us with all of the tools needed to heal ourselves. The assistance that we get from a practitioner or doctor merely provides support for our own bodies’ natural healing abilities. And when we attend to the cause of the disharmony, rather than masking the symptoms,  our inner ability to heal is supported.
      With Jin Shin Jyutsu Energy Work, we seek to clear the energetic stagnation that produces dis-ease in our bodies. When the stress that is held in the body is removed, our inner healer is able to get to work returning balance and harmony. This enables us to tap into our natural ability to create the healing we need in our life, to help the body to fulfill its innate functions harmoniously, and to produce health.

"The reality is that you are a powerful being,
fully capable of things that may lie far beyond
your wildest dreams at this point."
~Bradley Nelson