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

Running on Empty?

Running on Empty?

“There is more to life
than increasing its speed.”
~Gandhi

     As I sat down to write last week's newsletter, I discovered that my computer was running on battery power, the power supply was not working and the keyboard and track pad were going haywire. This computer issue made me aware, in a very tangible way, just how important it is that we have ways to recharge our batteries. We just can't run indefinitely on battery power!

     The fix for my computer was easy, I just had to buy a new battery and put it in. That fixed everything! I found myself thinking alot about recharging, refueling, and regenerating and wishing that it was this easy to recharge my personal battery. Our lives seem to demand that we be on the run all of the time, always on the move. And we end up running on empty. We can only run on fumes for so long. 

     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 supporting ourselves during times of stress. It will make everything you do so much easier.

     For me, it is all of the good things that I do for myself regularly that recharge my batteries-yoga, daily meditation, eating good healthy food, fresh air, mindful breathing, loving my family, reading uplifting and inspiring books, daily self-help, etc. And to really recharge my batteries, regular Jin Shin Jyutsu gives me a jump start back to harmony and balance. I love that I have so many ways at my fingertips to bring balance to my BE-ing.

   Jin Shin Jyutsu is likened to a pair of jumper cables applied to a dead battery. To restore the natural flow of energy and release the safety energy locks, our hands are used as jumper cables. The battery comes to life when the “jumper cables” are attached, and our engine can run once again.
   
   The following Self-Help Tip is a great way to Quietly Regenerate Body, Mind and Spirit. Give it a try. 

Self-Help Tip:

 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.

Happy Labor Day

"Tension is who you think you should be.
Relaxation is who you are."
~Chinese Proverb 

Here's wishing you a happy Labor Day filled will relaxing and rejuvenating activities. Bertrand Russell said, "One of the symptoms of an approaching nervous breakdown is the belief that one's work is terribly important."  While I know that our work is important to us for so many reasons, it is also important that we take the time to nourish ourselves so that we have something left to give to our families and our work.  I always say that if I don't take care of myself, no one else will. So I make sure to schedule regular time for ME, to de-stress and enjoy the pleasures that life has to offer and to remember that I am about ease, not tension! I encourage you to find ways to do the same. 

The Art of Longevity

"Anti-aging requires an understanding of longevity wisdom. Your Creator has given you built-in body wisdom to keep you forever young and healthy. Essentially, it is an innate awareness of not only your body’s basic needs but also all the signs and signals by which your body warns you of what is wrong with you. So, invoke and embrace that wisdom."
~Stephen Lau

     When Master Jiro Murai revived the ancient art of Jin Shin Jyutsu around 1920, one of the terms that he used to described Jin Shin Jyutsu was the Art of Longevity: Live fully, experience each breath fully.
      Most of us are raised to believe that growing older means a progressive decline in health, wellness, mental and physical ability.  I feel lucky to have had the most amazing Young Grandmother! She passed a few years ago at over 90 years old but throughout my life she  has been an inspiration in vitality. I have vivid memories of her smiling and living life fully. In her 80's she was encouraged to participate in the local Senor Center activities.. but she declined saying "Why would I want to hang out with those old people?"  She ran her own antique shop into her 80's, active and fun-loving. This woman had life to LIVE! She always made such an impression on me that for as long as I can remember, I would tell her that when I was as old as her, I wanted to be as young as she was! For me, she set the example that a study by researchers at North Carolina State University in 2009 concluded-that you really are only as old as you think you are. Thank you Grandma!

      "While scientists have to date largely focused on the biology of longevity, the secrets of living to an exceptional age lie more in our personalities, attitudes, support systems and life experiences than our genes." ~Leonard W. Poon

    Regular Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions and self-help provides a valuable support system as it is aids in restoring the body's energy systems to a balanced, efficient, functioning state. It's practice helps us to take charge of our negative attitudes and to change the self-defeating belief of inevitable aging. It teaches us to master the art of living and to seeing aging as an opportunity for greater peace of mind, wisdom, creativity and happiness. Jin Shin Jyutsu brings to us a new awareness of our limitless life energy and of our ability to partake of the effortless reality, which is our birthright. We can then expect the best results by learning and practicing good health habits for staying healthy and reducing stress. Jin Shin Jyutsu brings to us a new awareness of our limitless life energy and of our ability to partake of the effortless reality, which is our birthright. We can then expect the best results by learning and practicing good health habits for staying healthy and reducing stress. Ultimately, Jin Shin Jyutsu will restore you to a knowledge of yourself and of your long dormant innate ability to improve the quality of your life.

"Controlling mental and physical stress is the key to a long, healthy and happy life." ~Nicholas Perricone, M.D.

Your Body is Precious

"Your body is precious. 
It is our vehicle for awakening. 
Treat it with care."
~Buddha

     Self-Help is the cornerstone of the Jin Shin Jyutsu and is the pathway to healing and continued balance. It is this Self-Help aspect that initially attracted me to Jin Shin Jyutsu. With Self-Help, I have witnessed miracles of healing in my body at my own hands. I truly believe that with Jin Shin Jyutsu, time and an open mind, all things are possible.

      I love that Jin Shin Jyutsu empowers us to take responsibility for our own healing, that it allows us to know ourselves in ways that connect us with our awareness and enables us to create balance for ourselves. I know so many people who present themselves to a medical professional and ask to be "fixed" by them when in actuality the body seldom works that way.

      The Self-Help aspect of Jin Shin Jyutsu gives us the means to identify and deal with stress in our bodies and clear that stress so that healing can occur.

      For many years now I have been able to have several Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions a month with a local practitioner. My practitioner is currently unavailable, so I am back to relying entirely on Self-Help. I practice Self-Help every day and often throughout each day. I can't imagine my life without this daily practice of tuning in and tuning up. It is in hindsight that I now realize the benefits of those weekly sessions! I always felt great after my sessions  and more capable of dealing with whatever life had to throw at me. But after a few months without sessions, I am more aware of the deeper health benefits of those treatments.  I look forward to my practitioner being available again!

      Regular sessions are more than a frivolous indulgence as the treatment calms the body and helps relax the mind which in turn helps to reduce stress by lowering the body's cortisol levels. Considering that stress is responsible for most illness, alleviating stress can make a major difference in overall health and attitude.

     The combination of daily self-help and regular healing sessions with your practitioner as part of your wellness routine will help you to maintain physical, mental and emotional well-being while instilling a sense of empowerment for your own healing. The many important health benefits of regular Jin Shin Jyutsu treatments include:

• Stress Relief
• Managing Anxiety and Depression
• Coping with Change
• Dealing with Pain
• Minimize Stiffness
• Blood Pressure Control
• Sports-related Injuries
• Boosting Immunity
• Promote Healing from Surgical Procedures
• Ease Negative Effects of Cancer Treatment

     Studies continue to show that the power of touch has miraculous effects with its ability to relax, heal, and help release emotions and tension without the aid of drugs. We all have an innate need for touch and the power of touch is the power to heal.

"Healing is a matter of time,
but it is sometimes also a matter of opportunity."
~Hippocrates

Quietly Regenerating

"I prefer winter and fall, when you feel the bone structure of the landscape - the loneliness of it, the dead feeling of winter. Something waits beneath it, the whole story doesn't show."
~Andrew Wyeth

We would do well to welcome Winter as the season of reflection rather than fight its stillness and darkness. We are invited to celebrate the light within during this time of quiet regeneration.

In Winter, all of nature is called to rest. While the earth appears to be dormant, amazing stuff is happening below the surface. Preparation for the next growing season, the coming of spring, the bursting forth of life, and brilliant rebirth. This rebirth does not simply happen in Spring, rather it gestates all Winter, deep underground. It may appear on the surface that nothing is happening, blanketed in fallen leaves and snow, but know that often the most profound layers of growth occur underground. The soil rests while the decay and composting of organic matter along with the melting snow add nutritive elements to the earth, ensuring growth and fertility.

Winter is the time to go within and as humans we naturally slow down. Winter is supposed to be slow. It is the very nature of this quiet inner reflective time of winter, a hibernation of sorts, a time of rest and rejuvenation, to restore and regenerate the body systems.  We are quietly regenerating to be ready for the coming Spring and the creative energies that are required of us.

Nature is within the rhythms of our own bodies. By tuning into these rhythms and observing the changes that take place during the winter season, we can attune ourselves to a healthier Winter as we embrace the stillness and quiet regeneration. When we can find a way to live in harmony with the rhythms of nature, we find inner strength and deep reserves of energy and creativity.

"When we follow this season’s energetic impulse, the soul unfurls like a blanket of snow."
~Sheryl Paul

Self-Help Tip:
To energize and balance the rhythm of the winter months hold the index finger with the opposite hand for a few minutes or until you feel a rhythmic pulse. Holding the index finger will help us to go with the flow.

Self-Help Tip:
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.