Ignite Your Light

"We anoint their fuses with a tiny amount of fire, and they come alive, playing out their life span in a matter of seconds.  In those few seconds a crack in the universe is opened, giving us a glimpse of the energy locked within all matter."

    ~Bob Weaver

          Last night as we drove home from a 4th of July party with fireworks going off in the distance all around us, my daughter and I had a interesting conversation about the magic and the illusion of fireworks.

           In our patriotic displays, fireworks represent the “bombs bursting in air”, they represent the”rocket’s red glare” and are the explosive symbols of war. As a spiritual symbol, they represent the metaphorical spark, the untapped strength inside of each of us-and reminds us to light the fuse and “bring it on!”
           When Fireworks show up in our dreams, they symbolize enthusiasm, creativity, and talent. The appearance of fireworks in our dreams may also indicate that we are showing off and making a spectacle of ourselves.
           As we drove home last night, we compared the experience of seeing fireworks close up with seeing them in this way, in the distance. They are two entirely different experiences! From a distance the bright lights, beautiful colors and surprising patterns have a magical quality and the air of expectancy is palpable as we wait for the ever increasing display of magic and illusion.  When we watch fireworks close up, it is a much more physical, sensational experience. Along with the same air of expectancy, there is the hush as the whistling and squealing sounds emit while the flying missile is sent skyward, the thump in our chest as the next stage of detonation begins making our hearts race as the light show of each firework is set into action, the oohs and ahhs at the ongoing display of magic. Close up it is easy to be captivated but their exquisite presence, but before the short lived cycle of lights has diminished, you are engulfed in the acrid smoke and residue from the bombs, the illusion of beauty shattered.
           In the philosophy of Jin Shin Jyutsu, it is said the our attitudes and limiting beliefs, dis-harmonize our lives and our bodies. Interestingly, the attitude of pretense is related to Fire! Pretense includes feelings of insecurity, effort, selfishness, overdoing it, and cover-up (crying on the inside while laughing on the outside). This attitude speaks to our effort, our "trying to" do whatever. The effort that it takes just to get through the day. This attitude  speaks to our illusion that we need to accommodate others by being what we think they need us to be. Pretense keeps our actions out of sync with our feelings and speaks to a conflict of desire that is incompatible with who we really are. When we are in harmony, we feel trust and receptivity to the inspiration of the universe.
          Consider these lyrics from “Fireworks”, by Katy Perry,  “Do you know that there’s still a chance for you, Cause there’s a spark in you, You just gotta ignite the light, And let it shine, Just own the night, Like the Fourth of July, Cause baby you’re a firework, Come on show ‘em what your worth.”
           It is not healthy to fight against who we are and what we feel. When we put on a mask and hide who we are or how we feel, we run the risk of being exposed as an illusion, a show.  Hold your little finger daily for 5 or 10 minutes, breathe deeply and Let go of effort. By holding the little finger, we balance this attitude of Pretense and bring in joy, giving and receiving, love, laughter, action, and spiritual opening. Allow the universe to unfold its magic before you.

“Say what you wanna say,

And let the words fall out, honestly.

I wanna see you be brave.”  

~Sara Bareilles

Fireflies and Sunflowers

Self-Help Tip:

"Live in each season as it passes:


breathe the air, drink the drink, taste the fruit."


~Henry David Thoreau

         Just as the first firefly heralds the coming of Summer, the Summer Solstice officially marks the start of Summer. The word Solstice literally means the sun stands still. It is the extreme positions of the sun at midsummer and midwinter, that makes the rising and setting of the sun appear to take place in the same position on the horizon for three or four days in succession. The Sun's path north or south appears to come to a magical stop before reversing direction.  It offers us the perfect opportunity to reflect on our path, to turn towards the light like the sunflower blooms and to see everything in a new light with a new awareness.
 
         Summer is a time of growth, creative intensity, and great potential. In the Jin Shin Jyutsu philosophy, is is a time ruled by the 5th Depth. The message of the 5th Depth is to experience our world through the heart and to above all things, be true to ourselves.
 
         It is not at all surprising that the color associated with  the 5th Depth and Summertime is Red and  the element is Fire. Fire is symbolic of passion, creativity, creation, rebirth, renewal, action and clarity. The attitude of imbalance is EFFORT and PRETENSE and the harmonious aspect is EASE or BE-ing.
 
         Heart and Small Intestine Function Energies are the Fifth Depth organ functions associated with Summer. Like the acorn contains the mighty oak, the Heart is considered to contain the entire body. It takes the fire and distributes it to all of the organ energies in the body. When the heart function energy is in balance, it helps us to speak our truth and express our feelings.

          The Small Intestine is associated with discernment and assimilation. When the Small Intestine Function Energy is in balance, it helps us to deal with over-stimulation,  brings emotional warmth and aids us in recognizing the essential elements for our lives.
 
          The attitude of PRETENSE/EFFORT is destabilizing to our skeletal structure, heart and small intestine functions. Pretense includes feelings of insecurity, effort, selfishness, overdoing it, and cover-up (crying on the inside while laughing on the outside). This attitude speaks to our effort, our "trying to" do whatever. The effort that it takes just to get through the day. This attitude tells us that there is a conflict of desire that is incompatible with who we really are.

         Pretense can manifest in a work addiction. The opposite of Pretense is BEING. It means being true to who you really are, not who you think others need you to be. It means speaking your own truth, speaking out. To balance PRETENSE, HOLD the LITTLE FINGER for about 5 minutes or until you can feel a gentle rhythmic pulsing. Even and clear. Breath easily. Relax the shoulders and smile from the very heart of you.

         As you hold the LITTLE FINGER, nerves are settled and the need for pretense is diminished. Stress is eased, bloating reduced, and sore throats are relieved. Remind yourself that we are Human BEINGS not Human TRYINGS. Let go of effort. Allow the universe to unfold spontaneously before you. Revel in the effortless reality that is your life.

"To live in truth is to be aligned 
with your inner knowingness 
and is the simplest, least complex way to live."


~Unknown

Get Rid of Worry FAST

 “Attitude is a little thing that makes a big difference.”

~Winston Churchill

     In Jin Shin Jyutsu, we know that the body is affected by the air, food, activities, thoughts and stresses that we experience each moment of living. Our attitudes dis-harmonize the flow of life energy in our bodies and disrupt the pathways which deliver the limitless supply of life energy to every part of our physical being.  Attitudes keep us from freely being all that we have the potential to BE.
    MY DESTINY IS IN MY OWN HANDS: One of the simplest ways to utilize Jin Shin Jyutsu on ourselves is to hold each of our fingers, one at a time. To reverse the affect that attitudes have on our bodies and our lives, we simply need to HOLD our fingers.
    Each finger harmonizes an attitude as well as the organs that are affected by that particular attitude. Hold your fingers not to suppress attitudes but to express or release them. HOLD each finger for about 5 minutes or until you can feel a gentle rhythmic pulsing, even and clear. Breath easily. Relax the shoulders and smile from the very heart of you.
     Take charge of your attitudes. It will make such a big difference in your life and in the amount of stress that you allow to accumulate in your being. Holding your fingers to harmonize limiting thoughts and attitudes is the simplest, most readily available tool you have to cope with whatever life throws at you.

“Choosing to be positive and having a grateful attitude

is going to determine how you're going to live your life.”

~Joel Osteen

The Peace Mudra

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

On this day of remembering, I found myself focusing on the need for  peace in our world. This led me to think about the peace sign we make with our hands.

from Wikipedia

"It has various meanings, depending on the cultural context and how it is presented. It is most commonly used to represent the letter "V" as in "victory"; as a symbol of peace (usually with palm outward); as an offensive gesture (palm inward); and to represent the number 2. It was adopted by the 1960s counterculture movement as a sign for peace."

 As a Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner, I am always interested in anything that we do with our hands. I am especially fascinated by the tradition of healing mudras (hand gestures) and after my ponderings today, I have come to think of this peace gesture as the "peace mudra".

Think about it....This gesture involves all of the fingers of the hand, either holding them or extending them with intention. 

• The index finger balances the limiting attitude of FEAR and brings LOVE. 
• The middle finger balances ANGER and brings PEACE. 
• Holding the thumb to the ring finger opens the lungs and trades sadness for happiness while clearing our tendency to get stuck in worry-mode, which in turn allows us to be present. 
• And the little finger enables us to let go of pretense and be true to ourselves. 

I can't think of a better way to bring peace to our inner being while projecting a positive force in our world. So now as I perform my daily practice of holding  fingers to clear limiting attitudes, I do it with a new way to think about peace and harmony.  

"Each of us by our daily acts of peace and our commitment to building a better world can inspire others and help create a groundswell for peace too powerful to be turned aside."
~David Krieger

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 

With an Attitude of Gratitude

Self Help Tip: 

With an Attitude of Gratitude

     
"If you don't like something change it;
if you can't change it,
change the way you think about it."
~Mary Engelbreit
 

As I woke up on Thanksgiving morning, I held my fingers, as I do most mornings,  and thought about the gifts that Jin Shin Jyutsu brings to my life and how easy it is to access those gifts by holding my fingers. In the practice of Jin Shin Jyutsu, we are taught that by holding our fingers we can harmonize the attitudes that dis-harmonize our bodies. Each finger harmonizes an attitude as well as the organs that are affected by that particular attitude. Hold your fingers not to suppress attitudes but to express or release them. Holding our fingers to harmonize limiting thoughts and attitudes is the simplest, most readily available tool we have to cope with whatever life throws at us. This simple act not only keeps us from getting stuck in those limiting attitudes, but brings us in touch with the limitless, positive and harmonious gifts that BALANCE brings to us! 

I wanted to find a way to emphasize these gifts and was inspired to created this Thanksgiving turkey hand as a way to show what we bring in as we harmonize those attitudes! At the same time giving me a chance to express my gratitude for each of these gift that my practice of Jin Shin Jyutsu brings to my life each day.

thumb - worry transforms to into harmony, a healthy sense of self, profound security
index - fear transforms into love, flow, perfect circulation
middle - anger transforms into peace and balance
ring - sadness and grief transform into joy and happiness
little - try-to's/effort and pretense transform into ease, laughter and BE-ing
palm - despondency transforms into equilibrium, balance, intuition and connection to Divine Source

HOLD each finger for about 5 minutes or until you can feel a gentle rhythmic pulsing, even and clear. Breath easily. Relax the shoulders and smile from the very heart of you.

Take charge of your ATTITUDES and bring GRATITUDE into your daily practice. Remember that the simple act of holding your fingers will balance all of your Attitudes and transform them into the positive emotions that we all thrive on. It really is that simple. We are in charge of our attitudes and nature has given each of us an easy and accessible way to do so.

"Could we change our attitude,
we should not only see life differently,
but life itself would come to be different."
~Katherine Mansfield

Happy Thanksgiving

As I woke up this morning and held my fingers, I thought about the gifts that Jin Shin Jyutsu brings to my life and how easy it is to access those gifts by holding my fingers. We often talk about how holding fingers harmonize the attitudes that dis-harmonize our bodies-thumb/worry, index/fear, middle/anger, ring/sadness, little/try-to's. So I drew this Thanksgiving turkey hand to show what we bring in as we harmonize those attitudes! Enjoy!

Attitude Changes Everything!

Attitude Changes Everything!

"The greatest discovery of my generation is that a human being can alter his life by altering his attitudes."
~William James

     Attitude is the way you mentally look at the world around you. It is how you view your environment and your future. It is the focus you develop toward life itself.
     In Jin Shin Jyutsu, we know that the body is affected by the air, food, activities, thoughts and stresses that we experience each moment of living. Our attitudes dis-harmonize the flow of life energy in our bodies and disrupt the pathways which deliver the limitless supply of life energy to every part of our physical being.  Attitudes keep us from freely being all that we have the potential to BE.
    MY DESTINY IS IN MY OWN HANDS: One of the simplest ways to utilize Jin Shin Jyutsu on ourselves is to hold each of our fingers, one at a time. To reverse the affect that attitudes have on our bodies and our lives, we simply need to HOLD our fingers. 

    Each finger harmonizes an attitude as well as the organs that are affected by that particular attitude. Hold your fingers not to suppress attitudes but to express or release them. HOLD each finger for about 5 minutes or until you can feel a gentle rhythmic pulsing, even and clear. Breath easily. Relax the shoulders and smile from the very heart of you.
     Take charge of your attitudes. It will make such a big difference in your life and in the amount of stress that you allow to accumulate in your being. Holding your fingers to harmonize limiting thoughts and attitudes is the simplest, most readily available tool you have to cope with whatever life throws at you.

“We cannot change the inevitable.
The only thing we can do is play
on the one string we have,
and that is our attitude.
I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it.
And so it is with you-
WE are in charge of our Attitudes.” 
~Charles R. Swindoll

I Will Work Honestly

"Put your heart, mind, intellect and soul even to your smallest acts.
This is the secret of success."
~Swami Sivananda

    Just for today, I will do my work honestly. This is the next Reiki Precept that we will examine. As I was thinking about the precepts as Principles to Live By, I wanted to tie each precept in to the Jin Shin Jyutsu practice of holding fingers to harmonize limiting beliefs and bring balance to BE-ing. The Precepts of  "I will let go of Worry" and "I will let go of Anger" were easy to connect to the corresponding finger. Work Honestly, does not on the surface, talk about a limiting attitude, but with a little thought it was easy!

    Just for today, I will do my work honestly. Look at the definition of Honesty:  1. uprightness and fairness. 2. truthfulness, sincerity, or frankness. 3. freedom from deceit or fraud. TO my way of thinking this precept is about what Mary Burmeister refers to as Pretense, Laughing on the outside while crying on the inside, Try-to's. This attitude was a hard one for me until I realized that its positive attribute is "Speak your truth, be honest with yourself and all others". So it becomes easy to see how this precept relates to the attitude of Pretense!  Honesty is to face the truth in all things starting with your self and the things that you choose to do with your time and energy. It about our potenial to live an effortless reality, to do our work with honesty and  integrity, to speak our truth in all things.

    The attitude of PRETENSE is destabilizing to our skeletal structure, heart and small intestine functions. Pretense includes feelings of insecurity, effort, selfishness, overdoing it, and cover-up (crying on the inside while laughing on the outside). This attitude speaks to our effort, our "trying to" do whatever. The effort that it takes just to get through the day. This attitude tells us that there is a conflict of desire that is incompatible with who we really are.

    Pretense can manifest in a work addiction. The opposite of Pretense is BEING. It means being true to who you really are, not who you think others need you to be. It means speaking your own truth, speaking out. To balance PRETENSE, HOLD the LITTLE FINGER for about 5 minutes or until you can feel a gentle rhythmic pulsing. Even and clear. Breath easily. Relax the shoulders and smile from the very heart of you.

    As you hold the LITTLE FINGER, nerves are settled and the need for pretense is diminished. Stress is eased, bloating reduced, and sore throats are relieved. Remind yourself that we are Human BEINGS not Human TRYINGS. Let go of effort. Allow the universe to unfold spontaneously before you. Revel in the effortless reality that is your life.  
 

"To live in truth is to be aligned with your inner knowingness and is the simplest,
least complex way to live."
~Unknown

Thinking about Attitudes

I honestly can't say this any better than Charles Swindoll does in the following quote. SO this week, I simply share his quote with you as food for thought. I first ran across this quote at the bank of all places! I was opening a new account at our local bank and the bank manager had this quote framed on his desk. I got him to make me a copy and it has hung over my desk ever since.

“The longer I live, the more I realize the impact of attitude on life. Attitude, to me, is more important than facts. It is more important than the past, the education, the money, than circumstances, than failure, than successes, than what other people think or say or do. It is more important than appearance, giftedness or skill. It will make or break a company, a church, a home. The remarkable thing is we have a choice everyday regarding the attitude we will embrace for that day. We cannot change our past-we cannot change the fact that people will act in a certain way. We cannot change the inevitable. The only thing we can do is play on the one string we have, and that is our attitude. I am convinced that life is 10% what happens to me and 90% of how I react to it. And so it is with you-WE are in charge of our Attitudes.”
~Charles R. Swindoll

Take charge of your ATTITUDES. Remember that the simple act of holding your fingers will balance all of your Attitudes and transform them into the positive emotions that we all thrive on. Refer to the image below for the finger to hold to balance each attitude. If you don't remember which finger to hold, I suggest that you take a quick inventory of your fingers... hold each finger for a second or two, as you go through each finger see which one REALLY wants to be HELD. Then go back and hold THAT one. It really is that simple. We are in charge of our attitudes and nature has given each of us an easy and accessible way to do so.

"The day always looks brighter from behind a smile."
-Unknown

 

Which Finger is Which? Harmonizing Attitudes by Holding your Fingers!

     Attitude is the way you mentally look at the world around you. It is how you view your environment and your future. It is the focus you develop toward life itself.
     In Jin Shin Jyutsu, we know that the body is affected by the air, food, activities, thoughts and stresses that we experience each moment of living. Our attitudes dis-harmonize the flow of life energy in our bodies and disrupt the pathways which deliver the limitless supply of life energy to every part of our physical being.  Attitudes keep us from freely being all that we have the potential to BE.
     In my opinion, the attitude that does the most harm is FEAR...as it governs the development of all of the other attitudes..Worry, Anger, Sadness and Grief, Pretense. Think about it. What is Worry but the fear that something won't go the way we want it to go? What is Anger, but the fear that we are not getting our way? What is Sadness and Grief, but the fear that things will never be the same again and nothing will ever fill the emptiness? And what is Pretense, but the fear of not being accepted for who we really are? Indeed Fear governs them all.
    MY DESTINY IS IN MY OWN HANDS: One of the simplest ways to utilize Jin Shin Jyutsu on ourselves is to hold each of our fingers, one at a time. To reverse the affect that attitudes have on our bodies and our lives, we simply need to HOLD our fingers.
    Each finger harmonizes an attitude as well as the organs that are affected by that particular attitude. Hold your fingers not to suppress attitudes but to express or release them. HOLD each finger for about 5 minutes or until you can feel a gentle rhythmic pulsing, even and clear. Breath easily. Relax the shoulders and smile from the very heart of you.
     Take charge of your attitudes. It will make such a big difference in your life and in the amount of stress that you allow to accumulate in your being.
     The mnemonic device to help you remember which attitude goes with each finger is "Get rid of Worry FAST!" To put this device to good use, start with your Thumb for Worry. Then spell out F-A-S-T with each subsequent finger.

F-Fear
A-Anger
S-Sadness and Grief
T-Try to and Pretense

     Holding your fingers to harmonize limiting thoughts and attitudes is the simplest, most readily available tool you have to cope with whatever life throws at you.