"Be kind to others, but always be compassionate to yourself." ~Yogi Tea Bag
Sometimes it is as easy as taking a moment to sit in a peaceful place and drink a cup of tea. Simple really. The other day I pulled out a teabag and found the message in the photo above. It struck me as the perfect meditation for my tea break and an inspiration for this article! There is no way that we can help others if our reserves are depleted. The longer we allow ourselves to continue on the road of depletion, the more likely we are to get sick. So finding ways to recharge your batteries is an important step in staying healthy and capable. Our yoga practice does this for us and so does our jin shin jyutsu practice. Empowering people is one of my missions as a holistic practitioner. The self help aspect of Jin Shin Jyutsu is the main thing that made me fall in love with Jin Shin Jyutsu. This belief in our ability to help ourselves enables us to see that when we keep our own cup full, we have more to share with the world. When we are nurtured, we in turn are able to nurture others. It is the time one puts into self-help/self-reflection that strengthens the pathways for healing.
For me, I find that the most effective self-help is self-help that is done with the least amount of effort. It can be as easy as holding a finger or doing a one-step "quickie". You can do an entire flow or just the steps that feel good to you. Whatever you do for yourself will be beneficial, it will nurture your body, mind and spirit.
The only time Jin Shin Jyutsu is not effective is when you are not using it. So pick something simple and do it every day. Make a daily goal of 10 minutes to start with and build up to more time eventually. Pick something simple like holding your thumb. Allow WORRY and STRESS to melt away as you balance your digestion and skin to name just a few benefits of simply holding your THUMBS each day. The time spent with self-help need not be continuous, but can be 5 minutes here and 10 minutes there. Make it work for you however you can. Do not be discouraged. Remember that the results are not always immediate, nor do they always come in the form that you are looking for, but on some causal level they are working for you - nurturing your essence, peeling the deep layers and clearing the way for balance and healing.
"Be the one who nurtures and builds. Be the one who has an understanding and a forgiving heart one who looks for the best in people. Leave people better than you found them.” ~Marvin J. Ashton