"In every human being there is a special heaven, whole and unbroken." ~Paracelsus
Jin Shin Jyutsu is a ancient art which restores an individual's balance-body, mind and spirit. The roots of this simple, yet profound art were rediscovered in Japan in the beginning of the twentieth century by Jiro Murai, and brought to the west by Mary Iino Burmeister in the 1950's.
Born into a long line of medical doctors, Jiro Murai chose to follow a different path and devoted himself to a search for the true meaning of life. He traveled far and wide until he became terminally ill with an ailment unknown to doctors of his time. When the treatment available to him failed to produce any result and death seemed inevitable, he asked to be taken to a solitary cabin in the mountains and be left alone for seven days. There, he meditated on all the teachings of the masters he had learned and began practicing the forgotten art on himself.
Each day, his body temperature dropped, as he moved in and out of consciousness. On the seventh day, he suddenly felt himself being lifted out of his semi-frozen state and exposed to an extreme amount of heat. When his fever subsided, he felt completely well and healed. He was so grateful that he fell to his knees and vowed he would spend the rest of his life researching this wonderful art.
Master Murai found the earliest written records on the Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu in the Kojiki, an ancient Japanese text, which indicated that this way of harmonizing the body/mind/spirit was widely known and practiced before the birth of Gautama Buddha and Moses, and was passed from Master to apprentice by oral tradition. This simple procedure of placing hands on the body, according to the knowledge of bodily energy flows, dates back to the very beginning of time. But through the development of our civilization, its basic knowledge was lost as we explored more complex ways of healing.
Self-Help is the cornerstone of Jin Shin Jyutsu and is the pathway to healing and continued balance. Jiro Murai's story is indeed a story of self-help and can serve as inspiration to us all that we hold the power to heal within our hands.
“When you recover or discover something that nourishes your soul and brings joy, care enough about yourself to make room for it in your life.” ~Jean Shinoda Bolen