Jin Shin Jyutsu for Beginners: Simple Hand Techniques for Healing
- Atsuko
- Jul 28
- 3 min read
Today, I’m going to share a special self-care practice from Japan.
It’s called Jin Shin Jyutsu (仁神術).
Jin Shin Jyutsu was developed by Jiro Murai around 1900 in Japan.
It means “The Art of Jin Shin.”
Jin（仁） means compassionate heart, and Shin（神） means god or creator — though it’s not related to any religion.
It is a method of self-care. We use our hands and don’t use any other tools.
Earlier this year, I joined a free workshop because it was held in my condominium, and I was curious.
At first, I didn’t expect much. But surprisingly, it seemed to work for me — so I joined another class.
Then, I noticed something: the eczema that had come back about six months ago was half gone.
I had experienced the same skin issue back in 2016. At that time, I changed my diet, and eventually, it went away.
But this time, the eczema — about 1 cm in diameter — appeared on my right foot and was stubborn.
I changed my diet again and drank raw vegetable juice with almost every meal, but it didn’t help. I felt hopeless.
So you can imagine how happy I was when I saw the eczema had started to disappear.
And it’s not just me.
A friend of mine had an eye issue that improved after a Jin Shin Jyutsu session.
The teacher’s son was diagnosed with autism, and she cared for him using Jin Shin Jyutsu.
Now, he is working, doing household chores, and helping his mother.
What do we do in Jin Shin Jyutsu?
If you want to study the full system, you’ll learn how energy flows through the body. This system is different from acupuncture meridians.
But for basic self-care, you don’t need to understand the entire energy map or the science behind it.
(Of course, knowing the background helps deepen your understanding.)
Today, I’ll share a simple technique I learned in class:
How to Try It
Just hold each finger on your left hand gently with your right hand.
Feel the pulsation. Hold it for a couple of minutes.
Then, move on to the next finger.
That’s it. Simple, isn’t it?
Each finger relates to different emotions and body parts:
Thumb: Worry ・ Stomach/Spleen ・ Skin Surface
Index finger: Fear ・ Bladder/Kidney ・ Muscles
Middle finger: Anger ・ Gallbladder/Liver ・ Blood
Ring finger: Grief/Sadness ・ Lung/Large Intestine ・ Deep Skin
Little finger: Pretending/Trying too hard ・ Heart ・ Small Intestine ・ Skeleton
🧘♀️ Important:
Don’t press or grip tightly. Just hold gently and feel the pulse.
It feels calming. Try it and see how it feels.
I know some of you might be skeptical.
But it’s worth trying.
Just hold each finger and feel the pulsation. You may notice a shift.
“When Jin Shin practitioners see a toddler sucking her thumb, we see something more than a mere substitution — we see a child instinctively harmonizing her digestion, balancing her stomach and spleen energy. An adult can achieve the same result by simply holding the thumb,”
— Alexis Brink, The Art of Jin Shin
✨ Start healing with your own hands — every day.
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