The Power in Your Hands: Finding Stillness with the Ancient Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu

How often do you feel it? That rising tide of overwhelm, the low hum of anxiety, the feeling of being pulled in a dozen different directions at once. In our hyper-connected world, moments of true quiet and inner calm can feel like a rare luxury. We search for relief, sometimes in complex solutions, when one of the most profound tools for finding our centre is, quite literally, already in our hands.

I know this landscape of anxiety intimately. On my own journey, navigating the complexities of delayed emotional processing (DEP) and the daily challenges of anxiety, I’ve learned that the most powerful tools are often the simplest. They are the practices that don't require equipment or appointments, but rather a moment of conscious connection with ourselves. These are the tools that help us in the moments we need them most.

That’s why I was so drawn to an ancient Japanese art called Jin Shin Jyutsu. You may have seen simple hand exercises circulating online, promising instant calm, and wondered if there was anything to them. The answer is a resounding yes. The millions of views these techniques garner speak to a collective yearning for natural, accessible ways to heal and find peace.

In a recent video, I created a guided practice to walk you through a simple, powerful Jin Shin Jyutsu hand method. That video is the "how." This article is the "why." It’s an exploration of the history, the principles, and the quiet science behind this beautiful art of self-healing. It’s an invitation to understand that you are not broken, you do not always need an external fix; you possess an innate capacity to harmonise your own energy and find stillness amidst the storm.

An Art Rediscovered: The Story of Jin Shin Jyutsu

Like many profound healing arts, the story of Jin Shin Jyutsu is one of rediscovery. Its modern form is credited to Master Jiro Murai, a Japanese philosopher who, in the early 20th century, faced a terminal illness. Turning away from conventional treatment, he retreated to his family's mountain cabin, where he practiced ancient techniques of meditation, fasting, and specific hand positions, or mudras. Miraculously, he healed himself.

Driven by his experience, Murai dedicated his life to reviving and structuring this ancient wisdom, which he named Jin Shin Jyutsu, translating to "The Art of the Creator through the Person of Knowing and Compassion." He believed this wasn't something he invented, but an innate human wisdom he had simply uncovered. He spent years studying, observing, and documenting the intricate energy pathways in the body, culminating in the gentle, yet powerful, art we know today.

The core philosophy is both simple and profound: a universal life force energy (or 'Ki', similar to 'Chi' in Chinese tradition) flows through our bodies along specific pathways. When this energy flows freely, we experience health and harmony. However, the stresses of daily life – our thoughts, our diet, our emotions – can cause this energy to become blocked or stagnant. These blockages, according to Jin Shin Jyutsu, are the root of disharmony, manifesting as physical, mental, or emotional symptoms.

The practice itself involves gently holding specific points on the body, known as Safety Energy Locks (SELs), to unlock these blockages and allow energy to flow freely once more. And the most accessible and powerful of these tools are our very own hands.

The Science of Stillness: Why Does Holding Your Fingers Work?

While the language of energy pathways may feel esoteric to some, the effects of Jin Shin Jyutsu are deeply rooted in the principles of the mind-body connection, a cornerstone of The Bar Raiser Mindset. The gentle, sustained touch involved in this practice has a direct and measurable impact on our physiology.

Activating the Parasympathetic Nervous System

Our bodies have two main nervous system states: the sympathetic ("fight, flight, or freeze") and the parasympathetic ("rest-and-digest"). Chronic stress keeps us stuck in fight, flight, or freeze mode. The simple act of holding a finger with gentle, mindful pressure for several minutes acts as a signal to the body that it is safe. This helps to activate the parasympathetic nervous system, slowing the heart rate, deepening the breath, and calming the entire system.

The Power of Acupressure and Meridians

Jin Shin Jyutsu shares principles with acupressure. Each finger is understood to be connected to specific energy meridians, which in turn are associated with different organs, attitudes, and emotions. By holding a finger, you are stimulating these pathways, helping to release the corresponding emotional energy.

A Gateway to Mindfulness

The practice is, at its heart, a profound exercise in mindfulness. When you focus your attention on the simple sensation of holding a finger – the warmth, the pulse, the feeling of connection – you are anchoring your awareness in the present moment. This act of interoception (sensing the internal state of your body) quiets the racing mind, pulling you out of anxious thought loops about the past or future and into the physical reality of the now.

Your Hands, Your Emotional Toolkit

In Jin Shin Jyutsu, each finger and the palm of the hand corresponds to a specific "attitude" or emotional state. By understanding these connections, you can tailor the practice to what you're feeling in any given moment.

1️⃣ The Thumb: Worry

The thumb is associated with the emotion of worry and the element of the stomach and spleen. When you feel caught in cycles of rumination or anxiety, gently wrapping your other hand around your thumb can help to soothe the mind and ease digestive tension often linked to stress.

2️⃣ The Index Finger: Fear

This finger relates to fear, as well as the kidney and bladder meridians. In moments of panic, terror, or even just general apprehension, holding your index finger can help to instill a sense of courage and release the grip of fear. It can be a powerful anchor when you feel emotionally shaky.

3️⃣ The Middle Finger: Anger

Anger, frustration, and resentment are linked to the middle finger and the liver/gallbladder meridians. When you feel irritation or anger rising, holding your middle finger can help to dissipate that intense energy, allowing for a calmer, more rational perspective to emerge.

4️⃣ The Ring Finger: Sadness & Grief

The ring finger is connected to sadness, grief, and the lung/large intestine energy. It’s the finger to hold when you feel the weight of loss or melancholy. This practice can offer a gentle comfort, allowing the emotion to be acknowledged and move through you without getting stuck.

5️⃣ The Little Finger: "Trying Too Hard" & Pretense

This finger is for the overachievers, the people-pleasers, the ones who feel they have to put on a brave face. It relates to the heart and small intestine and the attitude of "efforting" or trying too hard. Holding the little finger is an act of letting go, of allowing yourself to be authentic and release the struggle.

The Palm: Overall Harmony

The centre of the palm is a powerful point that helps to harmonise the entire being. It connects to the diaphragm and our breath. Pressing gently into the palm is a wonderful way to ground yourself, quiet the mind, and bring a sense of deep, overall peace.

A Guided Moment of Calm: Putting It Into Practice

Reading about this practice is one thing; experiencing it is another. To help you connect directly with the calming effects of this ancient art, I’ve created a simple, 10-minute guided video. This practice walks you through each finger hold, allowing you to experience the subtle shifts in your own body and mind.

There's no need for perfection. The goal is simply to be present with yourself. Find a comfortable place to sit, press play, and allow my voice to guide you.

Weaving Calm into Your Daily Life

The true beauty of Jin Shin Jyutsu is its accessibility. You don't need a special time or place. You can integrate this practice seamlessly into your day.

• ➡️ At Your Desk: Feeling overwhelmed by emails? Discreetly hold your thumb under your desk for a few minutes to ease the worry.
• ➡️ In a Meeting: Anxious before a presentation? Gently wrap your hand around your index finger to calm your nerves.
• ➡️ During Your Commute: Stuck in traffic and feeling frustrated? Hold your middle finger to dissipate the anger.
• ➡️ While Watching TV: Instead of passively scrolling on your phone, use the time to mindfully hold each of your fingers, giving yourself a full energetic tune-up.
• ➡️ As a Bedtime Ritual: Lying in bed, hold the centre of your palm to quiet your mind and prepare your body for deep, restorative sleep. For more on sleep, you might find my article on The Timeless Power of Rest helpful.

The Wisdom in Your Hands

In a world that constantly pulls our attention outward, practices like Jin Shin Jyutsu invite us to return home to ourselves. They remind us that we are not helpless in the face of stress and anxiety. We possess an innate wisdom, a built-in toolkit for self-soothing and rebalancing.

This art is a profound expression of self-care and self-compassion. It’s a way of holding yourself, literally and figuratively, through life’s challenges. The next time you feel the familiar stirrings of worry, fear, or sadness begin to take hold, I invite you to pause. Take a breath. And remember the quiet, powerful wisdom waiting in your own hands.