flow : introduction
/flō/
One of the things I love about Jin Shin Jyutsu, that’s been extremely helpful in my work and personal life, is that it’s not about ‘doing’, it’s about ‘being.’ The less I do, and the more I “be with”, the more supportive and effortless living life becomes! Although we might say we ‘do Jin Shin Jyutsu’, we actually work towards simply “Being” as we place our hands along particular areas of the body (our own or others’). This process reduces stress, supports our optimal body functioning, and serves as an effortless meditation.
For me, Jin Shin Jyutsu is indeed a beautiful form of meditation, “being with”, and living in the present moment. I also practice sitting and movement meditations, yoga and other ways of developing conscious awareness. JSJ integrates well with other forms and belief systems, and does not need to be done in a private, secluded, or ritual way-in fact, it’s easy and most effective to incorporate in your daily activities. Mary Burmeister gave examples of applying JSJ while talking on the phone or sitting in a waiting room, for example.
Through personal experience, research studies, and medical imaging techniques, we know that meditation has far-reaching beneficial effects on body and mind. Although it can seem difficult to practice the stillness intrinsic to the art of Jin Shin Jyutsu, it’s very nature creates the relaxation, movement, and flow you need in your body and in your life, at the perfect time needed, to enliven and elevate your mood and spirit, and improve physical symptoms.
What is flow?
There is a saying, “Being in the flow.” Hard to describe this way of Being in words. The noun flow means the action of moving along in a steady, continuous stream. As a verb, it means to move along or out steadily and continuously in a current. Thus, when we are ‘in the flow’, we let go of expectations, results, control, meaning, and thoughts, and go along with whatever comes up. As with water, the current may be gentle and smooth; or, there may be eddies that form from the build up of debris in our lives, cascading tumultuously downstream. Stay with it, navigate the waters, surf the waves...let yourself be in the flow! I promise that with less resistance on your part, the flow will smooth out into that steady, continuous stream. The more you practice with ease, the more smooth and continuous it becomes.
How does flow apply to Jin Shin Jyutsu? Stay tuned for the next posting...
