Ian Harris offers an article in The Main Central Jin Shin Jyutsu Newsletter issue from Summer 2005, Number 49 about the lumbar circle. This, and all issues of The Main Central, are available at http://www.jsjinc.net.

We were reminded by Mary to listen to the pulses (at my own level of awareness) and find the need of the body at this moment. Sometimes, someone will come to us with a need, a project. We can listen to the pulse and maybe hear some need in one of the 12 organ functions or in some particular depth, etc. We can go directly to that function and utilize a flow to harmonize it.

To illustrate more specifically I will use an example that I’ve heard others of the instructors use as well. If someone is having a breathing project, we might immediately think of Lung Function Energy or 2nd Depth. We may listen to the pulses and hear exactly that. If the project is reflecting something that is going on right now, a Lung flow may be enough to harmonize the situation. The person may then be just fine. However, if this project is a result of a deeper disharmony, and we are only just now seeing the effects, then we might have to look somewhere else, and not just the Lung function.

Now we look at our Lumbar Circle, with the Depths 3 – 2 – 5 – 4 – 1, in that order moving in a clockwise direction. Again in this way, the depths are energizing each other. In this instance, the 5th Depth Heart Function Energy may be where the original disharmony was, and this dam causes things to back up (counter-clockwise) and affect, or burden, this 2nd Depth Lung Function Energy. We now need to remove the dam so that we are back moving clockwise. We can utilize this Heart flow and make room so that the Lung function can begin moving again. Just to help it along, we now go behind the 2nd Depth Lung to the 3rd Depth Liver Function Energy to give a little push or Energize this Lung function. Now we can go directly to the Lung function itself and harmonize it. If the situation was as described, then this person will likely begin to feel better.

If the breathing project is chronic or is something that has just taken a longer while for us to notice, then the cause may be even deeper. Now we need to look a little farther down the path on the Lumbar Circle to find the cause. Instead of going one position ahead on the circle to 5th Depth Heart function, we look two positions ahead to the 4th depth Kidney Function Energy. Again, we make room for movement to a clockwise direction. We can utilize the Kidney flow and remove the dam, or harmonize the burdener. Now, as we went two positions ahead and made room, we can go two positions behind (1st Depth Spleen Function Energy) and give it an equal push and help get the Lung Function Energy back in the flow. This Mary calls the Supporter of the function. Now we can go directly to the Lung function and clear it completely. So, one step behind is the Energizer and two steps behind is the Supporter. At this point the clockwise motion on this Lumbar Circle has been restored, and we have a good chance that this person will be feeling a lot better.

If you’ve noticed, all that has been mentioned so far are ascending functions of each of the depths. So, the project was the 2nd Depth ascending function and we looked to unburden it by clearing Heart (5th Depth ascending) or Kidney (4th Depth ascending) and energizing with Liver (3rd Depth ascending) or supporting with spleen (1st Depth ascending). However, if the project is the descending function of the 2nd Depth, Large Intestine, then we would unburden by clearing the descending functions of 5th and 4th Depths which are Small Intestine and Bladder. Then we energize or support with the descending functions of the 3rd or 1st Depths (Gall Bladder or Stomach).

If the project is in a Depth other than 2nd to which we have been referring, then we would just rotate around the Lumbar Circle and use the same relationships. We just need to remember the order of energizers (3-2-5-4-1) and the order of supporters (3-5-1-2-4, the star inside the circle) and we can find the answers we are seeking.

If the cause lies somewhere other than what is discussed here, well, that will be written in another article, I’m sure. We are fortunate to have been given so many places to look for the cause of the disharmony. I hope this sheds some light on how to utilize this Lumbar Circle in finding the cause in this way.

Thank you, Ian.

Thank you, Mary.

Thank you, David.

Gassho, Namaste, Blessings