Adele and Scooter Leas write about “Jin Shin Jyutsu in Florida – Canine Prison Program” in The Main Central Jin Shin Jyutsu Newsletter, issue Number 71, Winter 2011:

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Understanding how FEAR has limited and driven us is such a universal need. I summoned up lots of control not to sob, realizing that Jin Shin Jyutsu had just changed another life!

We shifted gears, moving into a short dog session, holding only the center thirteen/tens, allowing the animals to balance the exhale and the inhale, feeling Unconditional Love and The Limitless Outpouring of the Life Force. I asked the men to explore the quality of their touch, their ability to sense the dogs’ pulses, to use their intuitive communication skills and to play with the idea of working from the “Impersonal Self”. The outcomes were diverse and beautiful.

By the time I left that day, I knew I was wild about this work and began to look for ways to make it an ongoing program. That is where the Mary Burmeister – JSJ International Outreach and Pat Meador came in. I had read about the amazing prison programs that the Outreach foundation was sponsoring in India. I decided to see if they had any ideas about how to proceed with this program. Jeanne Marie Brennan, the foundation coordinator, was open, excited, supportive and well-informed about both JSJ and prisons. After a series of brainstorming calls and emails, Jeanne Marie informed me that the foundation would support this work. That meant I could move forward and develop a real program at the prison. At about this same time, Pat Meador turned ninety. The faculty wanted to honor her and she suggested that they make any contributions to the Outreach foundation. Because of Pat’s love of animals and her family’s work in Search and Rescue, she has requested that her birthday offering support this program.

The other unexpected boost the work received was from the warden of the prison. I requested permission to give a copy of my book, Jin Shin Jyutsu for Your Animal Companion, to interested inmates. I had been told that the books were not allowed because of the metal bindings. This forward thinking warden simply said that the men will change the bindings and each of them will receive a copy to further their studies.

With these bold green lights to continue the work, I returned to the prison today and set out plans for a ten-month intensive program. I asked the men for a commitment. This would include: two classes a month (a combination of book study and hands-on work), daily half-hour self-help/dog sessions, and monthly progress reports. these reports will consist of what they are experiencing, what makes sense, what they and the dogs like and what obstacles they encounter in this new way of “BE-ing” with dogs.

To my amazement all but seven of the eligible men registered. I am so thrilled and looking forward to seeing what happens next. I’ll keep you posted.

Thank you, Adele and Scooter.

Thank you, Mary.

Thank you, David.

Gassho, Namaste, Blessings

All issues of The Main Central Jin Shin Jyutsu Newsletter are available at http://www.jsjinc.net.