Louanne Ellis writes about: “The Spring Equinox” in The Main Central Jin Shin Jyutsu Newsletter, issue Number 76, Spring 2012:

Leo, corresponding to the Heart Function Energy, is the high point of the individuated ego development and expression of creativity. Leo is where we identify with ourselves as the center of the “universe”. The Sun, god of our local universe, rules Leo. You may have observed that the phenomenon of “young masters of the universe” is an attitude which peaks at 28-35 years. This is the peak of belief in one’s individual abilities. From here on, life’s lessons and maturity begin to provide these beautiful idealistic youthful beings with “doubt”, or information indicating that perhaps they are not the center of the universe – darn! Aries (birth – 7 years) don’t think about it; they will “act” as if they are the center; infants get all the feedback from  life they need to assume that the sun rises and sets based on their needs. The fire signs complete with Sagittarius and the realization of just how small our “Sun” is in relationship to the universe.

The attributes of Leo in disharmony are evidenced by an unnatural need for attention. Ego insecurity drives the individual to seek approval from the outside as a result of not feeling it internally. A damaged ego from childhood will result in the individual craving attention and recognition; therefore, we see the Jin Shin Jyutsu attitude of “trying to” – trying to prove the worthiness of being noticed, loved, admired, etc. In harmony, Leo, ruled by the Sun and the Heart Function Energy, will be generous, affectionate, loyal, and creative. Leos can be natural leaders, great teachers, artists, and lovers.

Sagittarius corresponds to the Diaphragm Function Energy, and the spiritual phase of the breath, which begins in the Lung, Second Depth, and the first stage of manifestation. Astrologically, Sagittarius is the culmination of spiritual development. It is the third manifestation of the fire signs (the Chest Flows). In the Diaphragm we experience aspiration, and the physio-philosophy of our spiritual nature and the support of prana, or life/spirit force transmitted through the Diaphragm and the Sixth Depth or Bridge connecting us to Source.

The common expression of the Sagittarian “signature” in disharmony is arrogance. Sagittarius corresponds to the Diaphragm Function Energy in Jin Shin Jyutsu and the Sixth Depth. It is the masculine function of the Sixth Depth and assists in the exhaling process. When emotions get stuck or frozen in the body, the diaphragm often becomes restricted or “stiff”. The inability to exhale by definition limits receiving and relaxing. The Sixth Depth does not have a corresponding emotional expression in the manner of the Depths 1-5, as presented by Mary Burmeister. This is because the Bridge contains the potential and integration for all the Depths. In Mary’s terms it would be the “inclusive” function. The Sixth Depth has a similar function as the Main Central Vertical Flow; i.e., it is an immediate source for all the individualized flows. The Diaphragm, the masculine function of the Sixth Depth, is critical in assisting the body to receive the life force of prana. It IS the “RAINBOW BRIDGE”. I do not use the term “rainbow bridge” as metaphysical jargon. It is profoundly significant and is why it has found its way into multiple expressions, songs, books, etc. The “Light – the Spark” of the Seventh Depth bridging down into the Sixth Depth as Life, has an intrinsic correspondence to the seven major chakras/the endocrine system and the seven rays of the visible color spectrum. This rainbow message is the covenant signifying that God will never withdraw His Love. The Bridge transmits the Light of the Seventh Depth through the Sixth Depth as the spectrum of Love, supporting our individualized Spirit.

The Bridge connecting our individual spirit to the collective spirit functions with/as the breath. Mary told us that 36 conscious breaths would bring our being into harmony – 36 applications of giving and receiving, exhaling and inhaling – 3 x 12 corresponds to the 12 organ flows completed in the physical, mental and spiritual dimensions – 4 x 9 corresponds to a completed cycle of the four elements: chest, finger, face, toe flows. I don’t know if 6 x 6 has a meaningful or useful correspondence. This brings to mind the brilliant songwriter and musician David Byrne, and his song “Like Humans Do” – I’m breathing in I’m breathing out. It is a bit more poetic than Mary, but there we have the wisdom of the ubiquitous message, “JUST BREATH”.

To recap:

The Lung Function Energy Flow, corresponding to Aries, initiates the gift of a new incarnation, a new physical body. We take in the Breath of Life to commence this journey. The Heart Function Energy Flow, corresponding to Leo, provides us with the inspiration and dedication to creatively express our individual identity. The Diaphragm Function Energy Flow, corresponding to Sagittarius, provides us with the aspiration to expand our awareness and identity as we become aware of our spiritual nature.

Thank you, Louanne.

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.

Louanne Ellis writes about: “The Spring Equinox” in The Main Central Jin Shin Jyutsu Newsletter, issue Number 76, Spring 2012:

The Spring Equinox marks the birth of a new year for the Northern Hemisphere. The sun’s rays are perpendicular to the equator, creating equal light and dark for the planet. The Sun enters the sign of Aries initiating its annual passage through the astrological signs in what we call the Order of 12 Organ Manifesting Functions, from Mary’s “Answer Sheer.”

A New Birth/Identity and the expanding of consciousness follow each water sign (the Toe Flows) phase. The water signs Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces represent different “death” aspects of our lives. Out of each “death” we emerge to develop the next phase of our growth and identity, represented by the fire signs, commencing in the Chest Flows with birth represented by the Lung Function Energy.

The Three Chest Flows – Lung, Heart, and Diaphragm – correspond to the fires signs in astrology: Aries, Leo, and Sagittarius. These signs reveal through natural progression the growth of our identity and consciousness in the three distinct phases of our lives: youth, middle, and elder ages. The subtle and significant words associated with these ages illuminate the specific nature of three different qualities and functions of the Breath as represented in the Spiritual Fire of the Chest Flows.

Aries corresponds to Birth, the Lung Function Energy, and the physical aspect of our spiritual identity, remembering that “matter is the lowest form of Spirit, and Spirit is the highest form of matter.” The physical body is supported by RESPIRATION, the keyword describing this particular function of the breath.

Leo initiates midlife and corresponds to Heart Function Energy. The keyword describing the function of the breath sustaining our Spirit on a mental level is INSPIRATION. It nurtures our individual creativity and the peak of our ego development. Mary taught us that 80% of our “breath” goes to the brain.

Sagittarius initiates elder age and corresponds to the Diaphragm Function Energy. The awareness of our spiritual identity expands through this learning phase of exploring higher consciousness. The keyword describing the function of the breath supporting our spiritual identity is ASPIRATION.

*****

Aries, corresponding to the Lung Function Energy, is the first fire sign and represents our physical body and instinctual nature. The corresponding time of life is birth to seven years. The lung literally provides us with the breath that enlivens our being. We come into this life as a spiritual being. We come into the present incarnation as a result of selecting the “refresh” mode for experience on the physical plane to continue our individual spiritual evolution. When the lung is in harmony we experience the natural spontaneity of youthful exuberance as we discover who we are, the development of ego consciousness. We are instinctively driven to act, to explore, to discover “Who am I?” – as a result of interaction with the unlimited potential of this new unfolding opportunity – the “refresh’ button in action.

The attributes of Aries, when out of balance or out of phase, are evidenced by the time of life that Aries rules, birth to seven years. As infants and children, Aries expect the world to revolve around them, which it literally does in their infancy. They can be self-serving, selfish, hardheaded, and often will act without thinking – hyper-independent and “thoughtless.” Their positive attributes are also independence, bravery, and adventurous pioneering natures. They are instinctively intelligent and spontaneous. They are natural warriors and explorers. The connection to the lung will manifest in disharmony when an individual is experiencing fear of life, as an overlay to the subconscious sense of loss and disconnect. This could be seen as asthma, bronchitis, or any lung ailment. When the lungs are strong, a person is supported with the physical energy to engage in life spontaneously and fearlessly.

To be continued…

Michelle Giambra writes: “My Dad, ALS, and Jin Shin Jyutsu” in The Main Central Jin Shin Jyutsu Newsletter, issue Number 80, Spring 2013:

In 1996 my dad, John C. Knoch, was diagnosed with ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), more commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease. During the course of this fatal disease, the motor neurons that send messages to the muscles in the body die, resulting in paralysis. The mind is not affected. There is no known cause or cure.

Initially Dad experienced difficulty using his right hand and arm. The disease then progressed to the other arm and both legs. Eventually, his speech and breathing became impaired. He was using a bi-pap machine to assist in his breathing.

It was a couple of years into his diagnosis that I discovered Jin Shin Jyutsu. Dad was one of my first willing “guinea pigs”. One day, I was giving him a session when the Hospice nurse came to examine him. Upon checking his blood pressure, she became very surprised: his blood pressure was the lowest it had ever been. (His blood pressure was typically high.) My stepmother suggested that maybe it’s the Jin Shin Jyutsu, to which Dad nodded as emphatically as he could saying, “Yes!” He was able to feel the Jin Shin Jyutsu relaxing him.

In November of 1998, my father was faced with perhaps the most difficult decision of his life. The bi-pap breathing machine was no longer providing ample breathing assistance.

Basically, Dad had to decide whether he wanted to have a tracheostomy and live the rest of his days on life support, or pass on. After several grueling days in the ICU at the Cleveland Clinic, he decided to have the surgery.

When he returned to ICU after the surgery, I sat beside him to share Jin Shin Jyutsu. He was really out of it and not consciously aware that I was there. As I slipped my hand under his left shoulder blade (to begin harmonizing the Mediator Flow), I felt his whole body relax. It was as if his entire being exhaled a big sigh of relief. It was amazing!

Dad then lived at home, a quadriplegic confined to a hospital bed and unable to speak. His mind was as sharp as a tack. He maintained a commanding presence, communicating and directing us through eye blinks. When asked if he would like to receive Jin Shin Jyutsu, he would always blink twice, indicating “Yes”. His entire family, including his grandchildren, participated in helping to harmonize the imbalances he experienced: lung congestion, constipation, UTIs, anxiety, depression; the list goes on. Since he was in a hospital bed, we used easy-to-reach applications: holding his 1s, palming his calves, holding his 7s, holding his 4s, the Thumb Function Energy, the Little Finger Function Energy and Opposite Fingers and Toes. We kept it simple.

Over the years I had explained to Dad what some of the flows are. And if I asked him what flow he wanted, he usually requested the “10 Flow” because he knew it is the “Abundance Flow”. If nothing else, I held his fingers, because simply holding the fingers, one at a time for a few minutes each, can harmonize the entire being!

Dad passed away in May 2009. He lived many years beyond the “average life expectancy” of someone diagnosed with ALS. He is a true hero in my eyes. I am grateful that we a had Jin Shin Jyutsu as a tool to help us during this time.

Thank you, Michelle.

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.

Connie White, San Antonio, TX writes: “In the Beginning” in The Main Central Jin Shin Jyutsu Newsletter, issue Number 80, Spring 2013:

This is a story about the usefulness of the Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu in remarkable situations. I’m remembering “The Farm”, isolated, deep in the heart of Texas Hill Country, a Sufi community who encourages natural childbirth utilizing midwives, homeopathic remedies and a women’s prayer circle during the birth process itself. In this tradition the Spirit (“Ruh”) stirs (enters) the fetus at the fourth month of pregnancy and emerges from the womb as a human being. Birth becomes a joyous yet profound religious event.

I can recall Mary saying that holding the hi-ones would be of great benefit for a woman during childbirth, and I had several occasions while in this community to apply this prescription. During labor Jin Shin Jyutsu is of tremendous benefit not only with respect to the comfort of the mother but helps to provide a focus to the spiritual vibration of the natural childbirth experience. Most of the women I helped through labor were not comfortable with complete flow patterns, but they loved having their hi-ones held tightly. There is a human tendency when there is discomfort to pull away from the pain. During childbirth this only compounds problems and intensifies the pain. Grab those hi-ones, and a laboring woman connects with the ground of all being and can then focus that the baby needs to come down.

Safety Energy Lock 1 is often called “The Prime Mover…where it all starts.” Wayne Hackett describes Safety Energy Lock 1 as “the place from which all activity, all movement, begins, and so it’s the initiation of the process of spirit as matter” and as “Movement. In the beginning.” (The Main Central Volume 1 Number 3) For a woman in labor, the number One is like an anchor. It keeps her from running away. Attention and focus are single purpose at the beginning. This leads to the realization that the only way out is through, and the only way through is dealing with the moment.

The spirit-mind-body connections of Jin Shin Jyutsu were quickly recognized at The Farm, and I was kept busy giving treatments and teaching people how to help themselves. I had attended many births in this community of Muslims, and so I was not surprised when Aisha (eye-ee-sha) asked me to be present at the birth of her second child. I got a call early one evening. Aisha asked me to come to her apartment; the midwife was already on her way. We arrived at about the same time; the midwife took out her stethoscope to listen to the baby’s heart. She could not find a heartbeat. Aisha recalled then that the baby had stopped moving a few days before. After many attempts to find a heartbeat, the midwife announced that the baby was in fact dead. Her strong and concerned recommendation was that Aisha have the delivery in the hospital.

Confronted with this crushing reality Aisha had to quickly, yet deliberately, consider her choice. There were many miles to the hospital and not much time. Recalling her first childbirth, she did not want to go to the hospital. She had faith that what had happened was God’s will, trusted the circle of her Sufi friends and wanted the prayers and support of her community. She also realized that they could only give the baby a proper ritual washing and Muslim burial if the birth took place at The Farm. Aisha decided despite the circumstances that she wanted to deliver naturally and asked for our help. We gathered several more women and another midwife. We felt that Aisha needed all the support we could muster. A prayer circle formed, and several women began singing Arabic from the Koran. As labor intensified she pleaded for her hi-ones to be held unceasingly. It kept her from going off in her head about the reality of what she was going through – so much discomfort with no baby at the end of the process.

I was connected to Aisha through my fingers. Attached to her ones, I felt no separation from her or events as they unfolded. Connecting with a woman in labor in this context is like hooking into the sea. As physical contractions raised in intensity, the waves of labor – waves of energy – waves of emotion – waves of prayer – washed through the room – primal, intense, life changing. Birth and death together, I was hooked in with her, sharing her agony, grounding her to help her get on with the labor at hand. Connecting in that circumstance with a mother’s grief, we held on through the night. At dawn Aisha delivered the stillborn perfect beautiful boy. Even though the child had died in the womb, there was a strong presence in the room. Perhaps the spirit conceived needed to be born in order to be released. A few days earlier he had tangled his foot in his umbilical cord and strangled himself. Aisha held him and wept from a totally broken heart. Presently her husband came to wash, wrap and bury the boy according to traditional Muslim custom…a terrible but beautiful story. I feel so privileged to have been there and was able through the Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu to assist this courageous woman through her challenge. I really could share in her pain, and in that sharing relieved a great deal of it.

Thank you, Connie.

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.

Jill Pasquinelli writes: “Dancing the Unknown” in The Main Central Jin Shin Jyutsu Newsletter, issue Number 80, Spring 2013:

Jin Shin Jyutsu has been a part of my life for 31 years now, pretty much most of my adult life. It has accompanied me in health and in illness, through good times and hard times, and has been the constant in my life. Every once in a while I pause to reflect on where I am in the process, the living of Jin Shin Jyutsu and the meaning and understanding it brings me to.

Actually, in all honesty it’s more mysterious than ever. It seems when I think I’ve really come to understand something, the clouds part and there’s an “aha” moment in which something is revealed, and I can discern the bigger picture…much bigger. And inevitably that moment fades…slips away…and I’m left with how little I really know or can grasp. Instead, I’m left with a sense of awe and wonderment and the illumination of another question. It’s humbling to say the least.

What I do know is that only by being in the present can I truly know anything at all. It has to do with a deep listening and a trust in what I hear, which translates to being in communion with the Creator. As Mary said, “When listening to the pulses the first thing you hear is the voice of the Creator. everything after that is your mind.” Part of this is getting our of our own way, putting our ideas aside so we can truly hear what is being spoken. Mary said after every treatment I had with her, “Thank you, God.”

Things move in mysterious ways, and everyone is different and always changing. We study, take classes, experience hands-on, experiment, and develop a deep practice with Jin Shin Jyutsu. And yet there’s something else, something invisible, unknown. This is, I think, what I love the most about Jin Shin Jyutsu.

A client I’m seeing now has a life-threatening illness and has shared with me that life hasn’t been so easy for her. It’s been a struggle to be here on earth, and she feels like she never quite fully came into this world. Now that she’s facing death, she realizes she wants a little more time. There are still things she wants to experience and do. She is a doctor and has just had a re-occurrence. She said to me, “This is an amazing journey. I don’t expect a miracle, but I’m open to one.” Her ability to accept “what is” and to remain open to not knowing is remarkable. And she has the courage to follow her heart in the midst of all this.

She recently went to Yellowstone National Park because she felt drawn to the wolves. She followed a pack of wolves, and on the last day as she was leaving, she found herself staring across the road into the eyes of a black wolf. In the way she described it to me, it was as though she had received darshan. This week she went to Baja to watch the whale migration. She was able to touch them as they came right up to the boat. She listened to their sounds throughout the night as she camped. She was filled with the spirit of whale when she came back. She said, “Life was so complete, so whole, I could have died right then, and it would have been o.k. They’re in my cells!” I have no doubt that part of her medicine is connecting with these animals. They are there, waiting for her, calling her. She experienced a sense of the eternal, where past, present and future all come together in a moment. There was no separation, just connection, beyond time and space and life and death.

It’s all alchemy. Anything can spark and initiate the movement into the process of transformation and healing…a word, a touch, a relationship, music, a bird, even our last breath. What heals us doesn’t have to do with life or death, or the body for that matter. It’s so far beyond that, it seems to me, much larger than we can grasp. but it requires that same listening that Mary was referencing. Whether it’s nature, chemotherapy, vitamins, Jin Shin Jyutsu antidepressants, homeopathy, whales, art, surgery, chocolate, eagles flowers, meditation or wolves that brings us there, it’s the work of our soul and spirit, that which is indestructible within us, that transforms us.

As practitioners we simply facilitate “what is”, whether it’s life or death. There is no better way, or more advanced way. I no longer feel one thing is better than another. Instead I see it as our discovery of what moves us, what has meaning. Therein is the magic in all this. We study and observe and participate, which leads us to discover and be our own destiny. To me this is Now Know Myself. Being in the moment, being true is what informs our ability to make the choices we do, whether it’s which flows to use, to take or not take medicine, to be in nature, but surely to dance all of this into our unique expression.

Thank you, Jill.

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.

Lynne Pflueger writes: “Peter’s Story” in The Main Central Jin Shin Jyutsu Newsletter, issue Number 80, Spring 2013:

Jin Shin Jyutsu is alchemy, the science of turning base metals into gold. It is life changing. This is a story about a young man whose life was brought back into harmony with Jin Shin Jyutsu. He is my grandson, Peter, a truly wonderful boy, now a young man. Life was good until he was severely injured playing lacrosse at the age of seventeen. During play, possibly a collision, he shattered his left lower leg bone, the fibula, which protruded from the skin. The injury occurred along the low eight and sixteen line. The ambulance came and took him directly to the hospital in San Francisco. Surgery was required. His father, my son Pete, called and asked me to go to the hospital – young Peter was quite anxious, upset, agitated, and in a lot of pain.

I was not about to start fiddling with the broken and literally shattered lower leg. It occurred to me at the time to hold Safety Energy Lock 3, each side, with same side fingers. So, on each side I sat and held the Three and same side fingers, one at a time. He began to calm down and pretty soon dozed off. The pain and anxiety dissipated. As I left, he woke up a bit which gave me the chance to suggest he hold his index finger. He said he had been holding it since he was six years old. I apparently suggested it then for a different reason. Later I was told that he remained comfortable and calm until surgery. He now lives with a titanium plate in his lower leg.

Page 2 in Text 2 explains the various influences that may interfere with the harmony of flow patterns. One of them is injuries. With the injury occurring on the lateral lower left leg, the Face Flows were affected as well as the Mediator going down, and the Supervisor going up. The Mediator has an effect on our attitudes. The Supervisor oversees the physical Being. The next few years or so were quite difficult for Peter. The injury had affected more than his leg. He was having a hard time in college, trouble focusing on work, appearing to be adrift without purpose. The Bladder line was affected, leaving him anxious. With Gall Bladder Flow affected, he was unable to make decisions about his life. Stomach left him lethargic, apathetic, and gummy. As the Face Flows go through Safety Energy Lock 16, he was to a degree paralyzed by fear, indecision, and lethargy. His parents were wringing their hands over him. I could see what had happened. I watched and waited.

When Peter called for a session, He was by then about twenty-three years old. His parents were glad to turn him over to Jin Shin Jyutsu and me. I made a house call to his basement apartment, because on that particular day he was in too much pain to drive to my house. We talked. I jumper cabled. He told me everything…his feelings of failure and disappointment in himself. I knew this was simply stagnant energy from his injury! As he left, He said that before the treatment he felt hopeless, despairing, and depressed. After the treatment he felt hopeful and encouraged. Previously stuck in the basement, he escorted me upstairs to the front door. He thanked me for coming, because he now knew he would be okay. Peter decided to come see me regularly for weekly sessions. For several weeks he came. Then not so often as as he became busy with life. Things were different. Life was on track again. Able now to finish school, he started working with success, and his confidence and self-respect were restored.

Now he is twenty-nine years old, getting married in May of this year. Life is good. We are so blessed. I remember once, during a session with Mary, she said, “Those of us who walk in this door are so lucky. Lucky means God.” Thank you!!

Thank you, Lynne.

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.

“A Speech by David Burmeister Given in Many Locations”  –  from The Main Central Jin Shin Jyutsu Newsletter, issue Number 79, Winter 2013:

Mary’s students spanned the spectrum of lifestyles and perspectives. I remember her working with lamas and with nuclear physicists, with movie stars and with hippies. Mary evolved and learned from them all. This was the “dawning of the Age of Aquarius”, and Mary’s students wanted to know how Jin Shin Jyutsu related to a vast array of subjects. Certainly Jin Shin Jyutsu has close ties with modern science and Traditional Oriental Medicine. However, through the questions and interests of her students, Mary also discovered Jin Shin Jyutsu’s interconnectedness with astrology, numerology, Kabbalah, the Tarot and many forms of ancient wisdom. All of these things are relationships that Mary would mention to her students, often saying, “For those of you who are interested, you can simply daydream about them.” Over the years, however, this message became somewhat misunderstood, and many people now believe that these things are Jin Shin Jyutsu, which they clearly are not. However, they reflect the convergence of truth in all great teachings.

Mary was truly a pioneer of higher consciousness and this was one of her greatest contributions to the Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu: her deep awareness of the significance of the “Now”, of this “breath that I am”, and how she embodied this wisdom and was able to convey it to her students. She loved to speak about the “No Thing”, the ancient concept of emptiness, and then bring it to life for her students through words and actions. Like Jiro Murai, her studies and developments in Jin Shin Jyutsu never ended.

Some of Mary’s other great contributions to the Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu include developing the Theory of the Depths, enabling us to view the human being and understanding our connection to the divine, and then show us how to utilize this awareness to help any project within the body. Mary also placed considerable emphasis on the practice of self-help and spent many years developing this knowledge and creating flows for the simple application of Jin Shin Jyutsu for “Myself”, so that each one can be their own source of healing and their own testimony.

In 1987, thankfully, Mom indulged my wishes to begin training instructors. Muriel Carlton, Philomena Dooley and Wayne Hackett were selected as the first group to begin their apprenticeship with Mary. This decision proved to be very timely because in March of 1990 Mary fell at home, sustaining a serious head injury which abruptly ended her career as our loving and gifted teacher. This immediately initiated our new teachers into presenting Jin Shin Jyutsu, and they continue to inspire our students to this day.

Besides being a profound example of balance and harmony to all who met her, Mary was a most excellent mother and friend. She was very blessed, as were we all, to be able to share her jumper cables, her joy and laughter and her amazing smile until she left us in January of 2008. The many treasures that Mary Burmeister and Jiro Murai left behind are what we are here to celebrate today and throughout 2012. It has been a supreme privilege for me to share some of what I know about these two exceptional human beings. As Mary loved to say, “We are all divinely guided.” Today with reverence and humility, we give thanks for the blessing of finding our way to the beautiful living legacy that is the Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu.

Arigatou Gozaimasu, thank you very much…

David Burmeister

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.

“A Speech by David Burmeister Given in Many Locations”  –  from The Main Central Jin Shin Jyutsu Newsletter, issue Number 79, Winter 2013:

So it was that Mary left Japan and returned to America to bring the gift that she had been earnestly studying for the past 6 years. Uhachi Iino remained in Japan for a couple more years, working on clients – many were sent to him by Jiro Murai – and continued his studies of Jin Shin Jyutsu. Uhachi was instrumental in keeping Mary up-to-date with any new discoveries from Jiro, who constantly developed his theories and created more standardized flows. He also named and located the Safety Energy Locks which he called Kamurogi and Kamuroni points, later renaming them Ki-Ten locations. When Mary left Japan there were a total of only 15 Safety Energy Locks identified. Safety Energy Locks 16-23 were developed between 1953 and 1956. Finally, Jiro created Safety Energy Locks 24-26 before the beginning of his final lecture. The first time all 26 Safety Energy Locks appeared together was in 1957 during his final lecture series. By the time the 1957 lecture began, Jiro was no longer speaking very much about the Mediator function because it had been well incorporated into all the Safety Energy Lock flows.

One of Uhachi Iino’s clients was a young man by the name of Haruki Kato, who was also deeply interested in learning the Art of Jin Shin Jyutsu. Mary’s departure opened up a rare space in Jiro Murai’s study group allowing Kato-san to begin attending the lectures. Haruki Kato corresponded with Mary for many years, helping her to continue her studies and stay current with Jiro’s ongoing research and developments.

Kato-san became a prominent student and studied with Jiro Murai until the end of Jiro’s life. Kato Sensei has continued to share Jin Shin Jyutsu in Japan throughout his lifetime. Over the past 20 years he has traveled to the U.S. many times, first to meet Mary in 1992 and then to work with the faculty of Jin Shin Jyutsu, Inc. Kato Sensei also conducted two seminars for our students, one in Honolulu and one in Osaka, Japan. More recently, Sadaki Kato, Haruki Kato’s son, has played a significant role in perpetuating the work of his father and hopefully will soon be teaching classes for Jin Shin Jyutsu, Inc.

After Mary’s return to the U.S., she began the next phase of her life as a mother and wife. In addition to raising her young family, she studied her Jin Shin Jyutsu materials constantly and soon began to work first on family then on friends. It wasn’t long before the word got out in Los Angeles about a little Japanese woman who had an amazing gift for helping people alleviate their illnesses. before long Mary found herself working from early in the mornings until late in the evenings sharing her healing hands with the many people who found their way to our home. No one was turned away.

Then in 1965, twelve years after her return from Japan, Mary began to teach Jin Shin Jyutsu to others. Her first class was taught to a group of chiropractors who learned of Mary from her neighbor, May DeFont, whom she had treated for migraine headaches. Mary’s purpose in life was now being realized as scores of students flocked to study with her. Southern California in the ’60s became the setting where Jin Shin Jyutsu first took hold in America. This was a very unique time in the United States with so much growth in consciousness, much of it coming from the East. So the popularity of Jin Shin Jyutsu seemed very natural and fitting for the times.

To be continued…

“A Speech by David Burmeister Given in Many Locations”  –  from The Main Central Jin Shin Jyutsu Newsletter, issue Number 79, Winter 2013:

For the remainder of his life, Jiro Murai continued to develop his knowledge and the basic principles of Jin Shin Jyutsu. He was a true scientist and researcher utilizing every method available to him to learn all he could about Jin Shin Jyutsu. He worked with countless people to test his theories and observe the results. Two groups that he found to be willing subjects were the homeless people in Ueno Park (a large city park in Tokyo) and another group who were considered untouchables. These people worked in the meat and leather industry and had been treated as outcasts by most of Japanese society. During the Edo period of Japan, which lasted from 1603 to 1868, until the Meiji restoration when Japan became a unified country, it was frowned upon to eat anything with four legs. Even though the Edo period was long over, anyone who worked in the livestock industry was treated with prejudice and forced to live in separate districts. In Tokyo, this district happened to border Ueno Park.

Jiro Murai would help these people, and they in turn helped him with his research. On a given day Jiro would request that everyone with a particular condition, such as a hearing project or a respiratory illness, for example, gather so that he could examine and treat them and record his findings. When some of them died, Jiro would also pay for their funerals giving him the opportunity to dissect them before they were cremated. To this day Japanese law requires that everyone except the Emperor be cremated after dying. It was very rare in Japan to have cadavers for the purposes of dissection, so the local medical school was very happy when Jiro would provide them and they were willing to allow him to participate in the procedure. We know that Jiro had assisted in at least 18 human dissections, which explains his intimate understanding of human anatomy.

Jiro Murai also found value in dissecting the heads of cows fresh from the slaughterhouse. He thought this was extremely beneficial because of their large size, which enabled him to observe things on a much larger scale. This also allowed him to observe and examine them at the moment of death, something he could not do with humans. Unfortunately, this became an issue that caused great difficulties between Jiro Murai and his family. The cow heads were very expensive, something like $500 each in today’s currency, and he purchased many of them. Over time, Jiro Murai’s family came to think that he was not in his right mind so they cut him off from the family fortune leaving him to fend for himself.

Like many early scientists, Jiro Murai conducted self-experimentation. For extended periods of time he would eat only one specific food for several weeks at a time, for example, he would eat only rice, or fish, or cabbage to observe the effects. This helped him to understand how different foods influenced the circulation of energy in his body.

It was in the mid-1930s, after losing his family’s wealth, that Jiro Murai needed to begin working to earn income for his daily expenses and to continue funding his ongoing research. He quickly gained a reputation for his ability to help people suffering from all kinds of illnesses and was soon practicing with the highest levels of Japanese society, including members of the Imperial family. This work was essential, but it was also a burden because when they called, he would need to drop everything to tend to his important clients at a moment’s notice. Jiro Murai, who was not at all wealthy, was one of the few people outside of important government officials and the very rich, to have a telephone. This was arranged by some of his important clients so that they could contact him whenever they wished. During this same period, Jiro Murai continued his research with the homeless and the untouchables, knowing that they lived in such completely different circles from his wealthy clients, and he would never be discovered.

To be continued…