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"Self Change starts with Self Study"

"Self Change starts with Self Study"

- Mary Burmeister

    

Have you ever wondered why self-help is given after each Jin Shin Jyutsu session?

Understanding how to best help yourself begins by understanding your body's needs. Those needs include work, fun, nutrition, and whatever else you need to feel fulfilled and satisfied with your life.

If you've never experienced a session with a practitioner, the session begins with the practitioner listening for harmony at your wrist. Then he or she chooses flow patterns to move your body toward balance and harmony. This is similar to the beginning of an acupuncture session. 

At the end of the session, the practitioner returns his or her fingertips to your wrist to evaluate how your body's rhythms changed during the session. This allows the practitioner to give you very specific, personalized self-help routines. Everyone's body is different, so your self-help journey will be different than someone else's, even if your ailment is the same.

Returning for another session allows you to relax and turn yourself over to the practitioner's touch. During the session, a practitioner can quickly recognize ways to harmonize the causes of the imbalances in energy flow. The practitioner can see the forest and not just the trees, allowing him or her to understand how each level and layer of your body are relating to each other -- physically, mentally, and emotionally. Returning periodically helps to reassess the self-help routines that your body needs to balance your daily life.

Compare the process to people with diabetes who check their insulin levels daily to keep their body on track. They return to their doctor periodically to assess their status and re-calibrate medication if necessary.

You are encouraged to attend the self-empowerment classes we offer. These classes provide a greater understanding of the philosophy and practical application of Jin Shin Jyutsu self-help routines.

Empowered with this extra understanding, your session practitioner can expand the options for home care by using the self-help books written by Mary Burmeister.

 Check our Upcoming Events section in this newsletter or our website for the next class offered.

We can't wait to see you there! 

Gail Okray is owner of Key Elements for Health. A holistic health practice offering Jin Shin Jyutsu therapeutic sessions is located in Green Bay WI. www.keyelementswi.com

920-366-1896 

Americans & Stress: Where do we go from here?

Americans & Stress: Where do we go from here?

How would you describe the essence of America? Is it our attitude of self-reliance, or maybe the resourcefulness that helped create the wealth and stature that made us who we are today? From the pioneers that settled from sea to shining sea, to the entrepreneurial spirit of Silicon Valley, America is what she is because people who had a vision of what they wanted their life to be like set out to create that life for themselves.

Why haven’t Americans tapped into that self-reliance when facing lifestyle issues such as stress?

An article from WebMD titled “How Does Stress Affect Health?”[1] sums up the effects of stress. According to the article, there are two kinds of stress, positive stress and negative stress. Positive stress invokes our body’s built-in “fight or flight” response that alerts us to dangerous situations that could be detrimental to our survival. Negative stress, on the other hand, happens when we face continuous challenges without any relief or relaxation in between. As a result, we can become overworked and “stressed-out”.

Stress that continues without relief can lead to a condition called distress -- a negative stress reaction. Distress can lead to physical symptoms including headaches, upset stomach, elevated blood pressure, chest pain, and problems sleeping. Research suggests that stress also can bring on or worsen certain symptoms or diseases.
Stress also becomes harmful when people use alcohol, tobacco, or drugs to try and relieve their stress. Unfortunately, instead of relieving the stress and returning the body to a relaxed state, these substances tend to keep the body in a stressed state and cause more problems.
The WebMD article also cites the following:

• Forty-three percent of all adults suffer adverse health effects from stress.
• Seventy-five percent to 90% of all doctor's office visits are for stress-related ailments and complaints.
• Stress can play a part in problems such as headaches, high blood pressure, heart problems, diabetes, skin conditions, asthma, arthritis, depression, and anxiety.
• The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) declared stress a hazard of the workplace. Stress costs American industry more than $300 billion annually.
• The U.S spends more on health care than any other industrialized nation in the world. Yet it remains the unhealthiest.

While the article from WebMD makes a good point about how detrimental ongoing negative stress can be in our lives, we seem to be seeing a shift in how stress is viewed in relation to an employee’s effectiveness as work. Even though there are no laws requiring employers to provide vacation time or stress-reducing benefits to their employees, many employers enhance their benefits packages to entice the best employees. Recently, many employers have begun incorporating wellness programs which focus on maintaining optimal health with hopes that a healthy workforce will have reduced health care costs, less absenteeism, and increased productivity. Corporate wellness programs are growing and they seem to be reaping real benefits for the employer as well as their employees. Some wellness programs simply provide walking trails and healthy food options on site. Others provide an Employee Assistance Program (EAP) which gives their employees access to confidential counseling services to help them through rough times in their life. Some employers even bring in an Occupational Health Nurse to answer health-related questions or put employees in touch with local medical resources.

Many of these corporate wellness programs are also beginning to include integrated, non-traditional medicine in their approach to empower people to lead healthier lifestyles. One of the biggest benefits of many non-traditional approaches to health care is the reduction of stress. Some programs use yoga, Tai Chi, massage, reflexology, breathing techniques, and Jin Shin Jyutsu^®. These methods may seem simple on the surface, but they can create a powerful punch by decreasing negative stress and providing the employee with a tool to address future stressful events which can have a long-term impact on each participant. Employees who are better able to handle those negative stress situations tend to be more productive at work and happier at home. What a win-win situation!

Employee wellness is considered a potential high return-on-investment for employers due to rising health care costs. In fact, research now suggests employers get an average of $3.48 back in reduced health care costs and $5.82 in lower absenteeism cost for every dollar spent on employee wellness. According to Employee Wellness USA, a Texas-based company that creates wellness programs for corporations all across the country, for every dollar spent on programs, employee wellness statistics show a savings of $2.30 to $10.10[2].

• With only 60% participation, Coca-Cola found that they saved $500 per year per employee with their program.
• According to a 2004 Ipsos-Reid employee wellness statistics study, the main preventable causes of employee absences are mental health (anxiety/depression), stress and a negative relationship with a manager or supervisor.

The goal of most corporate wellness programs is simple: to improve the health and well-being of the company’s employees so they can deal with the negative stressors that lead to absenteeism, rising health care costs, and decreased productivity. When successful, these programs can:

·         Improve “Presenteeism”: Presenteeism is a phrase coined by Professor Cary Cooper, a psychologist specializing in organizational management in Manchester, United Kingdom. This new phenomenon occurs when employees come to work are not as productive as usual due to stress, depression, injury or illness[3].

·         Reduce Injuries: Healthy employees with fewer risk factors are at a lower risk for injury than unhealthy employees with more risk factors. Classes are a popular means of trying to prevent injury, including exercise classes, smoking cessation courses, back-care programs and stress-management lectures. More examples of workplace wellness programs/courses include health education classes, subsidized use of fitness facilities, internal policies that promote healthy behavior, and any other activity, policy or environmental change that may affect the health of an employee.

While there are numerous modalities available to companies that want to improve the health and well-being of their employees, many of them only focus on the physical or the emotional aspects of complete health. Exercise programs have been proven to reduce the physical effects of stress on the body, and massage and meditation focus on using the mind to reduce muscle tension and enhance clearer thinking. Jin Shin Jytusu^®, on the other hand, incorporates the physical as well as the emotional well-being in its practice. It has been used for centuries to allow people to heal themselves from within, and is so incredibly versatile that it extends beyond proximity to a gym, potential adversity to needles, side effects from medicines or herbal remedies, or even pain so intense that any type of massage pressure would be unbearable for the patient.

Since Jin Shin Jyutsu^® is an all-natural, drug-free option that does not use any pressure applied to the surface of the skin, it does not interfere with traditional medical methods and can be used in conjunction with current exercise and wellness initiatives. It also does something that many other modalities do not – it provides the opportunity to help one’s self, rather than depend solely on the practitioner to alleviate all ailments. Jin Shin Jyutsu^® does not require any special or expensive equipment and can be administered anywhere, at any time. An action as simple as sitting on your hands or holding your thumbs while watching television or before bedtime can clear energy blockages that may be causing physical or emotional symptoms.

In a world where people are constantly searching for easy answers and stress is becoming a serious health risk, corporate wellness programs are definitely a step in the right direction. Incorporating an all-encompassing modality such as Jin Shin Jyutsu^® could bring wellness to a whole new level, increasing employee productivity, reducing health care costs, and maybe even bringing America back to those qualities that made her what she is – self-reliant and resourceful.

Gail Okray was inspired by her passion for the art of Jin Shin Jyutsu^® to open Key Elements for health. Through her website, www.keyelementswi.com, Gail provides answers to frequently asked questions about Jin Shin Jyutsu^®. She has been a Jin Shin Jyutsu^® Physio-philosophy practitioner and self-empowerment instructor since 1998. Over the years, Gail has motivated hundreds of individuals to move toward a healthier and more vibrant life through this ancient art. She provides weekly self-help tips on her Facebook page, and offers several self-empowerment workshops each year. Gail loves to work with clients of all ages - babies, young people, and adults. For more information or to schedule an appointment, please visit www.keyelementswi.com or call Gail at 920.366.1896.

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[1] http://www.webmd.com/balance/guide/effects-of-stress-on-your-body

[2] http://www.employeewellnessusa.com/health_wellness/employee_wellness/statistics.html

[3] http://www.medterms.com/script/main/art.asp?articlekey=40516

It’s all in the hands

What’s your answer when someone asks you what you do for a living? For many people, the
answer is simple—teacher, writer, doctor, welder, bus driver, physical therapist,
salesperson…people can relate to those answers. They’re easy to understand.

If you ask me what I do for a living, I have two choices. I can say, “I am a Jin Shin Jyutsu
practitioner,” and wait for complete confusion to wash over your face as you follow along while
I explain what that means.

But I prefer the second option. What do I do for a living, you ask? Well, I help people. More
specifically, I help people help themselves.

Maybe you know someone who is battling cancer, or someone with frequent migraines. Or
maybe you have arthritis or back problems. What about fibromyalgia or chronic fatigue
syndrome? Do you struggle with stress or anxiety? Have you ever just felt sick and tired of
feeling sick and tired?

The next question is usually “How do you help them?” That’s where things get interesting.
You see, your body is made up of energy (among other things, of course). That energy flows
through specific pathways. When those pathways are balanced (or harmonized), you feel great.
Stress, injury, and disease can block the flow of energy through the pathways. Restoring balance
is imperative to recovery. My job is to help you restore that balance.

Jin Shin Jyutsu is a gentle touch therapy that is thousands of years old. It works in conjunction
with Western medicine—so yes, you still need to see your doctor—but because there are no
needles or supplements, Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions will not interfere with medication or other
therapeutic treatments. The key is gentle touch; since there is no pressure to the touch, people
with arthritis or other chronic pain conditions tolerate it easily.

Jin Shin Jyutsu works by harmonizing the physical, mental, and emotional energy flowing
through those energy pathways. Certified practitioners attend several classes and seminars to
learn the relationship between the various levels of the body. They are taught to look for the
cause of the disharmony rather than just focusing on the symptoms.

Sessions are tailored specifically to each client. No two bodies are the same, so what works for
one person may not work for another. When you come in for a session, you’ll remain fully
clothed. You will either sit on a chair or lie down on a table.

First, I’ll touch your wrist to listen for which pathway is asking to be balanced. Then I will
choose specific flow patterns (gently touching various parts of your body) to re­balance those
energy pathways. At the end of the session, I will return to the wrist to re­evaluate the flow of
energy. After the session, you’ll probably feel calm and relaxed.

What makes Jin Shin Jyutsu really stand out from other complementary therapies is the self ­help
component. After each session, you will receive a personalized self ­help flow to work on
between sessions. Self­ help holds are designed to help with your day­ to ­day needs. They can be
performed any time of day and usually only takes a few minutes.

In the same way a diabetic needs to see a doctor and follow the proper diet and insulin regimen,
Jin Shin Jyutsu is a multi­step approach to wellness. Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions can be compared to
periodic visits to the doctor to calibrate progress and evaluate treatment. Self­ help routines can
be compared to checking insulin levels daily. For the disease (diabetes, in our example) to be
successfully managed, both parts play an integral role.

Self ­help workshops are another way to learn about the Jin Shin Jyutsu physio­philosophy and
gain a greater understanding of how the body’s energetic pathways affect all aspects of life.

These one-­day classes are offered a few times a year. They provide a sense of empowerment and
control over situations that can sometimes feel uncontrollable. For many people, being an active
participant in their treatment is paramount to success.

What do I do for a living, you ask? I help people. And I’ll be happy to help you live the vibrant,
healthy life you deserve.

Key Elements for Health is owned and operated by Gail Okray—a Jin Shin Jyutsu teacher,
author, and practitioner with more than 15 years of experience. Gail is a third­ generation student
of Master Jiro Murai, who recovered and first systematized Jin Shin Jyutsu in 1912. For more
information about Jin Shin Jyutsu or to schedule a session, visit www.keyelementswi.com or call
920.366.1896.

Gail has received personal Jin Shin Jyutsu sessions directly from Mary Burmeister, who
originally brought the art to America at the request of Master Murai, and she has studied under
all three of Mary's original senior instructors, including several trainings that have not been
offered since. Her training has taken her to California, Hawaii, Arizona, Colorado, Ohio,
Michigan, and Minnesota.

Gail is a prolific author and instructor on topics of Jin Shin Jyutsu. Her work appears locally in
Saving Green magazine. She has also written articles for Main Central—a quarterly magazine
published by Jin Shin Jyutsu Inc., the certifying body for all Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioners.