A form of healing practice developed in Japan in the 1940s by jiro Mirai. Literally the “Art of Universal Energy in Compassionate Man,” Jin Shin Jyutsu is based on acupuncture and is a direct refinement of acupressure. It draws on the perspective of the Chinese idea that the human body is enlivened by chi (universal energy), which flows through the body along a set of invisible paths called meridians. Various points on the meridians are directly connected to the different organs of the body. Illness is caused by the unbalanced or thwarted movement of chi. That movement can be restored by treatment that is directed at the points along the meridians. In acupuncture, needles are inserted into the skin at these points. In acupressure, massage with the fingertips replaces the stimulation provided by the needles. Jin Shin Jyutsu differs from acupressure in that the massage pressure along the meridians is applied in a set sequence of pairs of acupoints. A complete treatment may involve as many as 40 to 50 pairs of points.
In the 1950s, Mary Bermeister brought Jin Shin Jyutsu to the United States, where it joined other forms of acupressure such as SHIATSU. One U.S. variation on the practice is called Jin Shin Ryoho. While there is little evidence that Jin Shin Jyutsu and related acupressure procedures have any immediate and direct effect on specific diseases, Jin Shin Jyutsu has not been shown to do any harm to those who utilize it.