Attitude. Attitude. Attitude!

Attitude.  Attitude.  Attitude!

by Michelle Giambra, Certified Jin Shin Jyutsu Practitioner & Self Help Instructor

How often have you heard, "it’s all about attitude?"

One of those inspirational emails that get forwarded throughout eternity recently struck a chord with me. Perhaps you have received it as well. The email lists many "I’ll be happy when" statements such as: "I’ll be happy when I get out of college and get a job…Then, I’ll be happy when I can retire from this stinking job and enjoy life."

Then the wise email reminds us that: "The truth is there is no better time to be happy than now. Life is always filled with challenges, so you might as well admit this to yourself and be happy anyway."

It’s all about attitude, right?

The online edition of the Merriman-Webster dictionary had the following entries for the word "attitude:"

"1 : the arrangement of the parts of a body or figure : POSTURE 2 : a position assumed for a specific purpose <a threatening attitude> 3 a : a mental position with regard to a fact or state b : a feeling or emotion toward a fact or state"

The origin of the word "attitude" is traced to the Latin word "aptitudo" meaning "fitness" and directly linked with the word "aptitude." Aptitude is defined as:

"1 a : INCLINATION, TENDENCY b : a natural ability : TALENT 2 : capacity for learning : APTNESS"

So, "attitude" is associated with posture, how we carry ourselves physically as well as the mental and emotional positions we have towards certain facts or situation.

Our attitudes, the physical, mental and emotional positions that we hold and carry are linked with our aptitudes, our natural abilities and capacity for learning.

In my mind, our capacity for learning is related to our level of awareness. Just as the child becomes aware that touching something hot can burn, we become aware that carrying certain thoughts and emotions are harmful to our well-being.

Just because one experiences what might be deemed a "negative" attitude, it’s not necessarily a "bad" thing. It’s natural.

However, when we hold onto and carry attitudes long after the event or situation that prompted them occurred, we might begin to experience some detrimental effects, such as irritability, pain, discomfort, disease, and so on.

In studying Jin Shin Jyutsu^®, "the art of the Creator through the compassionate man," we learn that we have natural, innate and simple tools available to us to help us harmonize our attitudes: our fingers.

I invite you to try these simple techniques to balance for balancing attitudes:

Hold your THUMB when you experience WORRY.
Hold your INDEX finger when you experience FEAR.
Hold your MIDDLE finger when you experience ANGER. (This is a good one for road rage….remember, HOLD your finger, don’t go flashing it!!!)
Hold your RING finger when you experience SADNESS. And,
Hold your LITTLE finger when you experience TRYING TO as opposed to BEING.
Jin Shin Jyutsu brings to our AWARENESS that we have the "APTITUDE," the natural ability, to harmonize our ATTITUDES, how we carry ourselves physically, mentally, and emotionally.

Sound too simple? Mary Burmeister, the person that brought Jin Shin Jyutsu to America, says that Jin Shin Jyutsu is "complicatedly simple."

After more than 30 years of studying this ancient art, Mary wrote three books on using Jin Shin Jyutsu for self-help. One of those books is devoted exclusively to the fingers and toes. The other two books have sections about holding the fingers.

Therefore, it’s quite evident from Mary’s teachings that holding the fingers is very powerful! Not to mention that it was by holding various finger mudras that Juro Murai healed himself of a life-threatening disease in the early 1900’s and Jin Shin Jyutsu® as we know it today was rediscovered.

This summer, I was going through some "challenging" times. Just after my husband, Bill was laid off, we discovered we have a MAJOR structural problem with our house which is going to cost a lot to repair.

Talk about perfect timing! Facing just one of those issues is enough to handle on its own. It was like we were dealt a double whammy.

One morning, feeling particularly distressed about the situation, I was sitting on the couch really fretting when I decided to hold my fingers. As I sat there holding my fingers one by one, I noticed my thought patterns shifting from "How are we going to handle this?" to "I could choose joy or I can choose to continue to make myself miserable." As the burden of the worry and concern eased and dissipated, the tension in my body released and I felt very empowered.

Now, nothing changed externally. Bill was still laid off and the structural problem still existed, but I was no longer carrying the burden of it all in my mind and body. My AWARENESS recognized that I had the APTITUDE (natural ability) to harmonize the ATTITUDES of worry and fear simply by holding my fingers.

The first synonym listed in the Merriman-Webster Online Dictionary for aptitude is "gift."

Jin Shin Jyutsu is the Creator’s gift to each and every one of us. We are each gifted with the innate ability to bring balance to our body, mind, and emotions.

I hope you accept this gift and experiment with holding your fingers. You might be surprised to discover that not only are your mental and emotional positions adjusting but that your physical posture might be affected as well.