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Asian Bodywork Therapy practitioner and teacher; writer, mother and other odd identities.

Join Our Online Class: JingJin Yoga Basics


with Debby Valentine Smith & Teddy Piotrowski
Thursday January 23, 2024
6:30-8PM $25/student


In this online class we will learn about the (JingJin) Fascial Tendinomuscular Meridians and an approach to basic yoga stretches that stimulates and opens these pathways of Qi – known as “prana” in yoga.

Discover awareness with the use of breath and movement along these channels to unravel the tension and fascial restrictions associated with physical, mental and emotional stress and deepen your attunement to the subtle body.


We will explore how yoga students can incorporate the releasing power of these meridians into their daily practice for self-care.


Included in this class is a 26 minute full-body JingJin Yoga practice.

You can practice using 1)a yoga mat on the floor, 2) an elevated surface like a bed, sofa or massage table, 3) an armless chair. Bring two small blankets, two bed or sofa pillows and an open mind.
————————————————————————————————
Space is limited.

Payment options to reserve a seat for the January 23rd class
Greater Harmony accepts personal checks or Venmo (online payment).
Please send checks to:
Barbara “Teddy” Piotrowski
PO Box 222
25 S. Haddon Ave.
Haddonfield, NJ 08033
or
VENMO: @Barbara-Teddy-Piotrowski

and include your contact information:
Name__________________________________________________________
Address________________________________City/State/Zip_____________
Email__________________________________Phone__________________

contact: devasmith2015@gmail.com

greaterharmony@gmail.com

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Article: More about JingJin Yoga for Injury & Trauma by Deborah Valentine Smith

More information about using JJY for injuries and trauma, whether for self-care or in a bodywork practice.

https://bodymindtreasures.com/books-articles. Scroll down to the articles section.

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New Video: JingJin Yoga for Injury and Trauma

Premiere on YouTube Monday, October 14, 7pm.

Watch a 10 minute video on the wisdom of using JingJin Yoga to address injuries and trauma both as self-care and in treating others. Gentle and powerful, it enlists the body’s healing power without re-triggering pain responses.

https://youtu.be/KikAgTl-TEY

Looking for thoughtful gifts for the holidays? Give the gift of well-being and self-knowledge through JJY. Watch the video for the code for a $5 discount for paperback copies of the book JingJin Yoga by Deborah Valentine Smith and Barbara “Teddy” Piotrowski.

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Using JingJin Yoga for Trauma

Embrace the journey of healing by creating a safe space within your practice. Establishing a sense of safety is crucial when working with trauma in the body, allowing for deeper emotional and physical release. The JingJin Yoga technique meets those requirements. Slowly approaching the stretch allows awareness of the reactions. 

The method is to first identify which of the tendinomuscular meridians (TMM) run through the painful area and to pick the stretch that addresses it. For the yoga practitioner working on themselves, the yoga posture that aligns the whole tract along the TMM will remind the body of its natural path from head to toe. This is coupled with respectful awareness of the signals of the body, including the positive responses of flow as the pathways of Qi and Blood are improved. Unlock the potential of your body by understanding how the fibers in your muscles respond to movement. As these fibers loosen, they create a natural flow that enhances lubrication, allowing the tissue to return to its original state, promoting overall flexibility and health.

Less is More  By integrating these principles, practitioners can enhance their practice and promote a more profound connection to movement and flexibility.  Explore the transformative power of JingJin Yoga by embracing the principle of ‘less is more.’ Allow your body to naturally open and stretch without force, leading to a deeper connection and enhanced flexibility.

The practice of JingJin Yoga encourages a mindful examination of bodily sensations, allowing individuals to recognize and respond to signals of tension, pain, or fear. This awareness fosters a deeper connection to oneself, promoting healing and personal growth.

Want to learn more about using JingJin with trauma?

Purchase your own copy of JJY with links to accompanying videos at  

https://store.bookbaby.com/book/jingjin-yoga or all major retailers.

In health…Teddy

*Stay tuned for the release of my article on  JingJin Yoga for Injuries and Trauma 

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Let’s get Specific! For Kinks in the Neck, Shoulders, Hips, and Thighs using the Shao Yang JingJin Stretch

Excerpted from the book JingJin Yoga©2023

Each JingJin Stretch uses a Yoga asana to smooth the kinks and enhance energy flow in the fascia along one pair of hand/foot muscle meridians. You can do all six JingJin stretches to keep the fascia all over the body supple, hydrated and energized. You can also choose a specific stretch or two to ease stiff, strained or twisted muscles and to calm spasms and pain along the course of the related meridians.

When would you choose the Shao Yang JingJin stretch?

When would you choose the Shao Yang JingJin stretch?

Look at the diagram of the Shao Yang pathway on the right. Do any of the muscles/areas along the green and red pathways want attention? Are they sending you messages of pain, tension or weakness? Do you see yourself in the picture? What about your neck and shoulders?  Pain in the arm? Pain down the outside of the leg? Foot pain?

Specific areas along these meridians:

Triple Warmer: muscles of the ring finger, elbow, arm, shoulder, neck, jaw and tongue.

Gall Bladder: muscles of the 4th toe, knee (inability to bend or extend), side of the rib cage, breast, clavicle, neck, and those extending from the sacrum upward to below the ribs; muscles of the eyes. (Note: the book also includes specific muscles.

What is the Approach?

What is the Approach?

The Shao Yang JingJin Stretch uses the Warrior/Side Angle yoga asana to align and open the fascia along the Triple Heater and Gall Bladder muscle meridians. Mental focus is important to the method.  The book and the video available through the book provide a step by step guide for the mindfulness component of each stretch.

 Energy follows mind: the goal is awareness

Get the Kindle ebook now on Amazon.

https://www.amazon.com/JingJin-Yoga-Stretches-Combining-Acupressure/dp/B0CVQDM4HT/ref=sr_1_1?crid=3QH9HHQVYISEO&dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.lCCadhTg4nF6jGaiqWQ-BpRkiY–pnpXJ14fS8JHTkf4vgRxL4K_NCl2vfz74eDqJQzePyuNYq85IF7R-O6YHg.NMyBhoxLRmjDcb5IL9w8Fs6faclJJDFQU-fZaVqiBow&dib_tag=se&keywords=jingjin+yoga+book&qid=1711478852&sprefix=jingjin+yoga+book%2Caps%2C94&sr=8-1

Get the paperback and Apple ebook at BookBaby Bookshop. https://store.bookbaby.com/book/jingjin-yoga

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It’s Delivered! Get your copy of JingJin Yoga and Help Us Get the Word Out!

The role of the fascia in the human body has been getting a lot of attention.  Its effects are far-reaching because it surrounds and holds every organ, blood vessel, bone, and fiber in place! In short, it is everywhere and affects everything! The trick is to keep the fascia “unstuck” so that it is supple and hydrated and can glide, slide, twist, and bend with movement. Bodyworkers know about it because itis everywhere we touch. Yoga practitioners know about it because their asanas are designed to stretch it.   JingJin Yoga is about combining those two Eastern wisdoms: Yoga and Chinese Medicine. Unlike other bodywork methods that use the principal energy pathways of acupressure and acupuncture, it focuses on the pathways that are dedicated specifically to the muscles and fascia – the JingJin.
The authors have used the trajectories of the JingJin to fine-tune the asanas of Yoga and added the mind-body connection with the energy pathways through guided meditation. These deceptively simple stretches profoundly benefit the whole body in many surprising ways. When done regularly the effects are cumulative and endless!

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Doing and Non-Doing

I’ve been thinking about Doing and Non-Doing (Wu Wei) a lot recently. My first formal training in bodywork was in shiatsu. I remember learning the meridian stretches and putting the body through them with the intention of arriving at the full stretch. When I was working that way, my mind was asking questions like “Am I doing the right stretch?” “Do I have the correct angle, speed, pressure?” “Am I using the correct body mechanics?” It was only after I’d had some experience that I began to realize that getting these things “right” is not the goal. When I asked those questions, through my hands, of the bodymind I was touching, the questions became not, “Is this right?” but “What is your response to this?” and “What do you want/need right now?”

The goal is to let the body tell you about its connections and restrictions as you move toward the stretch.  The stretch is the Doing. The listening is the Non-Doing. The same applies in acupressure. Pressing the right point isn’t the goal. The goal is to listen to what the points have to tell you about what the body needs and its strengths. In any case the goal is not the stretch or the point. They are just a way to begin a communication.

This really came home to me in the one craniosacral course I took. We were instructed to hold very lightly at the base of the skull and sense the tissue connections and restrictions through the whole body from those two points. I realized that this was one part of the technique I was using with the TendinoMuscular Meridians (TMMs). With a light touch, I was feeling the connections and restrictions in the tissue along the meridian. But more than that, by following the energy pathways that feed the muscles, my hands were reminding the body of the way back to natural, unstressed alignment. Deep releases were happening with very little effort. Non-Doing.

I think that most experienced practitioners of exercise and bodywork are using this approach in some way, whether their practice is personal or professional. They are using the physical technique to sense both the actual state of the tissues and their yearning to return to the optimum alignment of their natural state. The goal is to recognize and assist that yearning as it finds its way back. When that connection is being made it really isn’t necessary to push or pull the body into the form that is prescribed by the technique. A gentle touch or movement can be very powerful.  The Qi (Yi) of intention assists the physical process.

This way of working is very important to the individual practice of JingJin Yoga, which I developed with Teddy Piotrowski, combining yoga postures and the TMMs.  It does not merely prescribe positions or exercises. The practitioner is asking the same questions of their own body that they would ask working on another. “What is your response to this?” and “What do you want/need right now?” The important part of it is moving toward the position and listening to the body along the way, acknowledging the restrictions that need to be addressed rather than pushing the body past them. In this way, what needs to be released gets the attention it needs. Like untangling a knot, we start by looking for the piece that loosens when we find the right direction to pull.  JingJin stretches initially use micro movements to find the tangle and then to find the alignment that begins to open it.

Practicing in this Non-Doing way, JingJin Yoga can assist in releasing muscle tension and increasing circulation without effort or pain. As my friend Teddy says of the work: “Less is more.”

Coming soon in December, 2023

Subscribe to my Blog for updates: https://bodymindtreasuresblog.com

A Practical Manual

JingJin Yoga Fascial Stretches Combining Asanas & Meridians by 

Deborah Valentine Smith, B.A., L.M.T., Dipl. ABT (NCCAOM®), AOBTA® Certified Instructor, Authorized Jin Shin Do® Bodymind Acupressure® Teacher

Barbara “Teddy” Piotrowski R.N., B.A., Dipl. ABT (NCCAOM®), Board Certified Holistic Nurse, Shiatsu Practitioner, Certified Yoga Therapist, Meditation Specialist

.

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A Boost for the Wei Qi

Looking for ways to prepare for the cold weather blues and give a boost to the immune system?

It is a well-known fact in Western Medicine that optimal immunity can best be achieved through regular exercise, healthy sleep and a balanced diet. Another integral part to a healthy immune system is what is commonly described as the largest external organ in the body-the skin. Superficial fascia is the lowermost layer of the skin in nearly all of the regions of the body. 

In Chinese Medicine, the immune system includes a protective barrier of Qi called Wei Qi, (pronounced Way Chee) that flows in the space between the skin and the muscles (aka fascia), and is one of the first lines of defense against illness. Like an energy shield, Wei Qi prevents external pathogens from making us sick. 

When Wei Qi is strong, we are less likely to be affected by climate changes, viruses and bacteria. There are things we can do to strengthen our defenses. One of those is to exercise. To engage in physical activity is essential for building Qi and ensuring that it circulates well.


A review of relevant research shows that a regular yoga practice can help boost your immunity (and a lot more) :

  • Improves immune function (including mucosal and cell-mediated immunity, key aspects of your body’s first-line and sustained defenses) 
  • Reduces inflammatory markers (particularly IL-1beta, IL-6, and TNF-alpha) 
  • Lessens inflammation by down regulating the stress response, which may reduce risk of infections
  • Improves sleep quality, helping you feel rested and rejuvenated
  • Calms the nervous system by going into the relaxation response more often, which in turn helps your organs to function optimally, giving your body greater capacity to fight invaders and heal.

JingJin Yoga stretches combine the six functional hand/foot pairs of the tendinomuscular meridians with the yoga postures that open the tissue along their trajectories. Opening the fascial channels in alignment with the meridians enhances the flow of the protective Wei Qi.

In our book, JingJin Yoga, there is a page for each JingJin Stretch that provides:                                                                                                                                                                                                   

  • A map of the trajectory of the tendinomuscular meridian pair from fingers to toes  
  • Related muscles and tissues affected by the JingJin Stretch  
  • Simplified stick figures of the stretch 
  • A description of the related JingJin Stretch 
  • Photographs of the stretch 
  • Modifications of the stretch for restricted movement 

JingJin Yoga postures align the fascial tracts along the trajectory of the energy channels described in the maps of Chinese Medicine in order to free up the movement of Qi and blood. The maps also provide information about the direction of flow along the trajectories that encourage the opening of the channels as the flow improves. The Qi of the channels provides the energy to move what is stuck. The stretches help to align the channels and re-establish optimum delivery of the Qi and blood where it is needed.   

            Coming soon in November 2023…

A Practical Manual

JingJin Yoga Fascial Stretches Combining Asanas & Energy Pathways by 

Deborah Valentine Smith,L.M.T., Dipl. ABT (NCCAOM®), AOBTA® Certified Instructor, Authorized JinShin Do®   Bodymind Acupressure®  Teacher

Barbara “Teddy” Piotrowski R.N., B.A., Dipl. ABT (NCCAOM®), Board Certified Holistic Nurse, Shiatsu Practitioner, Certified Yoga Therapist, Meditation Specialist

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Use the Mind to Stretch the Fascia

Have you thought about the saying, “Mind over Matter”? Usually it comes up when you want to stop the body from doing something you don’t like or when you want to make it do something it doesn’t like. The upshot of this way of thinking is that the body is an opponent you have to outsmart. It’s like arm-wrestling. Both sides expend a lot of energy until one gives out. If you approach the kinks in the fascia with this attitude, the thinking goes that if you just pull against the resistance, it will eventually give.

There’s another way. Imagination. Introduce the idea to the body and listen to its response instead of applying force. If you approach the body respectfully and invite an exploration of the possibilities of release, you can avoid the its protective resistance to your idea of change. Meditators and practitioners of Asian Bodywork Therapy like Shiatsu, Acupressure, Tuina and Jin Shin Do® have noticed that intention has a profound effect on the movement of energy, which powers the movement of blood, which in turn has a profound effect on the condition of the tissues. So to enhance the flexibility of the tissue, you don’t necessarily have to literally pull on the fascia. 

By imagining the effects of a stretch, especially including the feeling component of relaxation and ease, you can enlist the body in achieving the outcome. 

Before you ask the body to change, imagine the goal and the feeling you are aiming toward . If you approach the position of a stretch slowly, listening to the body’s feedback to find the natural alignment and breathing into it, the opening can happen without resistance. This saves a lot of work.

The position of the stretch is not a goal to be reached by any means necessary. The stretch is a guideline, a pathway toward alignment . As you start from where you are, imagining the stretch rather than forcing it, , you are teaching your body how to get from where you are to where you’d like to be.

This comes down to the balance between doing and being. There is a natural alignment in the fascia that already exists and is part of the wisdom of the body.  We don’t need to create something new if we work with the potential that is inherent in our physical makeup. Sometimes outside assistance may be necessary to liberate adhesions caused by long time immobility and dehydration, but for the most part, the best effects come from gentleness and suggestion.

Want to know more?

In our last article we introduced the JingJin (tendinomuscular meridians) and the JingJin Stretches that combine these superficial meridians with yoga poses. An important part of the technique is awareness, so each stretch includes guided imagery.

          

  Coming in November, 2023

A Practical Manual

JingJin Yoga Fascial Stretches Combining the Asanas of Yoga with the Tendinomuscular Pathways of Chinese Medicine.  

Deborah Valentine Smith, L.M.T., Dipl. ABT (NCCAOM®), AOBTA® Certified Instructor, Authorized JinShin Do® Bodymind Acupressure®  Teacher

Barbara “Teddy” Piotrowski, R.N., B.A., Dipl. ABT (NCCAOM®), Board Certified Holistic Nurse, Shiatsu Practitioner, Certified Yoga Therapist, Meditation Specialist

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