Jin Shin Jyutsu® vs. Reiki: What’s the Difference?

What is Reiki?

Reiki is a Japanese technique for stress reduction and relaxation that also promotes healing. It is administered by “laying on hands” and is based on the idea that an unseen “life force energy” flows through us and is what causes us to be alive. If one’s “life force energy” is low, then we are more likely to get sick or feel stress, and if it is high, we are more capable of being happy. Reiki is not taught in the usual sense, but is transferred to the student during an “attunement” given by a Reiki master and allows the student to tap into an unlimited supply of “life force energy” to improve one’s health and enhance the quality of life.¹

Reiki Treatment

What is Jin Shin Jyutsu (JSJ)

Jin Shin Jyutsu is a practice that helps to harmonize and balance the physical, mental, emotional and spiritual aspects of human beings. This practice involves sequences of light touch on specific areas of the body to restore the harmonious flow of life energy. Self-help classes are taught by qualified practitioners and there is an international faculty of teachers that give classes to become a practitioner. Regular practice of Jin Shin Jyutsu increases vitality, well-being, inner balance and harmony.

Jin Shin Jyutsu Treatment

Jin Shin Jyutsu and Reiki are Similar in Many Ways

They both originate from Japan
They both aim to help the flow of your body’s life energy by removing blocks
They both treat the whole person including body, emotions, mind and spirit
They both create many beneficial effects that include stress reduction and relaxation that promotes healing
JSJ practitioners & Reiki masters don’t create energy or give their energy to you. Rather, they act as a “conduit” in Reiki or “jumper cable” in JSJ for the universal life force energy that exists around & in us.
And during both treatments the client is fully clothed.

How I think Reiki and Jin Shin Jyutsu are different

Each Jin Shin Jyutsu treatment is customized to respond to the client’s individual needs and there are many choices of flows (sequences of where the hands are placed) to give to the client. My recollection of my Reiki studies, was that the same technique was given to each client.
Jin Shin Jyutsu is also very focused on the client doing self-help to supplement the practitioner’s treatments and continue the harmonization of the body’s energy.
During a Jin Shin Jyutsu treatment, the hands lightly touch the client, whereas in Reiki the hands often hover above the body.
Jin Shin Jyutsu is considered an art and not a technique; a technique is a mechanical application, whereas an art is a skillful creation.
Jin Shin Jyutsu is taught both in person and online by an international faculty versus the “attunement” of Reiki mentioned earlier.

Some Benefits of Jin Shin Jyutsu

Helps promote both physical and mental health
Can be used safely in conjunction with any other therapy and/or medication
Is safe for all ages; babies to seniors and for all medical conditions
Is customized for each individual client
No needles are involved
Simple self-help tips are available
Easy to practice on yourself anywhere, anytime
Can be given to animals
Benefits are cumulative – the more you practice, the better you will feel

My Background Credentials

I believe it’s important to share the journey that led me to discover Reiki and eventually become passionate about energy healing. In 2007, I was working as a stressed-out marketing manager when a colleague suggested that Reiki could help me manage both my stress and digestive issues. My Reiki master, who also had an inflammatory bowel disease but managed it without medication, was a true inspiration to me. I’ll never forget the moment I first felt energy moving through my body during a guided exercise with our teacher. It was a profound experience that left me amazed.

After completing two levels of Reiki training, I was introduced to Jin Shin Jyutsu. In 2012, I traveled to New York State to attend my first 5-day Basic Seminar in Jin Shin Jyutsu. What began as a personal interest quickly grew into a passion and eventually became my new business.

Jin Shin Jyutsu Really Works

Before transitioning into energy healing, I worked in the healthcare industry, driven by a desire to market products that could genuinely help people. The regulated environment ensured that marketing claims were backed by solid evidence—something I deeply value. While Jin Shin Jyutsu may not be as widely recognized in Canada as Reiki, it is a practice backed by research that supports its effectiveness.

This study supports how Jin Shin Jyutsu can benefit women diagnosed with breast cancer.

Visit my About JSJ page to see more studies.

*Jin Shin Jyutsu is a registered trade-mark.

https://www.reiki.org/faqs/what-reiki

When you sign up for my occasional newsletter you get TWO gifts!