As I am preparing an online class on Jin Shin Jyutsu self-help, I was reminded about my experience with the function of Safety Energy Lock 3.

Everyone in the JSJ community talks about the immunity boosting function of SEL 3, but I have yet to experience it myself directly. SEL 3, on the other hand, helps something else, and it is pointed out clearly by Mary Burmeister in her Self Help Book 2 (p. 16). There, she says: “it aids: breathing, fever, …., and groin and foot congestion.”

When I missed a step and twisted my ankle several years ago, I opened my textbooks and started down the list of my flows that help the feet. After I had gone through all the flows of 15, 5-6-7-8, lo8-16, and the like, I eventually ran out of ideas while my ankle was still extremely sore. It was the opening of SEL 3 that eventually brought the relief. I remember I was puzzled at the time – I had hit on the idea of SEL 3 almost by accident and without much thought. I certainly didn’t remember Mary’s Self Help books. Back then, I tended to overlook the self-help books in favor of our textbooks from the 5-day basics seminars. So, I sat on the couch and did the 3 flow even though I had no idea why and how it was going to help. Yet, helped it did, and when recently I felt the shadow of aching in my ankle, it worked again.

Those who are interested in this most excellent flow for foot congestion, here is what I did. I placed my left hand on my left shoulder (left SEL 3) and with the right hand, I placed the thumb over (a) the right index fingernail, (b) the right middle fingernail, (c) the right ring fingernail, and (d) the right little fingernail. By step (b), I already felt warmth and relief spreading through my injured right ankle. Note that the injury was on the side of the fingers that I held.