A Tribute to Karen Searls: A Visionary in the Jin Shin Jyutsu Community

This heartfelt reflection, by Cristina, traces Karen’s journey as a Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioner to her connecting with Cristina and beyond. As Karen embarks on retirement, this nurturing relationship between these ladies resulted in Karen entrusting her materials to Cristina so that they may live on. From discovering Karen’s visual teaching tools in 2015 to collaborating during the global shift of 2020, the post honors Karen, a gifted JSJ self-help teacher, and her unique contributions to the art of the JSJ community. From blending her background in graphic design with the depth of JSJ philosophy, this is a lovely story. Read on for a glimpse into Karen’s life, her spiritual path, and the lasting impact of her beautifully crafted educational charts that she shared with the JSJ community and now live on with Cristina at Ancient Flow Therapy.

Announcement from Karen Searls about the closure of her practice and the future of her JSJ charts.

It all began in late autumn of 2015, when I was just starting to take my Jin Shin Jyutsu practice into the public sphere. Eager for inspiration and guidance, I found myself diving deep into the corners of the internet, hoping to stumble across something helpful. That’s when I discovered Karen Searls’ website—a quiet gem that seemed to shine with clarity and heart.

 

Karen, a certified JSJ practitioner and self-help teacher, had created Inner Stillness, a practice studio full of thoughtfully designed resources. I was immediately drawn in. On November 14, 2015, I made my first purchase: the “JSJ Organ Function Flow Information Set.” I’m almost certain I downloaded her free hand chart that same day. Over the next few years—January 2017, then again in 2019—I returned to buy more. Somewhere along the way, I reached out to Karen directly to ask if I could share her beautiful hand chart, the X4-up, with my own clients. She responded with kindness and generosity, giving me permission as long as I kept her copyright and website visible (this chart is available as a free download). That moment marked the beginning of a meaningful connection—one that would deepen in unexpected ways over the years.

 

Then came March 2020—a month that cracked the world open in ways none of us could have imagined. In that first uncertain week, with everything shifting so quickly, I felt a strong pull to connect. I organized a virtual gathering of Jin Shin Jyutsu practitioners from around the globe—a space to talk, dream, and figure out how we could continue supporting our clients in this new, distanced reality. We spoke of self-help images and videos, online classes, distance healing, even blogging—anything that might keep our work and spirits alive.

 

Naturally, I invited Karen to join us. She came to a few of those early Zoom calls, quietly lending her presence and wisdom. Much of our conversation at the time centered around staying afloat– marketing, adapting our practices, and supporting one another. I shared Karen’s incredible charts with the group, hoping others might find the same clarity and beauty in them that I had. Those gatherings never really stopped. In fact, they’ve grown into a lasting community.

You can find out more about JSJ community gatherings through ancientflow.com/jsj or JSJ & Biz group application.

 

Just a few hours after that first meeting on Wednesday, March 18th, 2020, Karen sent me a lovely email with this feedback: 

“Dear Cristina, 

It was inspiring to be part of the conversation today. Thank you. And thank you for being a proponent of my charts. I know how useful they can be, particularly for someone who is at the beginning of a practice. Being at the beginning of JSJ, with so much information coming my way, I needed a way to organize it all in a way that I could quickly reference. The hand chart was my first chart. I learned by creating, this was particularly true of the lumbar circle chart. Maybe because we always got to the lumbar circle so late in the 5-day, my brain was fried. That chart I vetted with a teacher just to be sure I was understanding the lumbar circle correctly. I do use my chart references all the time in my practice, though three of the five I use most frequently are not yet available to others. This is where your desire comes in; it encourages me.

Jin Shin Jyutsu was an important step in my growing spiritual orientation. The more I deepen into the Self beyond self, I continue to appreciate the depth of the JSJ teaching. While I very much enjoy working part-time with a few long-time clients, I no longer care about growing a practice. Fine-tuning and making my personal charts available to the JSJ community has been a gratifying process, which I hope to continue for a while longer.”

 

Now it’s been 5 years since she wrote that, and life has changed, as it does, in so many ways. Karen went on to create and publish more charts over the next few years for a total of 12 digital downloadable electronic charts, which can also be bought in 3 different sets. 

Karen’s gift for creating charts didn’t come out of nowhere—it was rooted in her first career as a graphic designer, eventually running her own firm. After 18 years, she wanted a change, something a little less intense. With a lifelong interest in spirituality, the mystical, and energy, she began exploring different paths. When she discovered Jin Shin Jyutsu, she knew she had found a home. Though I don’t know the exact moment she made the leap, it seems only natural that, over time, she blended her design skills with her growing passion for JSJ—creating the beautiful, practical charts we now know and love.

 

Karen stepped into the world of complementary health­care in 1996, over time training in shiatsu, neuro­-somatic bodywork, Authentic Communication, and Jin Shin Jyutsu. Karen became an approved provider of nursing CE credits for her JSJ self-help classes through the American Nurses Credentialing Center. In 2004, she was nationally certified through the National Certification Board for Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork.

 

In 2009, Karen completed a successful research study on the effect of JSJ energy medicine treatments on women diagnosed with breast cancer. The research, published in the Journal of Holistic Nursing, showed statistically significant improvement in the participants’ quality of life through measures of their physical, mental, and emotional well-being and their ability to perform daily activities. (published December 2011, and linked here)

 

Beyond her work with Jin Shin Jyutsu, Karen has a passion for studying and practicing the teachings of contemporary spiritual teacher, Hameed Ali (A. H. Almaas). In her personal life, Karen values time in her gardens, connections with friends, and, before his death in 2023, taking long, slow journeys with her husband throughout North America.

 

I have always admired how Karen can weave together the many intricate details of JSJ into clear, beautiful charts that make this complex healing art come to life. Some of my personal favorite charts that Karen has created include the “Self-help book one Kwik notes,” which I printed to place by my bedside, by my couch, and even in my purse! For my practice studio, I have appreciated having the “Flow Correlations” chart, the “In-Depth Hand” chart, and the “12 Organ Function Info” charts. I love using the “Flow Correlations” chart when I am listening to a client and thinking about them as well as their current symptoms, and it has been very helpful to me in narrowing down more efficient and specific flows that could holistically support them.

I love using the “In-Depth Hand” chart when I’m teaching about the attitudes and their relationship to each of the fingers. The visuals on her chart are just quite striking and help to illuminate these varied esoteric concepts for those new to these ideas, that can be involved in just holding one little finger. And I have so appreciated the “12 Organ Function Info” set as part of my study of Text 2, and being reminded of different aspects of each particular organ function. My latest favorite is the “Main Central Endocrine flow” chart, as it is a personal favorite flow for me, and I truly appreciate her eloquence and beauty in putting all these rich learnings into such incredibly detailed, quick visuals.

 

I’ve also been known to show up to classes, provided by both Jin Shin Jyutsu Inc. and now Jin Shin Jyutsu Spirit Mind Body, with several of these charts splayed on my table space. It regularly would attract attention, and I would refer them to Karen’s website to download these treasures for their own personal collections.

 

Interest in her charts speaks to how we all learn in different ways. For many of us, having a visually rich path into the depth of this healing art makes all the difference.  I hope that you will enjoy Karen’s charts as much as I do! Check them out (here).