Everyone who loves you is always with you.
It’s not unusual for people approaching death to experience a great deal of fear. Physicians caring for these patients in the hospice wing of the hospital I volunteered at often asked me to look in on their fearful patients. So I wasn’t surprised when I was asked to look in on an older woman nearing death. Her sonon was with her, but even with his presence she was extremely nervous and agitated. Her doctor hoped that perhaps Jin Shin Jyutsu might help her feel more calm.
I walked in and greeting her. Her family was there as reported, but were distracted on their telephones. She did not speak but gave a nod when I described why I was there and asked if she might like to try Jin Shin Jyutsu to help her relax.
As I sat by her bedside I noticed that she was continually looking up into the corners of the room. She’d then look at her son or husband and look back up at the ceiling, then back again. Then she’d look at me. “She’s been doing that a lot her son said. She seems pretty upset.” He went back to his phone.
The staring as though seeing something was not new to me. Many people do this towards the end of life. Sometimes people talk about what and who they are seeing and may even make conversation. Family members become concerned that medications are causing delirium or that their loved one is losing their mind. I’ve seen patients have a sense of security with these visions and visitations that they’re not alone as they begin the process of transformation to what comes next. In this woman’s case though she seemed to need acknowledgement that what she saw was real.
I gently placed my hand under the pillow at the base of her head. This locations in Jin Shin Jyutsu is where the spirit of the person enters the body at birth and leaves at the end of life. We call it the Window where we See through the Creator’s Eyes. It helps us connect to what is veiled from our view for most of us. The area had a pounding pulsation under my hand. I gently placed the fingertips of my other hand into her palm to connect with the universal energy. As the pulsations began to calm and moderate I leaned in close and whispered to her.
“Everyone who loves you is always with you.” She looked back up at the corners of the ceiling then back at me, repeating this motion and back to me. We made eye contact and I nodded. Yes, it’s true.
She looked deep into my eyes, sighed and relaxed with her eyes closed. Finally someone confirmed for her that what she was seeing was real. Her loved ones were all there, gathering close, to support her and help her to the next phase of her existence. Holding the back of her head with my palm helped her connect with me and understand that what was happening was real. The presences in the room were there to love and welcome her on her next journey.