Pulse Diagnosis (cont.)

Feeling the Pulse

One way of describing the process of pulse taking is to say that you will be feeling for qualities and listening for volumes or relative strengths. To get a clear pulse reading you will need to be very focused and in quiet environment. Ideally you will find a robust, healthy individual to begin with. Start by holding your fingers in position gently but firmly in order to feel the maximum "loudness" of the pulse. This is the middle or average level of the pulse. Now gradually withdraw the pressure of your fingers until the pulse disappears, then slowly increase your pressure until the pulse starts to become clear again. This is the superficial level of the pulse. The deep level of the pulse can be found in a similar fashion, by compressing the artery until the pulse disappears then gradually releasing the pressure until you can feel a distinct pulse. Practice by increasing and decreasing your pressure as many times as it takes to discern the full range of the pulse.

Interpreting the Pulse

When taking the pulses, there are several qualities or modes of information which you will be assessing. Naturally the student needs to focus on these one at a time; gradually you will develop the skill whereby the whole picture becomes available to you simultaneously (one of my early mentors used to describe taking the pulses as "looking at a picture"). The fundamental modes from which you will extrapolate specific information are as follows: Pulse Strength, Pulse Rate, Pulse Depth, Pulse Texture, Pulse Rhythm, Pulse Width and Pulse Length.

Very conveniently, the first three factors coincide with the six subdivisions of Yin and Yang of the Eight Principles, namely Excess and Deficient, Hot and Cold, Exterior and Interior. If someone's pulse is obviously soft or empty or quiet, you can be sure that this person has a Deficiency condition; if their pulse is full or loud, they have an Excess condition. A rapid pulse corresponds to Heat; a slow pulse corresponds to Cold. A superficial pulse corresponds to an Exterior condition and a deep pulse corresponds to an Interior condition. With this framework alone you can draw significant and immediate information which will help build your diagnosis.

Qi Shen and Root

There is another simple but complete method of pulse diagnosis which will help you to get started with Pulse Diagnosis; the methodology of feeling for Qi, Shen and Root. Qi in this case is referring to Stomach Qi, Shen is the mind or personality/vitality and Root refers to Kidney Qi or Ancestral Qi or, more specifically, the available, circulating Yuan Qi. These three factors are fundamental to the health of an individual.

To check for Stomach Qi you will be feeling for the middle level of the pulse and observing it's comparative smoothness and regularity. A smooth pulse comes and goes evenly with no roughness or sharpness to the quality. A regular pulse has no misbeats. To check the Shen you will be observing the comparative force or elasticity of the pulse. If the Heart, and therefore the Shen, is in good condition the pulse will have an easy strength with a sense of elasticity. To check for the Root you will feeling the deep level of the pulse at the Chi position on both hands, in other words the Kidney Yin and Yang positions. If the Root or Kidney Qi is strong, the pulse at Kidney positions will likewise be strong; with a gradual increase in pressure the pulse should only gradually fade, with a hint of pulse still evident at very deep pressure. However if the pulse disappears suddenly and completely, this indicates the Root is weak.