8/6/2017 How to Read Your Pulse | The Chopra Center

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How to Read Your Pulse

By Leo Carver (/bios/leo-carver)

Your pulse is the signal of life in your body. All activity in the body and mind is directed by the uctuation that is
your heartbeat, and its the ow of blood from that pulse that nourishes, cleanses, and informs every one of your
cells. Although modern medicine uses the pulse as a basic marker of health, Western thought is that the
pumping of blood is dictated by an involuntary electric impulse coming from the heart. In other words, this
marvel of eciency that supports our very existence is largely seen as electro-mechanical.

In Ayurvedic science, the heart is thought to be the true home of your higher consciousness, or soul. This view
of the heart is a little more comforting and revealing. The heart carries your personal vibration, which is way
more than just a dance of biological activity. The pulse caused by this ebb and ow is in fact the rhythm of
consciousness in your body. For centuries, Ayurvedic doctors have been able to ascertain detailed information
about a persons mental and physical states from the pulse based on this concept. As such, pulse reading, or
Nadi Pariksha, is one of the most fascinating aspects of this healing system.

The pulse rate and general circulation is primarily attributed to Vyana Vayu, a subdosha of Vata. Since Vata is a
doshic combination of the elements air and space, it has within it the source of electric energy (air). In this way,
Allopathic (Western) and Ayurvedic medicine are in agreement as to the nature of the hearts activities:
Bioelectrical impulse and functional integrity are responsible for the heart and circulatory system of the body.
However, the applications of this understanding can vary greatly between these medical elds.

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It takes a lot of training and time for an Ayurvedic doctor to interpret the wealth of messages hidden within the
bodys pulse, and there are many systems to pulse reading. Like most things in Ayurveda though, there are some
basic concepts that are accessible to all.

How to Read Your Ayurvedic Pulse

To take your pulse, gently put your right arm out in front of you in a comfortable position, palm facing you, and
wrap your left hand around your wrist so that your ngers fall about an inch away from the bottom of your right
thumb. Ladies, your primary pulse will be on your left wrist, so do the opposite placing your right ngers below
your left thumb. The goal here is to feel the pulse without much pressure. Keeping the little nger raised, the
remaining three ngers should be close together and alignedthey act as your pulse sensors.

Each nger corresponds to a specic doshathe index nger to Vata,

the middle nger to Pitta, and the ring nger to Kapha.This is the rst
stage of reading your own pulse. Feel for the location of the force within
the pulse. Which nger feels it the strongest? If properly done, this
should correspond with your Prakrutidosha. In order to determine your
Vikruti, or current state of doshic imbalance, simply press down a little
bit on the artery with all three ngers. As you lift up notice which nger
receives the initial strongest "kickback." For instance, if you feel it
strongest under your middle nger, that indicates a stronger Pitta
presence.

For a more detailed reading of your pulse, take this a step further. True
to Ayurvedas emphasis on nature, this technique uses animals to help
commit the reading to memory. The hands are positioned the same and
the ngers are still going to indicate Vata, Pitta, and Kapha respectively.
This time, however, you should feel for what kind of animal the
movement reminds you of. This might take some getting used to, but if your pulse moves in a slithering motion,
like a snake or worm, its a Vata pulse. If it jumps like a frog or crow does along the ground then its a Pitta pulse.
And if its a deep sweeping, steady pulse, like a graceful swan as it glides on the water, then its displaying Kapha
properties. Use the chart below as your guide.

An Ayurvedic doctor uses vastly more involved analysis when reading the pulse, and its a well-respected skill
even among those learned in the subject. But knowing the basics can help guide you in your eort to create
perfect health (/programs/perfect-health) on a daily basis. With regular inquiry, you may start to notice the
subtle ways in which your pulse changes, reecting changes in your doshic balance. The more ways you can
read and evaluate your doshic balance (https://store.chopra.com/deepak-chopra-perfect-health-the-

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8/6/2017 How to Read Your Pulse | The Chopra Center

complete-guide-holistic-mind-body-living.html), and the more accurate that reading becomes through

practice, the better your health will be.

These and other techniques can be used in any setting and do not need any equipment. Use this information to
make the best choices in diet, focus, and actions and youll see benets. Being mindful of your doshic balance
throughout the day, moment-to-moment, is central to obtaining optimal health.

*Editors Note: The information in this article is intended for your educational use only; does not necessarily
reect the opinions of the Chopra Center's Mind-Body Medical Group; andis not a substitute for professional
medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment.Always seek the advice of your physician or other qualied health
providers with any questions you may have regarding a medical condition and before undertaking any diet,
supplement, tness, or other health program.

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Section: Mind-Body Health (/articles/26/all)

Topics: Ayurveda (/articles/all/29) Health and Wellness (/articles/all/23) Health Issue (/articles/all/39)

About the Author

Leo Carver (/bios/leo-carver)
Certied Instructor: Perfect Health

Leo Carver and his wife Dr. Melissa Carver (/bios/melissa-carver-phd) make up the core of Holistic Life Sciences
(http://www.choprateachers.com/HolisticLifeSciences). Serving as a Chopra Center certied Perfect Health:
Ayuredic Lifestyle (/teach/perfect-health-certication-program) instructor, life coach, and Ayurvedic consultant,
Leo Carver is well versed in lifestyle-based medicine and transformational healing. Leo obtained his Bachelors
degree in Psychology from Kentucky State University with a minor in Biology, graduating with high honors from
the department. Read more (/bios/leo-carver)

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Siddha Drpalanivel Madars university

best teachin for our tradational and scienfic
Like Reply May 10, 2017 9:31am

Pushpa Raj Paudel Prithvi Narayan Campus, Pokhara

Best article
Like Reply May 25, 2017 8:15am

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