Five Element Pulses

My friend and colleague Ethan Borg came up with a wonderful way of taking pulses based on the Su Wen. I think it's a great way to describe the pulses in addition to overall quality. It gives insight into the five transformations within the body.

Each element is represented by a facet of the pulse. Metal is felt on the top of the pulse. Wood runs lengthwise along the sides of the pulse. Water is felt at the bottom of the pulse. Earth is the fullness of the blood passing through the vessel, and Fire is the motive force of the pulse itself. Keep in mind that these are both energetic and physical attributes, so they can be palpated by either adjusting your fingers to that facet of the pulse, or by adjusting your intention.

A wiry pulse can be seen as a Wood excess leading to stiffness and enlargement of the sides of the pulse. If it's narrow, one knows that the excess wood has led to an earth deficiency. Or one can feel as if the center of the pulse has also become stiff which would indicate that wood has invaded earth. A knotted pulse indicates a problem with the heart, which is represented by the a dysfunction in the motive force of the pulse.

For a deeper exploration and understanding of this style of pulse taking, including the quotes from the Su Wen upon which the system is based, see page 21-29 of The Secret Chamber by Ethan Borg.

As a side note: Meridian style acupuncture looks for relative imbalances within the six positions of the pulse, dividing each position into an upper yang and a lower yin position. For an excellent description of that style of acupuncture and pulse taking, I recommend Denmei Shudo's Japanese Classical Acupuncture: Introduction to Meridian Therapy. This Su Wen style of pulse taking can be done in addition to the Japanese style for greater insight.