Ayurvedic Pulse Diagnosis

Pulse Reading / NADI PARIKSHA / Ayurvedic Pulse Diagnosis

Pulse diagnosis is the ancient art and science of detecting the existing status of a person’s body, mind, soul and spirit. Nadi or pulse is that vital flow of energy or life that courses through as a subtle channel all over the body, and enables the vaidya to feel the way the blood spurts from the heart. This helps an experienced ayurvedic doctor to diagnose or treat various ailments, or to prevent their occurrence.
‘Ayurveda,’ which literally means the ‘Science of Life,’ has bestowed the miraculous science upon us of diagnosing the imbalances within our body, without the use of any instruments except fingers. I feel that several problems that remain undiagnosed even with the aid of sophisticated diagnostic tests can be accurately judged by examining the pulse.

Pulse reading can be learnt through continuous practice, focus, awareness, and under the guidance of an experienced guru. It is like playing the veena, a musical instrument akin to the violin. On striking, each string produces a different musical note. Similarly, an expert pulse reader by touching, pressing, and ‘feeling’ the different combinations of the pulse, is able to diagnose the imbalances within a person’s body.

Ayurveda states three barometers of diagnosis: darshana (see and observe), sparshana (touch), and prashna (inquire by asking questions). Successful pulse reading involves touching, feeling, observing, and experiencing not only the rate, rhythm, and volume of the pulse; but also its movement, amplitude, temperature, force, and consistency in the body.