Pulse Diagnosis in Ayurveda
Pulse diagnosis is closely associated with the Ayurvedic examination. There are many layers of pulse diagnosis. Some of it is highly scientific, and some of it is deeply intuitive. Both are important. Students at the California College of Ayurveda study both. Students take beginning, intermediate, and advanced classes as they go on to higher levels of training. Below is a short introduction from the first-year textbook at the California College of Ayurveda, Principles of Ayurvedic Medicine – Textbook for the Ayurvedic Profession.
“The three doṣas can be felt in the pulse as a conglomeration of characteristics. The characteristics most commonly utilized are the speed of the pulse (vega), the rhythm of the pulse (tāla), the strength of the pulse (balā), the site where the pulse is felt (sthāna), and the nature of how the pulse moves (gati).
The pulse rate (Vega) in a normal healthy adult varies, according to Western statistics, from 55 to 90 beats per minute. In infants, the pulse rate is more rapid and can approach 140 bpm. In Āyurveda, it is understood that the greater the amount of air in the body, the greater the motion and hence the greater the rate of the pulse. Likewise, the heavy, stable elemental influences of earth and water slow down motion, resulting in a slower pulse rate. Hence, people of vāta nature (or imbalance) have the most rapid pulse rates and those of kapha nature (or imbalance) have the slowest. The rate of a pitta pulse is in between.”