Chapter III
6. Feeling the Lungs’ Channel and the Pulse The Lungs’ Channel and lungs’ energy are extremely important to the healthy functioning of the body. The heart and lungs both work closely together rhythmically circulating blood and Chi. The Lungs’ energy carries the Chi and the Chi causes the blood to flow. This is how the energy of the lungs enters the blood. The Lungs’ energy is also directly connected to the Triple Warmer. You can see the position of the pulses in relation to the Triple Warmer. Rest the back of your left hand in the palm of your right and wrap the index finger, middle finger, and ring finger of your right hand around the thumb side of your left wrist. Now gently push with those three fingers, one at a time, until you find the strongest beating at each of those locations. With all three fingers depressed, connect your index finger to your chest. Connect your middle finger, resting on the styloid process with your digestive organs, spleen, liver, gall bladder, and pancreas. The lower position, farthest from the crease of the wrist, is the urogenital area, the place of Original Chi found between the kidneys.
7. Taking a Student’s Pulse When taking a student’s pulse, it is best to work on the student from the side. Don’t put your arm across the body. It is easiest to use your left hand on his or her right wrist. Place the tips (not pads) of your fingers on the wrist at a 90 degree angle. Line up your fingers as in Fig. 3.7. Feel with sensitivity and receptiveness. Don’t feel as though you were touching something; feel as though something was trying to touch you, to impress itself upon you. Relax, as if in meditation. A healthy pulse feels firm, not too strong or aggressive, and does not feel like it is hiding, weak, or vulnerable. Look for moderate resistance and moderate strength when treating someone. Is the pulse weak in one of those three positions? Or is it weak in all of them? Perhaps it grows weak and strong, reflecting the student’s energy level in response to a disease factor. The student may have an excessive pulse which feels tense. It may be tense in some places and weak in others. This is something to watch for. See if it relaxes and if some of the weak places fill up so that the pulsations even out. - 153 -