Conversations with Practitioners

Notes concerning treatment, with answers from Dr. Thomas Duckworth.

Do womens' pulses commonly change with the onset of their menses?
The pulses reflect the activity of Life Energy flowing (through the body). This is happening in an environment that includes the moon/sun; circadian cycle, hormonal chemistry, yesterday's dinner, what was eaten three months ago, age, reproductive history/activity and karma. The master of pulses should be able to tell a woman when her next period will start - even if she has had a hysterectomy - even if it happened many years ago. The energy needed to manifest a organ is still existing even if the organ is gone. For example, as you know, a patient could have a jitsu (excessive) gall bladder meridian pulse but not have a gall bladder organ. Female energy arises out of Sho Yin and manifests through Tai Yin. Jingie could be 1x, 2x or 3x. Must read the individual pulses to see how/where this individual woman is utilizing her chu myaku (Life Energy). Yes, they change. Often, you'll find left wrist Kan Yin and Shaku Yin pulse deficient and left Kan Yang Jitsu, as well as, right side Kan Yin Kyo. (Sugar may be an issue.) Another configuration might be left Sun Yin and Kan Yin Kyo and left Sun Yang and right Sun Yang Jitsu.(fatty diet or emotional component may be in picture). Once menses has begun, the pulses often 'smooth out' and are less obvious in activity. U dimension energy is very much at play in the female reproductive realm.

Other question is: if a noisy pulse quiets down and consolidates but the beats per minute do not change, what can one do?
Breathe deeply, relax, turn off your mind and, did I mention, Breathe deeply? A noisy pulse is a noisy pulse, whether it is beating at 100 beats a minute or 70 beats a minute. Noisy is a quality unto itself. It is incredibly important to differentiate between a Do pulse and a So pulse and the most likely space for grasping a noisy pulse is when you are in a quite space yourself. If your thoughts and ideas and concepts are busy running around your head, there is no place to hear noisy ('cause your head is too noisy.) So, if you have treated based on a noisy pulse and it is no longer noisy, stop. You have done enough. Next treatment time, you can checck and see if the condition held or is it noisy again? If the pulse is not noisy but is rapid, it should, through treatment, calm down. If not, why not? Maybe hot weather is causing it, maybe food allergy, maybe a thyroid condition, maybe patient just has a rapid heat rate. Years ago, I had a patient who had an extraordinary slow pulse. I was treating him for asthma induced by animals and yes, treatments were successful and he was able to get a dog for his children. However, after he was balanced, symptom-free and feeling strong, he still had a very slow heart rate and I recommended that he consult with a cardiologist which he did and was told that he just had a very slow heart beat. So, some folk have a slow heart beat, some have a fast one but noisy... that's always interesting.