Heart Memory
The heart in Chinese medicine is known as the 'I' or 'mind' of the body as well as being an amazing pump, it is now proven to be an organic centre with a memory of its own, which is the case for all the internal organs. Please refer to the various websites on 'Cellular Memory'. For example it has been shown after heart transplants that the recipent transplant patient will start to take on characteristics from the donor. Thus it has a form of consciousness. Also the heart registers the chi differentials in each internal organ which are projected with each pulse. The Chinese medics from antiquity discovered these properties, thousands of years ago because their medicine is chi/energy based. As one can see below they mapped out where one can discern the differences of chi along both wrists. This is still used successfully today all over the Far East, and is now being used more in the West.
The pulses were first recorded in Yellow Emperor's Treatise on Internal Medicine 2650 b.c.
Briefly when the relevant pulse feels lumpy, hard and tight it means that the corresponding organ and channel is too yang. If the pulse is feint, light and intermittent, the chi is too yin in the relevant organ and channel. Moreover if the pulse is clear, balanced, smooth and rhythmical the chi is harmonious. It takes practice to 'feel' the different chi in the pulses which can be enhanced by chi kung, tai chi and push hand practice, known as tung chin or listening chi exercises. After a time the practice becomes more intuitive and accurate.
The Pulses:
In the diagram the yin organs are in the centre and the superficial yang are laid out to the outside:-
Left Hand Pulse
kidney- yin-deep * bladder yang-superficial
liver - yin-deep * gall bladder yang-superficial
heart- yin-deep * small intestine yang-superficial
Right Hand Pulse
pericardium yin-deep * triple warmer yang-superficial
spleen yin-deep * stomach yang-superficial
lungs yin-deep * large intestine yang-superficial
This follows the Wu Hsing or 5 Element Theory, thus jing chi or generative force gives rise to:-
left pulse
water or kidney essence to
wood/liver to
fire/heart to
right pulse
fire/pericardium to
earth/stomach to
metal/lungs