Description
Abstract: The art and science of ayurvedic pulse reading is a wonderful example of what happens when we take an ancient methodology and throw it head-first into the pool of a new culture, with vastly different world views and cultural underpinnings. We, in the West, respond to pulse reading the way we respond to most foreign influences. Some of us find ourselves curious, attracted to the mystique of something new, yet old, relevant, yet timeless, eagar to unlock whatever potential secrets are contained within. Others of us find ourselves skeptical towards a form of knowledge that came before the creation of what we have now, sophisticated technologies that answer questions which were mysteries of the past. We find an ancient art threatening in a way, especially when it comes to assessing something so personal and intimate as our own health. "Nadi Pareeksha" means something very different to the Western ear than does "Pulse Diagnosis" even though the two names refer to the same science. Many of us, experience these feelings of allure and skepticism simultaneously. It is up to us to carry on a conversation that has already begun in the "Wild West" of Ayurveda - How do we best integrate pulse reading into the sub-culture of Western Ayurveda, and then into the culture at large?
