Bob Flaws Pulse Images

Question 1

normal pulse (ping mai)

Answer 1

has spirit/shen
has stomach/wei
has root/gen

some degree of slipperiness is normal, suggests qi & blood flowing at least somewhat freely

Question 2

has stomach

Answer 2

Stomach- earth- harmonizing- has a sense of moderation to it

Question 3

has spirit

Answer 3

lively

Question 4

has root

Answer 4

felt at the chi position all the way down to the bone

or at deepest depth in all three positions

Question 5

located in the exterior
with finger raised, it has surplus
when pressing down it is insufficient
when pressure is released, it regains full strength

Answer 5

floating pulse
(fu mai)

Question 6

floating
wide
hard 
hollow
(Li Shizhen, wiry/strong, rapid)

Answer 6

drumskin (subset of scallion)

ge mai

Question 7

floating
wide
forceful
(Li Shi zhen felt at all 3 levels)

Answer 7

surging/flooding

hong mai

Question 8

floating
wide
forceless

Answer 8

vacuous/empty

xu mai

Question 9

floating
wide
forceless
hollow (forceless at the middle depth)
(disappears completely and rapidly)

Answer 9

scallion stalk/hollow

kou mai

Question 10

floating
wide/large
forceless
no edges
(disappears with pressure)

Answer 10

scattered

san mai

Question 11

floating
fine
forceless

Answer 11

soft /soggy

ruan mai

Question 12

cannot be felt with light pressure
cannot be felt with moderate pressure
can only be felt with heavy pressure

Answer 12

deep pulse/sinking

chen mai

Question 13

deep
fine
forceless

Answer 13

weak pulse

ruo mai

Question 14

very deep
fine
forceless/forceful

Answer 14

hidden pulse

fu mai

Question 15

very deep
bowstring/firm
forceful
(all 3 positions but only deepest level)

Answer 15

confined

lao mai

Question 16

less than 60 bpm

3 beats per breath

Answer 16

slow

chi mai

Question 17

50-60 bpm

4 beats per breath

Answer 17

moderate

huan mai

Question 18

> 90 bpm

>5 beats per breath

Answer 18

rapid

shuo mai

Question 19

> 120 bpm

>7-8 beats per breath

Answer 19

racing

ji mai

Question 20

wide
forceful
(all three levels, stronger as you press downward)

Answer 20

replete “forceful”
(shi mai)
not clinically used because found with other qualities

Question 21

feels like a taught violin string
finer than tight pulse
staccato

Answer 21

bowstring/wiry

xian mai

Question 22

feels like a taught rope
wider/larger than bowstring
vibrating side to side

Answer 22

tight

jin mai

Question 23

extends beyond the cun/chi positions

Answer 23

long

chang mai

Question 24

located only in the guan position
or
located only in the guan & chi, absent in the cun

Answer 24

short

duan mai

Question 25

located in the guan/”short”
rapid
forceful
(feels like there is something in the pulse)

Answer 25

stirring, moving, spinning bean

dong mai

Question 26

feels smooth like pearls rolling in a dish
comes and goes freely, no obstruction
legato

Answer 26

slippery
(hua mai)
*can be normal

Question 27

changes rate with the breath
goes from normal to slow and back to normal
inconsistent rhythm, lots of hesitation

Answer 27

choppy

se mai

Question 28

fine
forceless
(deep, disappears with pressure)

Answer 28

fine/thin subset of weak

xi mai

Question 29

very, very fine
very, very forceless
difficult to feel
vague shape
sometimes you feel it, and sometimes you lose it
(Li Shizhen floating, disappears with pressure)

Answer 29

faint

wei mai

Question 30

wide diameter

Answer 30

large
(da mai)
not really a pulse image, used with other pulse images

Question 31

slow

skips a beat at irregular intervals

Answer 31

bound/knotted

jie mai

Question 32

slow
skips beats at regular intervals
pause may be long

Answer 32

intermittent

dai mai

Question 33

rapid

skips beats at irregular intervals

Answer 33

skipping

cu mai

Question 34

pulse not where it is expected, dorsal side of arm radial side

Answer 34

fan guan mai