Hidden Secrets in Your Heartbeat: Reading Temperament from the Pulse

Farzollah Gholizadeh and Fariba Bayrami

Did you know that every heartbeat carries clues about your body’s inner state, your body heat and even your emotions?

In traditional medicine, before any complex test, the physician places three fingers on your wrist. The pulse is the language of the heart and of the body’s vital force. If we learn to read this language, we can understand the dominant temperament, the energy level and the state of the inner organs.

This article is a complete, plain-language guide to reading the pulse.

What is the pulse, and why does it matter?

In traditional medicine, the pulse is the widening and narrowing movement of the arteries. It happens to balance the heat of the heart and carry away the vapours that form.

Blood and vital energy flow through the vessels, so the pulse gives direct information about heat, cold, dryness and moisture in the body.

Important: the pulse is usually taken at the wrist, because this spot is easy to reach, is considered close to the heart and does not disturb the patient.

The 5 basic criteria for reading the pulse

1. Size

How large does the artery feel?

• Large pulse: shows excess heat
• Small pulse: shows cold and low energy

2. Strength

How strongly does the artery beat?

• Strong pulse: high energy and heat
• Weak pulse: weakness, cold or illness

3. Speed

How fast is the movement?

• Fast pulse: high body heat
• Slow pulse: slow metabolism, a cold body

4. Intervals

How far apart are the beats?

• Frequent pulse: excess heat
• Sparse pulse: cold

5. Hardness of the artery

• Hard pulse: dryness
• Soft pulse: moisture

The four temperaments by pulse

1. Demevi (hot and moist)

• Large
• Strong
• Fairly fast
• Soft

Overall: a full, lively, balanced pulse.

2. Safravi (hot and dry)

• Medium to large
• Strong
• Very fast
• Hard

Overall: a fast, sharp, hard pulse.

3. Sevdavi (cold and dry)

• Small
• Weak
• Slow
• Hard

Overall: a thin, hard, slow pulse.

4. Balgami (cold and moist)

• Wide but shallow
• Weak
• Very slow
• Soft

Overall: a very soft, weak pulse.

What else affects the pulse

• Age: children have a fast pulse; older people a slow one.
• Sex: men usually have a stronger pulse.
• Season: faster in summer, slower in winter.
• Emotions: anger → fast and strong; fear → weak and fast; sadness → slow.
• Exercise: it speeds up at first, and weakens with great tiredness.
• Food and sleep: it speeds up after a meal and calms down during sleep.

Conclusion

The pulse gives important information about the body’s general state:

• Large + strong + soft → hot and moist
• Fast + hard → hot and dry
• Slow + weak + soft → cold and moist
• Thin + weak + regular → cold and dry

The pulse alone is not enough for a firm diagnosis; it must be assessed together with other signs.

Sources

1. Ibn Sina H. Al-Qanun fi al-Tibb (The Canon of Medicine). Beirut: Dar Ehya al-Torath al-Arabi; 2005. p. 132–156.
2. Zargaran A, Zarshenas MM, Karimi A, Yarmohammadi H, Borhani-Haghighi A. Management of stroke as described by Ibn Sina (Avicenna) in the Canon of Medicine. International Journal of Cardiology. 2013;169(4):233–237.
3. Mojahedi M, Naseri M, Majdzadeh R, et al. Reliability and validity assessment of Mizaj questionnaire: a novel self-report scale in Iranian traditional medicine. Iranian Red Crescent Medical Journal. 2014;16(3):e15924.
4. Parvizi M, Farsani MA, Kamalinejad M, Ghooshkhaneh B. Pulse examination in Traditional Persian Medicine: a comprehensive review of Ajnas-e-Ashara. Traditional and Integrative Medicine. 2018;3(1):35–43.
5. Emtiazy M, Keshavarz M, Khodadoost M, et al. Relation between body temperaments and general features of radial pulse in Iranian traditional medicine. Journal of Islamic and Iranian Traditional Medicine. 2013;4(1):21–30.
6. Aghili Khorasani Shirazi MH. Kholasat al-Hekmah. Qom: Esmailian; 2006. p. 210–245.

Read more

The Body Signs series has a closer look at the pulse in Ibn Sina’s medicine. To find your own temperament, take the free temperament test.