The Foundations of Shen-Hammer Pulse include all of the information necessary to understand the framework of the Pulse Positions within the radial arteries an the structure of the Depths, all of which are diagnostically significant as well as determine the presence of many important Pulse Qualities.

You learn how to sort out the many sensory aspects of the pulse so you can easily identify the Pulse Qualities. The Foundations also include the interpretation of the Pulse Qualities into Chinese medicine terms which guide your thinking and understanding of your patients physiology and pathology.

Time spent with your hands on the pulse is the only way to gain the skills necessary to identify Pulse Qualities in the radial arteries. Hands-on classes always include time doing Depth Calibration to make sure this key palpation skill is fine tuned.

We review the description for each group of qualities, then immediately jump into hands-on partner work.

The teacher will identify qualities in participants of the class, check qualities found by students on their partners, adjust hand positioning and finger pressure, and come up with creative ways of describing these invisible sensory experiences.

Learn the basics and practice on fellow students, follow the teachers demonstration, diagrams, and get personalized feedback and corrections. Introductory classes are a mix of learning the Foundations and practicing them with direct hands-on feedback from certified teachers and assistant teachers.

The Intermediate level begins when the Foundations have all been covered at least one time including hands-on practice. We do partner work with classmates, as well as with volunteers to practice taking full pulses, fine tuning locating Pulse Positions, and doing in-depth pulse interpretation and analysis. We can never predict the types of pulse qualities we will find, so it can take many times working with teachers and volunteers to gain full clarity on all of the Pulse Qualities that are common.

Once you are comfortable, you can test yourself against the teacher and other practitioners by writing in all your own findings on a blank pulse intake sheet then compare with others who did the same. Every time we do a full pulse on a volunteer, we will practice the skill of interpreting the Pulse Qualities and analyzing the evident physiology and pathology, while predicting the patients health and disease. Understanding how to integrate the signs of mental and emotional disharmony along with organ and substance conditions is a skill that comes through class discussion of pulse interpretation and volunteer’s cases.

This class can serve as a review and a source for new information. It is a great way for practitioners of all levels to practice together and receive help from certified teachers. We do hands-on pulse palpation and discuss all Foundational material, as needed. We use repetition to fully integrate your senses and bring it to life with Pulse Interpretation and Pulse Diagnosis.

Certified Teachers attend Advance Classes to maintain their skills by calibrating to one another and collaborating on pulse analysis and case discussions. Those who are interested in becoming a Certified Teacher can attend Advanced Classes as part of their training.

Any time spent on your patients will absolutely help you gain confidence and clarity when you come to in-person classes. You will learn the Foundations and Skills over time by starting with Introductory level classes and working your way into Intermediate and Advanced level classes.

Classes are offered in multiple time frames and formats for the most access to learning.

Online classes are a great time for discussing Foundations and pulse interpretation, analysis and case integration.

In-person classes are where you review the pulse framework and location of Depths and Positions, add to your knowledge base and understanding, and ask any questions you may have found while practicing on your own patients.

Working side-by-side with a certified teacher provides a transmission as well as direct adjustments to finger placement and pressure, which is key to building your palpation skills for accurate pulse reading. 

Anyone coming to study the pulse can bring in a patient to sit as a volunteer. We need a case write up in order to effectively discuss the pulse analysis in full and give useful feedback to the practitioner. We focus on how to understand and manage the Root and Branch conditions in the context of the individual and their mental-emotional struggles. Through this lens we can provide life style recommendations and manage long term curative outcomes.