Start with the basics.Learn how to take your pulse.Learn the difference.A message from George BushSave lives - tell others about this technique.How was this technique developed?Stories from real people.


Step 1
Turn your left hand palm-side up, then place the first two fingers of your right hand along the outer edge of your left wrist just below where your wrist and thumb meet.

Step 2
Slide your fingers toward the center of your wrist. You should feel the pulse between the wrist bone and the tendon.

Step 3
Press down with our fingers until you feel your pulse. Do not press too hard, or you will not be able to feel the pulsation. Feel free to move your fingers until the pulse is easiest to feel.

Step 4
Continue to feel your pulse for a full minute. Concentrate on whether the beats are evenly spaced, or whether they are erratic, with missed beats, extra beats, or beats that are too close together.

Click here for more information about regular and irregular pulses.

Sometimes the pulse is difficult to locate. Here are some tips that might help:

  • Try holding your arm pointing down toward the floor, if you have been holding it up toward your face.
  • Try using your fingertips to feel the pulse instead of laying your fingers across your wrist. Put your fingertips in different places, stopping for about five seconds in each position to try to feel the pulse before moving to another location. Lift, place, and feel; lift, place, and feel, until you find a spot where you can feel the pulsations well.
  • Try varying the pressure of your fingertips on your wrist. You may need to lighten up or press a little harder to feel the pulse.
  • Try these steps on the other wrist.
  • If you still have difficulty, ask a friend to follow the steps and find your pulse.