Ayurveda and Tongue Cleaning

 

So – how does your tongue look after feasting at Thanksgiving? Have you checked lately?

 

Go ahead – look in the mirror and stick out your tongue. What do you see? If there is a coating on your tongue, that is an indication that there are toxins in your digestive tract. This calls for tongue cleaning! 

 

The simple practice of cleaning your tongue each morning has potent effects of removing toxins and promoting optimal health. Scraping your tongue will freshen your breath, restore proper taste, keep your digestive organs healthy, remove toxins and improve digestion. All this in about 30 seconds per day!

 

So how to clean your tongue? Begin with purchasing a tongue scraper from your local health food store or drug store. Insert the bent side of the tongue scraper into your mouth, and applying a gentle but firm pressure, scrape from the back to the front of the tongue about 10 times. Rinse off your tongue scraper and keep it near your toothbrush. And by the way, don’t use a toothbrush to clean your tongue; brushing the tongue can actually drive toxins deep into the tongue rather than eliminate them!

 

Written By:

Dr. Marisa Jackson-Kinman (Sri Devi)

Faculty, California College of Ayurveda

Clinical Ayurvedic Specialist

Pancha Karma Specialist

Sivananda Certified Yoga Teacher