As part of dinacarya (daily routine), tongue scraping is done upon waking in the morning, prior to eating or brushing teeth.
OK, so this might sound a little weird, but bare with me and you’ll be wondering why you never did it before.
In Ayurveda, as in other medical systems the tongue is used as a diagnostic tool to give a view of potential internal issues. A ‘coated’ tongue is often associated with excess kapha dosha. A thick coating on the tongue indicates a build up of toxins (ama) in the body and may be a result of improperly digested food, toxins in the body, poor eating habits or other gastrointestinal irregularities.
As part of dinacarya (daily routine), tongue scraping is done upon waking in the morning, prior to eating or brushing teeth. Traditionally gold, copper or silver were used. At AWE we recommend a copper tongue scraper as copper is naturally antibacterial. Here’s how to do it:
- Using two hands hold the ends of the tongue scraper and place the curved edge at the back of the tongue.
- Now gently scrape forward, if there is considerable build up on the tongue rinse after each pass. It is recommended to scrape the middle and each side of the tongue, 7 to 14 passes in total.
- If you find this induces the gag reflex, try putting the scraper further forward on the tongue.
What are the benefits?
Removing the coating on the tongue reduces bacteria in the mouth, therefore diminishing bad breath. The more coating on the tongue the higher the chance of bacteria, resulting in bad breath.
By cleaning the surface of the tongue taste perception will also be enhanced. Did you know certain foods help clean the tongue of keratin build up? Eating too many soft foods and not enough rough foods can create more build up of keratin on the tongue!
Different parts of the tongue correspond to organs in the body, regular tongue scraping can have a gentle effect throughout the entire body by energetic connections.
Why not give it a go? It is quick, easy and the benefits are numerous.
Have you tried tongue scraping? We'd love to hear your experience in comments below.
Ayurvedic copper tongue scraper