Before we dive into Ayurvedic tongue scraping, let's take a moment to remind ourselves why we should care about maintaining a healthy morning routine.
The Benefits of a Healthy Morning Routine
The morning sets a powerful precedent for the rest of the day. Have you ever noticed that if you eat a donut for breakfast, come lunch time you find yourself craving cookies? The choices you make in the morning impact the rest of your day.
One of the most important steps we can take to empower ourselves each morning is to find ways to cleanse the five senses.
Let's Talk About Oral Health
Today we are talking about oral health because it’s the starting point for our Gastrointestinal track. We can learn a lot about the state of our bodies from our GI track. For example, if you are experiencing chronic bad breath, even after you brush your teeth, this is a sign of toxins in the body.
If you look at your tongue in the morning, you may notice a white or yellow coating resting atop it. In Ayurveda, we call this Ama. Toxins, bacteria and dead cells can build up on our tongues, especially after sleeping. When you see this coating, take it as a sign that you need to clean your tongue. You can try the following methods to begin your oral health routine:
Swish Cleansing Liquids in Your Mouth
Hot Water - When you swish hot water around in your mouth in the morning, the act cleanses any leftover toxins from your GI track.
Coconut Oil - Also known as oil pulling, coconut oil pulls the bacteria from your mouth while its cooling properties ease Pitta irritations.
Sesame Oil - Another form of oil pulling, sesame oil works similarly to coconut oil but provides a warming quality that addresses Vata imbalances.
Cold Milk - Some of my clients have had a positive experience swishing cold milk in their mouths in the morning. The cooling properties sooth many GI issues like heart burn and acid reflux.
Brush Your Teeth With Ayurveda in Mind
Once you're finished swishing cleansing liquid in your mouth, it's time to clean your teeth. In Western culture we tend to opt for very sweet flavors of toothpaste. We even give our kids bubblegum and candy flavored tooth paste.
In Ayurveda, however, the cleansing tastes are considered to be bitter, astringent and pungent. I recommend more natural toothpastes like Auromere, which still taste pleasant (like licorice!) but incorporates more cleansing effects.
The Benefits of Ayurvedic Tongue Scraping
Once you've swished cleansing liquid around your mouth and brushed your teeth, it's time to take out your Ayurvedic tongue scraper. It may sound strange but trust me, once you incorporate tongue scraping in your morning routine, you won't want to go back.
For those who don't know, a tongue scraper essentially cleans and removes the coating of toxins on your tongue.
Something to note: in Ayurveda, many experts recommend using a copper tongue scraper and we do offer them in our Ayurvedic store!
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