The Benefits of Tongue Scraping
- Maria Leonidas
- Dec 14, 2022
- 4 min read
Cleaning your tongue with a tongue scraper dates back to ancient times in India, but its benefits have recently gained a lot of attention in the West. Scraping your tongue stands to reward anyone willing to give it a try, and it is worth understanding the advantages a tongue scraper has to offer your overall health and well-being.
Ayurveda’s Perspective on Tongue Cleaning
Ayurveda holds that the tongue shares a direct connection to several of the body's vital organs, including the heart, kidneys, liver, lungs, spleen, and stomach. What’s more, Ayurveda teaches that the tongue reflects the health and well-being of these organs, so regularly inspecting the tongue is an excellent way to gauge your overall health.
Many systems of medicine, including Ayurveda, use tongue diagnosis as a window into the internal workings of the body. This is one reason doctors have you stick out your tongue.
Different parts of the tongue are related to the lungs, the heart, the stomach, the liver, the spleen, the kidneys, and the intestines. A tongue scraper gently removes toxins from the tongue itself and simultaneously stimulates, massages, and cleanses the associated organs and deep tissues.
Because the tongue reflects the health of so many vital organs, systemic imbalances (and improvements) are reflected on the surface of the tongue. Using a tongue scraper daily allows you to take note of any significant changes that may indicate variations in your own internal state of balance.
How Do You Know if You Should Clean Your Tongue?
Our bodies are constantly exposed to toxins from our food, beverages, and the environment; even our own metabolic wastes and unresolved emotions can lead to toxicity. When toxins are not properly digested and eliminated, they accumulate in the body and begin to compromise our well-being and immunity. Signs that toxins have begun to accumulate in the body are:
A white coating on the tongue
Foul-smelling breath or body odour
Mental fog or confusion
An overall sense of stagnation or weakness
Generalised body aches
Diminished appetite
Constipation
Diarrhoea
Bloating
Fatigue or lethargy
If you identify with one or more of the above, chances are that there is some level of toxicity in your system... and time to get scraping!
Benefits of Scraping Your Tongue
Our bodies are constantly exposed to toxins from our food, beverages, and the environment; even our own metabolic wastes and unresolved emotions can lead to toxicity. When toxins are not properly digested and eliminated, they accumulate in the body and begin to compromise our well-being and immunity. Tongue scraping is one preliminary measure to take in clearing your body from the unwanted buildup of toxins.
Other benefits of scraping your tongue include:
Clearing toxins, bacteria, and dead cells from the tongue to prevent bad breath
Enhancing the sense of taste
Promoting overall oral and digestive health
Gently stimulating the internal organs
Increasing your awareness of your state of health
Those are only a few of the amazing benefits of tongue cleaning. Below, we'll get into some of the deeper benefits that regular tongue scraping can bring to your oral hygiene routine and overall health.
Tongue Scraping for Balanced Oral Bacteria
The bacteria in our mouths are a necessary part of our natural flora and, when in balance, they actually help protect against other potential issues.
It's true that good oral hygiene can help keep bacteria in check so that they can serve their purpose without wreaking havoc. Using a tongue scraper to scrape the tongue gently dislodges bacteria, as well as their food source, and is, therefore, one of the most effective means of combating tongue bacteria.
A healthy mouth and fresh breath are understandably very high on the priority list for many people. Clinical studies have shown that the daily use of a tongue scraper results in a significant reduction in the anaerobic bacteria that cause bad breath and other problems.
In addition to brushing your teeth and flossing, the Ayurvedic practices of tongue scraping and oil pulling can have a tremendous impact on your oral health.
Tongue Scraping for Improved Digestion and Taste
Amazingly, the benefits of using a tongue scraper reach far beyond the bounds of oral hygiene and fresh breath.
In Ayurveda, proper digestion is the cornerstone of health—it is literally the process by which our daily intake of food nourishes our tissues and ultimately, our state of consciousness. Healthy digestion also protects the body against the accumulation of toxins and ensures the proper elimination of wastes.
How to Scrape Your Tongue
The good news is that Ayurveda offers a myriad of tools for cleansing your system of these toxins. A tongue scraper is a fabulous way to start. And if you’re not sure how to clean your tongue with a tongue scraper, it’s super easy!
Ideally, a tongue cleaner is used every day, upon rising, and on an empty stomach.
Hold the two ends of the tongue cleaner in both hands.
Extend the tongue and place the tongue cleaner on the surface of the tongue, as far back as is comfortable.
Gently pull the tongue cleaner forward so that it removes the unwanted coating.
Rinse the tongue cleaner and repeat as necessary, usually 3–5 times.
Follow this step with oil pulling, and you are ready to start your day with a beautiful fresh mouth.
Including a Tongue Scraper in Your Daily Routine
Having a daily routine is one of the most important tenets of Ayurveda. As the body becomes accustomed to the predictability of doing the same things at roughly the same time every day, the nervous system begins to relax.
A morning routine, in particular, affords us an opportunity to prioritise those things that are most important while setting a positive tone for the entire day. A typical Ayurvedic morning routine would include meditation, grooming practices (including the use of a tongue scraper, brushing the teeth with tooth powder, and practicing oil pulling), exercise, and bathing.
Adding the use of a tongue scraper to your daily routine assists the body in eliminating toxins that have accumulated in the mouth overnight. It also massages and awakens the internal organs, stimulates the digestive capacity, and ensures that you start your day feeling as fresh and clean as possible.
Where to buy?
Comments