I usually say that the tongue scraper is Ayurveda's best-kept secret. Try it for a week and see for yourself. Once you've seen what comes off your tongue in the morning, it's hard to pretend it's not there.
Tongue scraping is one of Ayurveda's oldest and most cherished morning routines. It takes less than a minute but can make a big difference.
Before you brush your teeth, before coffee, before breakfast.
Look at your tongue. Do you see a white or yellowish coating?
In Ayurveda, this is called Ama, waste products and residues that the body has been working to process and eliminate during the night.
While you slept, your body cleaned, repaired, and recovered. Some of what your body wants to get rid of ends up on your tongue.
Therefore, Ayurveda recommends that you start your day by scraping your tongue.
Don't swallow it back. Don't brush around it. Remove it.
Many experience:
- Fresher breath
- Purer taste experience
- Less coating on the tongue
- A feeling of clarity and lightness
- Better connection with one's digestion and agni (digestive fire)
Ayurveda also views the tongue as a mirror of digestion. By observing your tongue each morning, you can gain clues about how your body is feeling and if there are any signs of imbalance.
And something that almost everyone who starts tongue scraping says:
“Once you've started, you can't go back.”
Then suddenly you see what was actually left on your tongue every morning. And the thought of drinking coffee or eating breakfast without cleaning it first no longer feels very appealing.
It's one of those little habits that costs next to nothing, takes less than a minute, but makes you feel a little cleaner, clearer, and more awake from the very first moment of the day.
Which tongue scraper should one choose?
Ayurveda traditionally favours copper tongue scrapers as copper naturally has antimicrobial properties. Stainless steel also works well. However, the most important thing is that the tongue scraper has a soft, rounded edge. It should gently remove plaque, not be so sharp that it irritates or scrapes away taste buds.
A few gentle pulls from the back of the tongue forward are sufficient. More isn't always better.
I usually say that the tongue scraper is Ayurveda's best-kept secret. Try it for a week and see for yourself. Once you've seen what comes off your tongue in the morning, it's hard to pretend it's not there.
Buy your tongue scraper from Veda Lila