For a few years now I’ve been hearing this thing called tongue scraping and wondering exactly what it was and why it would be any different than brushing my tongue with a toothbrush. During yoga teacher training, my Mentor and licensed Ayurveda teacher brought up tongue scraping and I jumped at the opportunity to learn more.
It wasn’t until a year later that I decided tongue scrapping was something I wanted to add to my self-care routine. At first it felt a little weird. It defiantly triggered my gage reflex a few times. Immediately I noticed all the gunk that was coming off my tongue and was shocked by how quickly it improved after a few days. Now I’ve been scrapping my tongue everyday for over a month and I’ve noticed a few cool things that I’ll share with you.
What is Tongue Scraping?Tongue scraping according to Ayurveda, is the practice of gently scraping the tongue with the help of a tool to remove toxins from your body, purifies, and connects to your body. It gives you that time to check in with yourself and see what’s going on with the tongue. Ayurveda considers the tongue a road map to the entire body, with each section connecting to different organs. When you scrap the tongue, it’s like giving you organs a gentle massage. Other Benefits to Tongue Scraping
Scrapping your tongue will help remove debris from the tongue and in return can help with foul smelling breath. It is also believed that when you remove that debris from your tongue you are allowing your receptors in your taste buds to open and become active. When they are not being blocked by the contents that rest on the tongue you are able to taste your food better. When this happens, cravings seem to lessen and food has so much more flavor.
It’s best to scrap your tongue first thing in the morning before eating or drinking anything. You can use either a stainless steel (my amazon link below) or a copper tongue scrapper. There are plastic ones but they are harder to keep sanitized. Stick your tongue out and allow it to be loose and heavy. Begin to work the tongue scrapper back to front by applying gentle pressure. Repeat 5-7 more times. Rinse the scrapper with water between sets and be sure to wash with warm water and soap after every use. It’s that easy!
Now that I’ve been using my tongue scrapper for a month or so I have noticed some major benefits right off the bat. First off, I no longer have the gag reflex. Thankfully I am able to scrap my tongue without having major gag refluxes every time. My body is now used to this part of my morning routine. I am comfortable with the pressure and being able to place it at the back of my tongue now. I am also noticing that my food tastes more flavorful. When I eat fruit or veggies or even some treat I enjoy, I am noticing that my mouth is firing with all sorts of flavor responses. I am also noticing that my GI tract seems to have become more normal, another bonus benefit to tongue scrapping.
I just know that if you begin to incorporate tongue scrapping into your daily routine; you too will become hooked like me. It’s an affordable and easy healthy routine to add. Check out this link for the tongue scraper I picked up. I bought a double pack so my husband could also give this a go too. He is also now a lifer.
Resourseshttps://kripalu.org/resources/health-benefits-tongue-scraping-and-how-do-it
https://chopra.com/articles/the-benefits-of-tongue-scraping