Have you tried tongue scraping yet?
Overnight, as the body processes everything that was ingested that day, toxins (called ama in Ayuveda) begin to form, and are visible as a coating on the tongue. If the ama is more of the kapha variety, it will appear as a thick, white coating. Pitta ama tends to be more yellow, and vata ama is brown.
Tongue scraping, or jihwa prakshalana, is a traditional part of Ayurvedic self-care and also a great way to check in with your body each morning.
How to Tongue Scrape
- Scrape your tongue first thing in the morning, before drinking water.
- Use either a stainless steel or copper tongue scraper, like Banyan Botanicals' Tongue Cleaner. There are plastic tongue scrapers out there, but I’m not a fan, as they are harder to keep sanitary.
- Stick your tongue out and allow it to be loose and heavy.
- Work the tongue scraper back to front five to seven times, rinsing the scraper after each round. Follow with brushing, flossing, and a large glass of warm or room temperature water. Drinking warm water first thing provides a gentle flush for the GI tract and the kidneys, and also stimulates peristalsis.
Copper Tongue Scraper
$10.00Price