Ayurvedic Tongue Scraping

Tongue scraping benefits
1.Cleans toxins bacteria and dead cells from the tongue to prevent bad breath. 
Research suggests that using a tongue scraper daily reduces the overall incidence of lactobacilli and streptococci bacteria in the mouth.

2.Enhances the sense of taste. You'll be able to better distinguish between bitter, sweet, salty and sour. It can enhance the flavor of the food.

3.Promotes overall oral and digestive health.
   Removing bacteria is the key to preventing cavities gum disease and 
   other conditions affecting the mouth. Tongue scraping can help clean 
   these bacteria from your mouth improving your tongue's appearance 
   and overall sensation.

4.Improves the digestion.

5.Tongue scraping helps in balancing all the three doshas.

6. In addition to this it can clear the mind and is a great way to start the
 day.

Tongue scraping is called Jihwa prakshalana or Jihwa nirlekhana in 
Ayurveda. Ayurveda considers the tongue as the road map of the entire
body with each section corresponding to different organ. When we scrape
the tongue it's like giving our internal organs a gentle massage. It is therefore advised to clean the tongue at least once a day.

• It's best to scrape your tongue early in the morning before drinking water.
• Use either a stainless steel or copper tongue scraper. 
• There are many plastic scrapers available nowadays but it's difficult to
• keep them clean and sanitized.
• In place of a tongue scraper a metal spoon can be used it is also equally effective.
• The tongue scraper should be non sharp and curved so as not to injurethe tongue. Stainless steel scrapers resist corrosion and are effective aswell, hence should be preferred.
• Do not scrape too hard. The tongue should be gently scraped from back to front for 7 to 14 strokes. The scraper may be rinsed off between the strokes if there is a lot of accumulation.

                      Some people report stimulation of gag reflex during scraping which indicates that the scraping is too aggressive. If this occurs with gentle scraping begin slightly more forward on the tongue to avoid the gagging reflex.

You should do it so gently that it should be comfortable to you.
                The tongue is  said to be the mirror to all internal organs of the body and thus and daily look at the tongue prior to scrapping gives you a daily clue to your general health.
               Follow tongue scraping with brushing flossing and a glass of room temperature or warm water. After a few weeks of tongue scraping you will feel the difference your mouth will feel fresher and your taste buds more alive.