Bad breath can be caused by bacteria in the mouth that brushing and flossing cannot reach. Tongue scraping (jihwa prakshalana), a simple practice that involves gently gliding a tongue scraper across the tongue, may help remove these bacteria and improve taste.
Ayurvedic texts recommend doing tongue scraping first thing in the morning, before eating. Using a tongue scraper made from copper, brass, or stainless steel will help you achieve the best results.
1. Cleanse the Mouth
Upon awakening in the morning, our tongue is coated with a thick layer of gunk. Tongue scraping, or jihwa prakshalana, removes this coating and helps restore the natural pink color of the tongue. It also reduces bad breath and detoxifies the mouth.
Unlike tongue brushing, which moves the toxins from the tongue back into the body, scraping gently glides the stainless steel or copper tongue cleaner across the tongue to eliminate toxins. This simple, daily practice can be done anytime, but is best performed in the morning before breakfast.
Stand in front of a mirror and extend your tongue as far out as possible without triggering the gag reflex. Gently scrape the surface of your tongue 7-14 times, until the scraper is clean. Repeat as needed.
2. Cleanse the Digestive Tract
Tongue scraping is a daily Ayurvedic practice that can help clean your digestive tract and improve the taste of your food. Overnight, as your body processes all of the food you eat, toxins (called ama in Ayurveda) form on your tongue. Ama is visible as a white coating on the tip of your tongue.
Gliding a slightly rounded tool like a tongue scraper (we recommend copper because of its antibacterial properties) over the whole surface of your tongue first thing in the morning can remove the thick coating of bacteria, dead cells and fungus that has formed on the tongue. This stimulates your metabolism and kick-starts digestion.
It also improves your sense of taste by clearing away the buildup that covers the taste buds, making it easier to experience different tastes. Ayurvedic experts suggest drinking a large glass of water after tongue scraping to further support the digestive process.
3. Cleanse the Blood
Tongue scraping (Jivha Prakshalana) is an ancient Ayurvedic practice that involves gently gliding a stainless steel or copper tongue cleaner from back to front each morning. It’s an important part of your oral hygiene routine because it helps remove toxins, improve digestion, and restore the sense of taste, while also stimulating and boosting digestive enzymes.
In ayurvedic medicine, the tongue is considered a map of the body’s organs. The front one-third corresponds to the lungs, heart, and chest; the middle one-third is the liver, spleen, stomach, and pancreas; and the back one-third represents the small intestine and colon.
A healthy, vibrant tongue shows signs of good health throughout the entire body and mind. Observe your tongue each morning to understand the messages it is sending. It is a fascinating and deeply beneficial daily practice.
4. Cleanse the Liver
The tongue is a mirror of health and regular scraping can give insights into how your digestive tract is doing. If your tongue has a white (indicating Kapha), yellowish, or blackish coating, this indicates that your digestion is out of balance.
Stick your tongue out as far as you can comfortably without gagging and use the scraper to remove the coating. It’s best to scrape first thing in the morning and repeat 7-14 times.
This recipe cleanses old Pitta dosha from the liver, nourishes and grounds Vata dosha, and promotes healthy hormone balance in the menopausal transition. Try adding it to your routine to support your liver health and overall wellness!
5. Cleanse the Heart
Toxins that aren’t digested and eliminated from the body accumulate as a coating on the tongue. A simple morning practice of gently gliding the tongue cleaner across the tongue, scraping it clean, is an effective daily detox that also helps freshen breath and stimulates your sense of taste.
Ayurvedic tongue cleaning, known as Jihwa Prakshalana, removes the toxins from the tongue and stimulates digestive fire. Studies have shown that tongue scraping significantly outperforms brushing at decreasing volatile sulfur compounds, a major cause of bad breath.
Ayurvedic tongue scrapers are rounded metal instruments made of silver, gold, copper and stainless steel. Copper has the added benefit of being antiviral and antibacterial. You can get one online or at most natural health stores. Experiment with different styles of tongue cleaners to find what feels comfortable for you. Brush the tongue gently, scraping from back to front, rinsing between strokes, 7-14 times.
6. Cleanse the Lungs
Practicing tongue scraping, or Jihwa Prakshalana, daily removes bad bacteria and helps the taste buds to function properly. It also encourages digestion by removing undigested food materials that can block enzymes needed for digestion. It also enhances the natural color of the tongue, and improves breath.
Overnight, as the body processes the foods we eat, it begins to create toxins (called ama in Ayurveda) that show up on the tongue in the form of a coating (kapha ama is white, pitta ama is yellow, and vata ama is brown). Scraping the tongue first thing each morning prevents these toxins from reabsorbing back into the body.
To scrape the tongue, gently glide a stainless steel tongue cleaner across the tongue from the back to the front. Rinse the tongue between strokes and always use a scraper with rounded edges.
7. Cleanse the Kidneys
The tongue is a window into the health of the kidneys, lungs and gastrointestinal tract. It is said that toxins accumulated in these organs show up as a coating on the tongue.
According to Ayurvedic wisdom, scraping the tongue each morning removes the tongue coating (ama) and supports healthy digestion and a strong immune system. It also improves breath, enhances taste perception and activates saliva production.
Tongue scraping is done by gently gliding a stainless steel or copper tongue cleaner from the back of the tongue forward, several times each morning. It is a simple and effective practice that detoxifies the body each morning. It also helps to clear away toxins, improve breathing and promotes spiritual awareness. This is a primary cleansing and health practice recommended in the Charaka Samhita and Sushruta Samhita, two ancient traditional sacred texts of Ayurveda.
8. Cleanse the Eyes
The tongue can give us a window into our internal health. Its color, coating and texture indicate the state of one’s digestive tract, liver and other organs.
Tongue scraping, also known as jihwa prakshalana in Ayurveda, is an ancient practice that’s been proven to reduce the volatile sulfur compounds that cause halitosis. Studies show it can significantly decrease the harmful bacteria that collects on your tongue, which can be difficult to remove with regular brushing alone.
Ayurvedic eye care is a holistic approach that balances the body, mind and consciousness for optimal health. However, Ayurvedic approaches should not replace standard medical care, especially if you have a medical condition or are taking prescription medications. Talk to your doctor before beginning any new self-care practices, including Ayurvedic treatments like tongue scraping.
9. Cleanse the Skin
While tongue scraping may seem like an odd practice for most, it has gained interest among wellness practitioners as a way to clear the mouth, improve digestion, and promote fresh breath. The ayurvedic practice also helps boost the immune system and encourages healthy detoxification.
According to a study, adding tongue cleaning to a standard oral hygiene routine significantly decreased levels of bacteria that cause gum disease, cavities, and bad breath. Tongue scraping is also known to stimulate the digestive fire, or agni, which aides in breaking down and digesting food and assimilating nutrients into the body.
To begin tongue scraping, ayurvedic practitioners recommend using a horseshoe-shaped copper tongue scraper (though even the edge of a spoon works). Gently slide the scraper across the tongue, starting from the back of the tongue and working toward the front.
10. Cleanse the Teeth
Tongue scraping is an ancient Ayurvedic practice that’s recently gaining a steadfast following and widespread exposure. It reduces bad breath (halitosis) at rates similar to those achieved with toothbrushing and also eliminates toxins that can decrease oral health and cause inflammation.
Overnight, as the body processes everything you eat and drink, a layer of toxins, called ama in Ayurveda, forms on the tongue. It’s usually white, but can be yellow for Pitta or brown for Vata.
Gently gliding a stainless steel or copper tongue scraper from the back of the tongue forward removes the ama and stimulates and activates the digestive enzymes, improves taste and supports healthy digestion and elimination. It also activates organs of the mouth, including the gums, which helps prevent periodontal disease. Also try an herbal toothpaste with ingredients like neem, cloves and babool to promote healthy teeth and gums.
