JIHVA MOOLA DHAUTI OR TONGUE ROOT CLEANING

In Sanskrit Jihva means tongue and Moola means root. This practice is therefore concerned with cleaning the tongue and its root.

TECHNIQUE

The practice is very simple and takes no more than a minute or so.

Wash the hands thoroughly, making sure that the finger nails are perfectly clean.

Join the index, middle and ring fingers of one hand so that the tips are in line with each other.

Carefully push them into the mouth and as far towards the back of the throat as is possible without retching.

Rub the root of the tongue slowly and thoroughly for a few minutes.

Simultaneously try to cough out any phlegm and other impurities that are in the throat.

This should be sufficient to remove any impurities from the tongue.

This practice should be performed preferably before breakfast.

This is important for one might otherwise tend to retch as the fingers are pushed into the back of the throat.

Try to practise at least once every day, if not as often as time available will permit.

Two minutes rubbing the back of tongue and two minutes milking the upper and lower surfaces is sufficient.

BENEFITS

The tongue is a vital organ of the body, yet very few people ever seriously think about cleaning it. All of us have at some time or another noticed a thick layer of yellow slime on the upper surface of the tongue, especially when we are not feeling well. This coating on the tongue actually consists of impurities that have been removed from the body. It indicates that there is some inner disorder or accumulation of toxins that the body is desperately trying to expel.

Failure to remove the impurities on the tongue can aggravate ailments within the body, particularly digestive problems.

Remember these impurities can act as breeding grounds for bacteria which in turn can contaminate food being eaten. So regular cleaning of the tongue is very important in maintaining a healthy body.