In brief: This page answers the questions people put to search engines about tongue scraping and oil pulling in Ayurveda, each in a few sentences. It covers the practice, the scraper, the oil and the Sanskrit names, and points to the longer Art of Vedas guides where they exist.

Tongue scraping and oil pulling are morning steps in Dinacharya, the classical Ayurvedic daily routine. The questions below are the ones people type into a search engine, with the wording kept close to theirs. Each answer says what the practice is and how it is done.

What is the Ayurvedic practice of tongue scraping?

Tongue scraping is a short daily step: a curved metal scraper is drawn over the tongue from the back to the tip, first thing in the morning. Our guides describe it as a fixed part of Dinacharya, the classical daily routine, and name the Charaka Samhita, the Sushruta Samhita and the Ashtanga Hridayam as texts that list it. It is a classical Ayurvedic practice, not a recent addition to it.

Why should we scrape the tongue in Ayurveda?

Because it is a fixed step of Dinacharya, the Ayurvedic daily routine, placed at the start of the morning. The reason given is plain and physical: a coating forms on the tongue overnight, and the scraper lifts it off before anything is eaten or drunk. Later steps of the same routine are oil pulling, Nasya (oil for the nose) and Abhyanga (oil massage).

The whole morning, step by step, is set out in our guide to Dinacharya.

What is Jihva Dhauti (tongue scraping)?

Jihva means tongue and Dhauti means washing or cleansing, so Jihva Dhauti is a Sanskrit name for cleaning the tongue. The Art of Vedas guides and product pages use two other Sanskrit names for tongue scraping: Jihwa Nirlekhana, literally tongue scraping, and Jihwa Prakshalana, tongue cleaning. Jihva and Jihwa are two spellings of one word.

How do you scrape the tongue in Ayurveda?

Hold the scraper by its handle, put out the tongue and place the curved edge as far back as is comfortable. Draw it forward to the tip in one smooth stroke, rinse the scraper under running water and repeat. Use light pressure: the edge should glide, not dig.

These steps follow the Art of Vedas product information for both scrapers. For a first scraper, the description of the double-handle model points to its two-hand grip, which keeps the pressure even across the tongue.

What is the classical number of strokes in Jihwa Nirlekhana?

Our guide to Jihwa Nirlekhana gives seven strokes as the classical standard. The figure our other guides give most often is five to seven, each stroke from the back of the tongue to the tip, with the scraper rinsed in between. The practical end point is a tongue that looks clean and a scraper that picks up little more.

In Ayurveda, is tongue scraping done before or after brushing the teeth?

Before, according to the product information for both Art of Vedas scrapers and our tongue scraping guides. They place it first thing in the morning: before brushing, before eating and before drinking.

In our guide to the morning oral care sequence, the scraper is followed by oil pulling and then by brushing.

What does a traditional Ayurvedic tongue scraper look like?

An Ayurvedic tongue scraper is a thin, curved piece of metal with a smooth scraping edge and a grip. The curve matters, because a flat tool does not follow the shape of the tongue. Art of Vedas lists two forms, both in solid copper.

Is an Ayurvedic tongue scraper made of copper or stainless steel?

Traditionally of copper. Our guides name copper as the traditional choice for the daily routine and describe stainless steel as a modern material that does the same mechanical job. Both scrapers that Art of Vedas lists are made of solid copper.

Is there a gold tongue scraper in Ayurveda?

Yes, as a classical material. Our guides say the classical texts name gold, silver and copper as metals for the scraper, and one guide adds tin. They also describe gold as the less practical choice for a tool used every day, and Art of Vedas lists its scrapers in copper only.

What should you look for when buying an Ayurvedic tongue scraper?

Three things: solid copper and not copper plating, a smooth finish without sharp edges, and a shape that covers the surface of the tongue. After that the choice is the grip, one handle or two. Both Art of Vedas scrapers are in the oral care collection, and the current price is shown on each product page.

How do you clean a copper tongue scraper?

Rinse it under running water after each use and dry it. Copper darkens with time; this patina is expected and does not change how the scraper works. To bring back the shine, rub it now and then with a paste of lemon juice and salt, then rinse and dry it.

Do not use abrasive scrubbers and do not put it in the dishwasher. Storage is covered in our guide to caring for Kansa and copper tools.

What does Kavala mean, and how does it differ from Gandusha?

Kavala means a mouthful, and so does Gandusha. As methods of oil pulling they differ: in Kavala a comfortable amount of oil is taken into the mouth and swished, while in Gandusha the mouth is filled completely and the oil is held still. In both, the oil is spat out at the end.

What is called oil pulling today is closest to Kavala, which our guides describe as the method for daily use.

How long do you swish oil in the mouth for Kavala?

Our guides give a range of five to twenty minutes for Kavala, with ten to fifteen minutes as the usual daily length, and suggest starting at about five minutes. For Gandusha, where the oil is held without moving, they give three to five minutes. The oil is then spat out, not swallowed.

The classical measure, as the guides report it, is a sign and not a clock: the oil is kept moving until it has turned thin and frothy. The method is set out step by step in our guide to Kavala and Gandusha.

Which oil is traditionally used for Kavala and Gandusha?

Sesame oil. Our guides name it as the classical standard for both methods. Art of Vedas lists Arimedadi Thailam for oil pulling: a Thailam on a sesame oil base, described on its product page as a classical oil for Gandusha and Kavala.

The oil is used in the mouth and spat out afterwards, into a bin and not the sink, and the mouth is rinsed with warm water. It is not swallowed, and its product page says it is not suitable for young children. During pregnancy, speak to a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner or a doctor first.

Which Ayurvedic texts describe oil pulling?

Our guides and the product information for Arimedadi Thailam name three: the Charaka Samhita, the Sushruta Samhita and the Ashtanga Hridayam. The guides give Sutrasthana chapter 5 of the Charaka Samhita and Sutrasthana chapter 22 of the Ashtanga Hridayam as the places where Kavala and Gandusha are described. Oil pulling is a recent English name; the texts use Kavala and Gandusha.

This page names the texts and describes the method. What the practice means for one person is a matter for a qualified Ayurvedic practitioner.

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For external use only. Not a substitute for professional medical advice.