Oil-Pulling, a concept of cleansing by swishing a spoonful of oil in your mouth.
It seems to be a growing interest, but it’s been around for thousands of years! In the Charaka Samhita, a Sanskrit text of Indian Medicine, it’s well over 3,000 years old.
Before we get into the many benefits, we need to understand what it is, and just how to do it!
Oil Pulling, or in Sanskrit, “Kavala Gandusha” is essentially the Ayurvedic mouthwash. Ayurveda’s teachings are mostly centered around constant cleansing and detoxification. So, it makes sense this is a daily ritual on the path of Ayurveda.
Sucking on oil feels as weird as it sounds. In the morning, on an empty tummy, take a spoonful of oil and put into your mouth. Swish and Swish, up and down, push, pull, and draw the oil through the teeth.. Side to side. (I know, the texture might be weird, and it might taste weird) Keep on swishing! Aim for at least 5 minutes at first, but you can work your way up to 20 minutes. As you’re moving this oil around your mouth, it will trigger enzymes to help pull ama, or toxins from the blood. Pretty cool if you ask me, your body is constantly on your side and helping you when you allow it the attention. :)
When time is up, the oil could be a milky color, frothy, and thin. That’s perfect, you did it! Now spit it out into a trash can.. NOT in the sink, you could risk clogging your drain! ..Oh, and this oil CANNOT be swallowed! You just pulled out so much bacteria, mucous, and toxins!
This is something that can be practices multiple times a day, but it’s def best to do so in the morning.. Before you eat ANYTHING!
What Kind of Oil?
This can be a tricky question. The most generic kind of oil for this method is Coconut Oil. In Ayurvedic terms, one bases the oil used on their dosha makeup. (If you are interested in understanding your body’s unique makeup, there are PLENTY of Dosha Body Type Tests online.) Certain oils will have different effects!
When searching for an oil that suits your body best, I would highly recommend the label including “organic” “unrefined” and “cold-pressed.” You are putting this oil into your mouth, and believe it or not it is doing a loooooot to your body.
Having something with Prana (life force) is highly important. The intention is to feel your very best, and to cleanse the body. So keep that in mind when choosing what oil to use!
Benefits:
Cleans Teeth/Removes Plaque
Eliminates Bad Breath
Strengthens Teeth and Gums
Promotes Good Oral Health
Improves Sinus Health
Promotes Healthy Detoxification and Cleansing
Boost Energy Levels
Reduces occurrence of disease and illness
Alleviates Arthritis
Reduces Headaches
Benefits skin and blood disorders
Improves Psoriasis
Reduces chronic Inflammation
Heart & Brain Health
As you can see, this is a POWERFUL and EFFECTIVE practice, if not one of the best, to improve your health. The best part- it's readily available, you can do it yourself, and it’s natural!
Remember, the human body make-up is as unique as a fingerprint! With that being said, experiment with what time of day, what kind of oil, and the duration. Personally, I have a hard time keeping it in my mouth for a full 15 minutes because of the taste. ( I usually use coconut or sesame.) I have started putting a couple drops of lemon essential oil and let me tell you.. GAME CHANGER! I’ve also seen people putting ground herbs in, like turmeric, or mixing a couple different kinds of oils together.
I have had a profound experience implementing this into my daily rituals, and I encourage you too as well.
Namaste, Amalia May
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