In her book 21 Habits to Yogic Living, Juhi Kapoor shares simple yet powerful practices to transform your day—starting with this foundational morning kriya.
‘Every morning is a fresh beginning. Every day is the world made new.’ —Sarah Chauncey Woolsey Mornings are important, after all, it’s the start of your whole day ahead. So, how do we start it right? Well, there’s the standard—brush your teeth, take a shower, comb your head, get dressed. Is it enough?
In our bodies, the excretion process eliminates waste products such as feces, urine and sweat. If these waste products accumulate excessively or become imbalanced, they can contribute to the development of various health disorders.
Nothing against the humble shower, but it doesn’t do a thorough cleanse. In fact, if you are to embark on the path of yoga, cleansing is paramount per Ashtanga Yoga. One of the concepts in Ashtanga Yoga, saucha, which translates to ‘cleanliness’ or ‘purity’, is an essential niyama (rule) in the practice of yoga. It emphasizes the purification and cleanliness of both the external and internal aspects of our being.
Cleansing forms the foundation of our day—not just a warm-up or precursor to yoga, but an integral part of the practice itself. Kriya is a yogic practice to cleanse or detoxify. In this section, we will delve into four kriyas that to be inculcated as daily habits at the beginning of your day for cleansing the body and mind.
Habit 1/21: Jivha Mulashodhana
Time taken: 2 minutes
Jivha Mulashodhana translates to ‘cleansing the root of the tongue’. In Sanskrit, the term ‘jivha’ refers to the tongue, ‘mula’ represents the root, and shodhana signifies the act of cleansing.
In many traditional healing systems, including Ayurveda and traditional Chinese medicine, tongue analysis is an important diagnostic tool.
Cleansing the tongue is seen as a holistic practice that promotes overall well-being by supporting the harmonious functioning of the body’s systems.
The tongue is a significant organ in human development, closely related to the three germ layers: ectoderm, endoderm and mesoderm. It plays a crucial role in intercommunication within the body. Additionally, the tongue holds cultural importance, symbolizing language, intellect, and verbal expression. Early texts of Chinese Medicine, such as the Ling-Shu Jing,2 recognized the connection between the tongue, heart, mind and spirit. The tongue serves as a diagnostic tool and an essential instrument for skilled physicians during examinations.
According to Ling-Shu Jing, the appearance of the tongue is closely linked to the internal organs. Here’s a summary of the relationships described [1]:
• The entire tongue corresponds to the heart.
• The kidney vessels terminate at the root of the tongue.
• The spleen vessels enter the body and reach the lower side of the tongue.
• The margin of the tongue is associated with the liver vessels.
• The tip of the tongue is connected to the lung and heart vessels.
• The tongue is related to the upper burner (heater), lung, large intestine, stomach and their respective vessels.
• The tongue is also connected to the lung and pericardium vessels through branches of the kidney vessels.
The significance of the tongue in the body becomes evident when considering its connection to various organ systems. Cleansing the tongue can have a far-reaching impact on overall health, influencing the functioning of multiple organs.
How to Practice Jiva Mulashodhana
1. Find yourself a basin or a sink.
2. Put your index and middle finger together and gently insert them in your mouth onto your tongue (pic 1.1). You have to reach as far back as possible to the back of your mouth, while also gently rubbing the tongue with your fingers. This may feel uncomfortable at first, and you may feel the need to regurgitate. But, you cannot stop here.
3. Continue rubbing in a manner that your fingertips are at the farthest corner of your tongue, while the finger is laid atop it. Placing your fingers carefully and as mentioned ensures the whole tongue is cleaned simultaneously. However, you have to stay at the farthest part of your tongue for as long as possible. With time, it will get less uncomfortable.
4. Naturally, after two to three trials, you may feel like throwing up, but these are only sensations triggered by a foreign object stimulating your digestive tract’s delicate openings. These convulsions are perfectly normal and, in fact, expected. After you are done, rinse and gargle.
5. You may notice a white residue sticking on your fingers. Make sure to clean well.
Benefits
• First and foremost, it cleans the tongue thoroughly.
• Did you know an unhygienic tongue is to blame for bad mouth odour? The tongue provides for a warm uneven surface, where bacteria can latch on leading to infections, unwanted white slime, and bad odour. Jivha Mulashodhana helps you shake their foundation and eliminate them from the roots.
• The tongue, a crucial muscle in digestion, is also remarkably delicate. You would notice just the touch of your fingers makes your tongue move, clench your jaws. And the farther you reach, the more sensations you experience. You will essentially be stimulating your food pipe and stomach, leading to an improved digestion.
• This technique helps to stimulate tongue function, which leads to improved digestion. When you pull at the tauter end of the tongue, you gradually increase its length and flexibility, which in turn helps move food particles around and promotes healthy lubrication.
• Jivha Mulashodhana not only removes residue from the taste buds but also stimulates them through a massaging motion, allowing them to fully experience sensations. Stimulated and exposed taste buds enhance your whole experience of a meal.
• The tongue can be a breeding ground for bacteria, and over time, as the impurities collect, they start to impact your food pipe and throat. Tongue infections have been known to spread as far down as your larynx. Hence, this kriya is a must do.
• The kriya also causes contractions in your stomach’s walls. These contractions further send nervous signals to your intestines to commence elimination. Thus, it is beneficial in getting rid of constipation and irregular bowel movements.
At this point, you may feel that this practice has been successfully replaced by the invention of U-shaped steel tongue cleaners and flexible toothbrushes, which claim to pluck out any hidden impurity.
But is this kriya an alternative to that tongue cleaner in your bathroom?
Jivha Mula Shodhana does not just clean the tongue, it also activates the organ systems.
That being said, neither is a replacement for either. Rather, each complements the other. You can continue cleaning your tongue with a tongue cleaner after you brush your teeth.
When to do it?
The best time to do it is first thing in the morning. Prior to doing any forms of yoga, doing cleaning is important. EVEN BEFORE YOU BRUSH!
CAUTION
• Practice empty stomach
• Use gentle pressure and avoid any harsh movements
• Make sure your hands are clean and disinfected before you start
• Avoid eating or drinking anything immediately.
Who should avoid?
The oral cleanse is a standard and easy-to-do exercise. Most people will find it easy once they get comfortable with the regurgitating sensation. There are no side effects. However, you may need to exercise more caution if you are suffering from any of the following:
• Hypertension
• Stomach irritation
• Cardiac disease
• Tonsilitis
• Cold or cough/respiration-related discomfort
• Mouth/tongue ulcers
In such cases, it is advised to use one finger and be gentler. Pregnant women should also avoid this practice if they experience nausea or morning sickness.
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