In the modern world, our attempt at ensuring oral hygiene is often limited to brushing our teeth and rinsing the mouth afterwards. However, this is insufficient to ensure a healthy life and prevent illnesses including respiratory problems and sinuses. According to Ayurveda, a healthy practice of oral hygiene includes the five-fold purification of the teeth, the mouth, the tongue, the ear, and the air sinuses. This should be scrupulously adhered to every morning, like a yogi…
Hygiene of Teeth and Mouth
For cleaning teeth, an improvised toothbrush is used which is a 6-7 inches long stalk with a quarter-inch width taken from a fresh green twig of neem tree, babul tree or banyan tree. One end of it is chewed to create bristles which are dipped in a tooth-cleaning powder and the teeth are rubbed clean for about five minutes from the outer and inner surfaces. These branches have alkaline and astringent properties and can be used and thrown. Thus, unlike the modern toothbrush, it cannot collect any bacteria.
The tooth-cleaning powder is prepared by mixing catechu (10%), myrobalans (80%), and turmeric or alum (10%). The ash of burnt coconut shells and almond shells can be added to achieve the best results. Alternatively, mango leaves can be chewed and used as effective ‘toothpaste‘ as the chlorophyll released is great at cleaning and making teeth strong. Finally, wash your mouth by rinsing and gargling with plain water. This makes an alkaline solution of freshly secreted saliva in the mouth that neutralizes the mouth acid and digests the particles stuck in the mouth preventing decay.
Hygiene of Tongue
The condition of the tongue acts as an index of the health of the alimentary canal. Tartar tends to collect at the root of the tongue and is responsible for foul breath and stomach conditions. The practice of massaging the root of the tongue is the way out. Join the first three fingers, push them into the throat deep enough, rub from the root to the tip of the tongue several times and throw out the phlegm and mucus surrounding the cavity. Follow with the use of a tongue scraper to finish it.
Hygiene of the Ear
The unhygienic condition of the ear may be responsible for the vertigo and pain in the ear. Cleaning of the ear involves washing the external part using plain hot water, then gently pushing the wet index finger into the ear holes and rubbing by rotating movement. It allows the wax scales, dry cells, and dust to loosen and fall off. If wax accumulates in the ear canal, pressure is caused, resulting in earache, itching, irritation, inflammation, and even vertigo.
Frontal air sinuses
Air sinuses are the two bony air chambers at the base of the nasal canals, which connect the corresponding nasal cavities through the front nasal duct. The cavity is lined by mucus, which should be freshly secreted every day to keep it free from dust, germs, and drying caused by air passing through it every time one breathes. The air chambers can be kept germ-free through a simple breathing exercise. For this, one should stand erect or sit comfortably with the chest forward and the arm passively hanging at the sides. Begin with throwing out the breath from the lungs, taking in a breath and quickly exhaling it without retaining it. Both movements must be deep and rhythmic and done in quick succession. Start with only 15 rounds for 30 seconds. As the capacity increases with practice, one can slowly go up to 60 breaths in a minute. Do not exceed 3 minutes even if mastered. One may rest for a few seconds whenever fatigue or shortness of breath is felt. This should go with strong rubbing and massaging of the depression in the forehead near the bridge of the nose. It is regarded as an aid in curing certain diseases of the eye, ear, nose, and sinus.
Following this practice every day makes you remain fresh and fully focused during your awake hours. It helps you maintain the highest physical efficiency by raising the general tone of the body and carrying out auto-immunization instead of wasting time and energy fighting against disease-causing germs and carriers. Periodical removal of the accumulated toxins in this manner rejuvenates the body by ensuring better mental and moral purity. Here begins your journey towards a life of good health and general satisfaction.