Morning Rituals in European Ayurveda® – Detoxification for Body, Mind, and Soul

Why should I do a detox?

You can do a detox anytime. It helps you free yourself from old burdens, as well as toxins and indigestible substances. In this way, you support your health, and you can also bring your energy balance into equilibrium. Because too many slags – called Ama – negatively affect your bioenergies.

That is why it is advisable to do a detox cure at home. This not only kickstarts the detoxification of your body but also creates new spaces for yourself. Here are a few tips on what you can do for yourself in the morning.

1. Oil pulling

Oil pulling is a very simple method of daily detoxification, used in both naturopathy and Ayurvedic medicine.

In both healing teachings, it is assumed that one can detoxify the organism through the mucous membrane of the mouth. In Ayurveda, the oral cavity is considered part of the digestive tract, where toxins from the digestive tract accumulate overnight when we do not regularly swallow, drink, or produce saliva.

These are responsible, among other things, for bad breath and a bad taste in the mouth. Therefore, besides brushing your teeth, the rest of the oral cavity should be thoroughly cleaned daily .

Here's how: Take one to two teaspoons of organic sesame oil, coconut oil, sunflower oil, or our European Ayurveda® oral care oil into your mouth – ideally right after getting up and before drinking anything. Approximately 5–10 minutes swish it around in your mouth. You can also take breaks in between to relax your jaw.

At first, oil pulling feels a little strange, but you get used to it. The oil-saliva mixture becomes increasingly liquid and turns white in your mouth. You can then spit out the oil, preferably into a paper tissue, so that the oil along with the toxins and bacteria does not enter the water cycle. Just throw the tissue into the household waste afterward.

2. Tongue scraping

The condition of the tongue, more precisely its texture and coating, can help you assess your health or your current physical constitution. In both Ayurvedic and Western medicine, tongue coatings are considered excreted waste products and toxins of the body.

If you regularly remove these coatings with a tongue scraper, you also remove residues and bacteria. In the long run, this prevents bad breath , results in fewer gum inflammations , and improves your sense of taste. You also do something good for your digestion .

And here's how it works:

• You can find special tongue scrapers in our online shop, but you can also use a teaspoon.

• Place the scraper at the back of the tongue (be careful not too far back, or you'll trigger an unpleasant gag reflex!) and gently pull it to the tip of the tongue several times.

• In between, you can briefly hold the scraper under running water to clean it. Then rinse your mouth thoroughly several times.

After scraping your tongue, you can brush your teeth as usual with a mild toothpaste.

3. A glass of warm, boiled water in the morning

Not only in European Ayurveda® is it an important morning ritual: drinking water. Whether in the East or West – lukewarm water is an essential ritual in every healing teaching to get the body going.

The water should be boiled beforehand and taken warm after brushing your teeth. If you like, add a splash of fresh lemon or various medicinal herbs to your glass. In summer, we are, of course, big fans of fresh mint or lemon balm, which grows in our garden at Sonnhof.

And why not cold water? Simply because after waking up, our digestive fire, our Agni, is not yet in full swing. If we consume a cold liquid, digestion is not stimulated but slowed down. Your body has to expend more energy to bring the water to your internal body temperature. Therefore, warm water is much more digestible.

4. Letting thoughts roam free – detox for the thought carousel

A topic of our time: After waking up, the first thing to do is check the smartphone . But the morning can definitely be spent differently: proponents of the so-called Morning Pages – developed by coach Julia Cameron – first reach for a pen and three pages of paper and fill them with all the thoughts that are in their head upon waking. The beauty of it is that you can write down whatever you like. It is not judged or corrected. Morning thoughts are free! Only one rule should be followed: No page should be left blank. It helps you shed ballast and start the day lightly. Because that, too, is European Ayurveda®. So grab a notebook and get your thoughts off your chest.

You have all the time for yourself; the morning is entirely yours. Start the day light and refreshed!