Guest post by Ketaki Parasher

Oil pulling is an ancient Ayurvedic practice that has a lot of benefits, when done regularly. I’m not very fond of fried food and have oily, sensitive, acne prone skin. Honestly, The mere thought of swishing oil in my mouth for 20 minutes everyday repulsed me.

Jia and I had spoken about the innumerable benefits of this ritual and how it had helped a lot of people with their skin- so I decided to give it a go. Proponents of oil pulling claim it is capable of improving oral and systemic health, reducing severity of headaches and diabetes, asthma, acne, as well as whitening teeth. Its promoters claim it works by “pulling out” toxins, which are known as “Ama” in Ayurvedic medicine and thereby reducing inflammation.

I was extremely apprehensive about the whole experience. The mere thought of putting oil in my mouth made me gag and was I convinced I wouldn’t be able to last twenty minutes.

Day 1: It was unbelievably hard. I couldn’t for the life of me keep this oil in my mouth for more than a few minutes. 20 minutes seemed like an insurmountable task. But I woke up with fresh breath and my gums felt healthier, so I decided to give it another shot.

Day 2: The oil isn’t a total surprise and it doesn’t make me want to gag. I gargle with the oil in my mouth and graduate from 2 minutes to 4.

Day 8 : I can keep swishing the oil around for 10 minutes and I’ve kind of gotten used to the feeling by now.
I no longer wake up with parched lips or a dry throat and bad breath.

Week 2 : I think I’m a convert. The oil feels very familiar, almost comforting. There is something almost therapeutic about taking the time out to do this every morning for 20 minutes. I do it while I read the papers or listen to meditative music and sooth my nerves. Doing something else while I’m oil pulling distracts me from looking at the watch every few minutes.

I recommend it to all my friends and people around me. After week 2, my skin feels and looks healthier. My teeth look whiter and my gums are back to a healthy pink.

Benefits of Oil Pulling

-Improved dental health: whiter teeth, healthy gums, plaque reduction, no bad breath
– Reduction of stiffness and joint pains
– Relief from nasal congestion and sinus
– Fewer migraines and cluster headaches
– Lessens severity of asthma
– Regulates menstrual cycle and provides relief from PMS
– improved skin
– Boosts energy

The Usual Method
Oil pulling therapy should ideally be practiced early morning, on an empty stomach.
Take a tablespoon of oil, preferably coconut/sesame oil (organic) and swish it gently in your mouth for about 20 minutes. You can work your way upto this. Do not gargle vigorously or you will get tired. Ensure that the oil reaches all corners of the mouth. As you continue swishing, the oil, from being clear and thick, will become thinner and whitish. Swishing activates enzymes that help draw out the toxins in your body. Don’t swallow the oil. It is important to brush after oil pulling so that you rid the mouth cavity of all toxins. Also, make sure you use organic, cold-pressed sesame or coconut oil for this process.

About the Author-
Ketaki is a literature student, with a background in fashion Pr. An an amateur yogi, she is passionate about all things health and wellness. She likes to have her hands full with multiple projects to keep her inspired. She launched her sustainable accessory label ‘358 Designs in 2014 and co-founded a holistic skincare label, ‘Scent of Himalayas’ with her mother in 2015. She has since found real joy in writing and reaching out to people and contributes towards different health and wellness blogs.

here is a link to Scent of Himalayas on Facebook-

Photo credit- Don’t mess with mama