Oil pulling even helps your sinuses
The importance of oral health gets emphasized more and more in healthcare for its impact on the heart and joints to say nothing of teeth. One of the practices that comes from Ayurveda, oil pulling or pulling oil, is increasing in popularity. I asked my dental hygienist about it when i first started studying Ayurveda and she confirmed that lots of her patients do the “daily swish” with pulling oil and that it has a positive impact on teeth and gums.
What is oil pulling?
Pulling oil is generally composed of a pure base oil to which herbs and spices have been added. For example, my favorite oil from Banyan Botanicals (look for it under oral care) contains sesame and coconut oil along with Fennel, Guduchi, Haritaki, Bibhitaki and Amalaki, which are the three ingredients in Triphala (i’ll do a blog on that soon), along with cinnamon oils for flavor. It’s good tasting. I decant it into a glass bottle as i do with all my oils, since i heat them.
Make it part of your morning routine
I do my oil pulling as part of my Dinacarya (morning routine) after i brush my teeth. I warm my cinnamon pulling oil in a Crockpot while i’m doing my other practices and then put a cap and a half of oil in my mouth and begin swishing it around and through my teeth. The directions say to hold it in your mouth for 2 to 20 minutes. I find it easy to do. I often swish while i shower and make my bed. Don’t spit it in the sink for the sake of your plumbing. I spit the oil into toilet paper and throw it in the trash. If you have a handy door, you could also spit outside.
Oil pulling helps my sinuses
While the primary stated benefits of oil pulling have to do with teeth and gums, i find holding the oil in my mouth, especially after i use my neti pot, brings gunk out of my sinuses to be spit out. It makes my nose clearer all day.
Oil pulling also freshens breath and keeps your mouth from getting so dry. Give it a try as part of your morning routine and see if it doesn’t make your whole mouth feel better. Tell us how it goes.