The Ayurveda Experience November 13, 2017
I remember 20 years ago, sitting on the veranda with my father-in-law in Hyderabad, India. He was swishing his mouth back and forth. All of us asked him what he was doing. He gestured that he would tell us when he was done.
He told the family that he had read in a magazine that pulling sesame oil like he was doing for fifteen minutes might cure his psoriasis. He said that it could also cure tooth pain and might heal minor cavities. He read that it would also aid with arthritis pains. He said he would try it for forty days and see if anything happened.
My father-in-law had pretty bad psoriasis at the time. I was very doubtful that it would really do anything. I read about the qualities of sesame oil to gain an understanding of why it might help.
Sesame oil has many interesting qualities. It is balancing to both Vata and Kapha dosha and due to its heat, it can raise Pitta dosha a bit. It is very similar to the oil produced by our own bodies and so, is vey easily absorbed. It penetrates deeply due to its hot nature and though it is heavy, it gives clarity. It is helpful in sharpening the mind and enabling the body to move smoothly. It also contains vitamins B6, K, E, magnesium, copper, iron and zinc!
I started to believe that this powerful oil might benefit my father-in-law.
Within twenty days he reported that his teeth felt way better. He had a lot of cavities and some teeth that were decaying, but he said the oil had reduced a lot of the pain he had in his mouth and made it easier for him to eat. This further impacted his ability to digest food and release waste.
He was happy that the oil was impacting him in so many ways. He said the psoriasis was a bit better, but not where he hoped it would be. He continued to do this morning oil pulling and in forty days, there was a marked difference in his skin. He continued with the oil pulling and continued to see improvements in the psoriasis.
Years later, during my pregnancy with my second child, I began to have a lot of pain in my teeth. No cavities, but just pain caused by poor nutrition. I had severe morning sickness for five months and could not hold anything down.
I decided to use oil pulling to see if it would help my tooth pain. I was amazed that with just one sitting my teeth felt fine. I thought that it would probably just be temporary but in my case, the tooth pain did not return. I have used oil pulling on and off when I feel my digestion needs a boost or if I have sensitivity with my gums and it works every time.
I was excited when oil pulling became popular on the internet but was surprised to see that coconut oil was the suggested oil. I think that the warmth of the sesame oil and the similarity it bares to our own body may be what makes it more effective. Coconut oil is a very cold oil and may not have the same impact as sesame.
I have enjoyed the benefits of oil pulling with sesame oil and the clients i have shared it with report similar experiences. If you are suffering with skin, digestion or tooth issues give this simple technique a try. Place a spoonful of sesame oil in your mouth and swish it around for about ten to fifteen minutes. Then simply spit the oil out.
You may benefit from this practice instantly if you are tempting to treat tooth pain. It may take a bit longer to affect digestive issues and a little longer still to affect the skin. But the treatment is simple, affordable and relaxing. Best of luck!
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