After a recent incident where I believe I literally beat myself up in my sleep (fist marks on ribs, sore stomach area and bruising on my inner arm) I decided to do some research on what I could do to have a “normal” night of sleep.

I found several articles on Oil Pulling and the endless scroll of health benefits. From prevention of: mouth & gum disease, allergies, asthma, migraines, eczema, lung diseases, leukemia, arthritis, insomnia, menopause (hormonal issues), AIDS, diabetes, chronic sleepiness, nerve disorders, tumors, and varicose veins. Here’s a more extensive list and the how many cases were cured from oil pulling.

It is claimed that the swishing activates enzymes and draws toxins out of the blood.

Oil Pulling has been mentioned in the ancient texts of Ayurveda,“It is beneficial for strength of jaws, depth of voice, flabbiness of face, improving gustatory sensation and good taste for food. One used to this practice never gets dryness of throat, nor do his lips ever get cracked; his teeth will never be carious and will be deep rooted; he will not have any toothache nor will his teeth set on edge by sour intake; his teeth can chew even the hardest eatables”—Charaka Samhita CH. V, 78-80.

How Do I Oil Pull?

1. Before drinking water, brushing your teeth or eating anything swish (do not gargle) 1 tablespoon of minimally processed sesame seed or sunflower oil in your mouth (these are the two oils I have read the most success stories with, there are certain books out there that recommend coconut oil too). I used sesame oil, I found the taste to not be as powerful and it’s something I usually have in the house.

2. Really get your teeth, gums, in between your teeth, the roof of your mouth everywhere! As the process continues, the oil gets thinner and white. Here’s what it looked like when I swished for 20 minutes.

3. Do this for 20 minutes (anything less and you will not get any results) and of course please do not swallow the liquid. It has all the harmful bacteria from your mouth.

4. After 20 minutes has passed and you have released the oil from your mouth, swish salt and water in your mouth. This step isn’t necessary but it helps remove the oil from your mouth and for me personally it felt good. So try it out if you want and see what works best for you. If you don’t see a point in doing this or don’t want to, no biggie!

5. Take a look at your teeth, gums, and mouth. Notice how everything looks, feels, tastes and how you feel. Some people see oil pulling as a slight cleanse. Noticing any changes or sensations is a good feeling and it will also help you see what changes you may need to make in your life.

6. Do this every morning if possible and try to pay attention to any results.

Observations:

I noticed that my teeth and tongue looked much cleaner. My tongue felt extra moist and almost pruned. My lips were oily, a few times while swishing I had to wipe a little oil off of my lips. I felt like my teeth were even slightly whiter, may be it was just an illusion because I am wearing a bright red shirt. My mouth felt fresh and clean.

I’m pretty excited to see how this goes for me it sounds promising and is so simple. I don’t have to buy anything extra or read a book to get it. I did my oil pull while getting dresssed and doing some light reading.

I’m kind of worried about keeping up with it. They say it takes two weeks for something to turn into a routine. It will be best to do it everyday but I’m guessing 4 or 5 days would be ok too.

The time actually goes by pretty fast while swishing, as crazy as that sounds. Just try to not tighten up your jaw, there is no need to put yourself in any pain.

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