Tongue Diagnosis

In a sense, the art of Ayurveda is the art of observation. As an Ayurvedic Practitioner, I (Beverly) take a look and observe a few key parts of the body to get an idea of the imbalance that is potentially occurring in my client. From pulse reading to tongue diagnosis to observing lines on the face, our internal bodies speak through an external expression. 


When we examine the body externally to gather information on internal imbalances, we use the three categories of clinical examination (trividha pariksha) which are: darshanam (visual observation), sparshana (touch examination), and prashna (questioning). Tongue diagnosis falls under the category of darshanam, visual observation. 


Parts of the tongue are directly related to different organs. In tongue diagnosis, we examine the texture, quality, shape, color, size of the tongue. For example, we can see congestion in the intestine portion located in the back center portion of our tongue. If we see a white coating here, typically there is ama (toxins) in our colon and we would want to focus on increasing agni (digestion) and removing toxins with herbal support such as triphala. Triphala is a wonderful blend of three fruits, amalaki, bibhitaki, and haritaki. This blend is specific for improving assimilation and digestion as well as a gentle detoxification. Scraping our tongue in the morning as a part of our daily routine removes toxins from the tongue. 


The qualities of the doshas can also be seen in tongue diagnosis. Red typically indicates a pitta imbalance while white or “froth” is a sign that kapha like qualities have increased in the form of phlegm to protect the tissues. Vata can be observed by a “quivering” tongue or cracks that typically indicate chronic vata derangement in the colon or cells. 


Taking this information and applying it to your personalized protocol is key in an Ayurvedic consultation. To schedule a consultation, please email Beverly at shineayurveda@gmail.com