Ayurvedic Tongue Analysis – Part 1

“While thou livest, keep a good tongue in thy head.”
William Shakespeare

Recently I attended a class at the Ayurvedic institute, and had the good fortune of seeing Dr. Lad individually for a tongue analysis. With one brief look Dr. Lad responded “There’s pain in your shoulder blades, grief and sorrow in your heart, a thyroid condition and a harmless parasitic infection.”

I got chill bumps and could barely speak. I nodded and waited to hear what else he might say, hoping he would prescribe some magic remedy. Without me saying a word about the details of my health, Dr. Lad had figured out that I had lost function of my thyroid (a few years earlier from Graves disease—he didn’t know that part), sorrow from a recent divorce, chronic pain in my shoulder blades from stress and that I had a mild parasitic infection, perhaps from the New Mexico tap water.

He told me to watch the changes in my tongue as I began my healing process. He wrote down a mysterious Ayurvedic herbal remedy especially designed for each of my imbalances, taking into consideration my genetic Ayurvedic constitution. After religiously taking these herbs, (that tasted like dirt by the way) every day with warm water, I curiously watched my tongue clear up and reshape itself.

The tongue is a holographic map of every aspect of ourselves. Once we learn to identify the markers it’s very easy to read, and basic tongue diagnosis can be taught in a weekend workshop.

The ancient art of Tongue Analysis has it’s root in the science of Ayurveda, although many other ancient eastern healing systems use this method as well, including Chinese Medicine. When we use the tongue as a tool for analysis and diagnosis, we are looking at the shape, shadings, markings, wetness, texture and even the “way” someone sticks out their tongue. Having this knowledge can help describe the current state of a person’(or animal’s) health, as well as their genetic tendencies.

It is a diagnostic technique, it can reveal an existing disease process and disclose many things about a person on many levels. Much like reflexology, all the organs and the entire body can be located on specific regions of the tongue. As a mirror of the body’s digestive system, the tongue can reflect what minerals and vitamins may be deficient and can reveal the health of other various organs in the body.

Learn more about the benefits of tongue diagnosis in Part 2 of this article.