Cracks with a pale tongue indicate a Vata imbalance due to blood deficiency (rakta). A pale tongue indicates that the digestive fire (agni) is low. Color can be restored with digestives like ginger and black pepper as well as easy to digest foods like kitchari and soups.

Deeper cracks with a pale tongue indicate chronic injury to fluids and or tissues. There may be dehydration and/or kidney flushing due to toxins in the blood. The person will likely feel depleted and could benefit from foods that enrich the blood without overwhelming the digestive system. Bone broth, borscht, pomegranate juice and raisins all serve to rebuild the blood.

Deep cracks with a very red tongue are more severe indicating severe depletion of fluids / rasa dhatu and a flareup of Pitta. The excess heat has caused an imbalance in the blood (rasa and rakta dhatus) and may be burning up fluids (tejas burning ojas). Cooling foods like bitter greens, coconut water and aloe vera gel will bring relief.

The most severe situation is cracks on a red shiny tongue. This means there has been severe injury to tissues, ojas, fluids and the blood plasma (rasa). The stomach is likely damaged and the body extremely depleted. The person will need the help of an advanced practitioner to recover from this level of imbalance, favoring building foods that are easy to digest such as bone broth, chicken soup, almonds, warm milk (if digested well) and ghee.

A tongue that appears shredded is likely the result of epileptic fits which cause a person to inadvertently chew their tongue.

Through accurate assessment of the underlying imbalances, you will notice that cracks heal and may even disappear altogether. The GI, and the tongue, are ever changing environments where rapid recovery, and decline as possible. Take a look at the following example from the Joyful Belly clinic:

Before	After 3 Weeks

Your tongue is a window into your innards. When you look at your tongue, it is as if you are peering down a periscope into the depths of a submarine - your organs beneath the surface.

The tissues of the tongue and mouth are especially similar to the tissues of your GI tract, with many of the same bacteria as well. That's why the appearance of the tongue often mirrors that of your digestive tract, or is at least suggestive of GI pathologies down below. If your tongue looks healthy, your digestive system is probably healthy. However, if your tongue looks unhealthy, your GI tract may be compromised.

Changes in your GI often cause changes on your tongue. For example, if you have a sore in your mouth, you may have a sore somewhere along your GI. If your tongue is inflamed, your GI may also be inflamed. The appearance of the tongue and the GI is not always the same, but often tongue provides clues to what is happening deeper within. When your tongue responds positively to treatment, chances are your GI will too.

The tongue is a useful tool for assessing the health of all organs and tissues in the body. This should not be a surprise. Organs perform important functions and when these functions are compromised, the effects are noticeable everywhere including on the tongue. The tongue is especially useful for assessment because it is an internal organ visible from the outside, and therefore offers different cues than the skin or eyes.

To assess the tongue, Practitioners look at the entire surface of the tongue, including underneath the tongue, and the back of tongue. Practitioners look at tongue coating, coating color, surface features, tongue body shape, and tongue body color. Of particular note are cracks on the surface of the tongue.

Tongue assessment is also easier to learn and less subjective than pulse. Pulse changes rapidly throughout a session according to the anxiety of the client, whereas the tongue is relatively stable.

The tongue is a digestive organ. Since we specialize in digestion at Joyful Belly, we specialize in tongue assessment and analysis. Students in our Mastering Ayurvedic Digestion & Nutrition program learn how to determine organ imbalances, constitutional strengths and deficiencies, as well as the quality and nature of fluids via tongue assessment.

The fascinating art of tongue assessment is a window into the interior of the client. The tongue shows the depth and nature of imbalances clueing practitioners into the gunas and doshas that need support. Observing the tongue allows you to measure the progress of a disorder as well as track the client's recovery.

To start your journey into tongue analysis, begin by looking at your tongue in the mirror every morning.