Simhasana Yoga & How To Do Simhasana
The name Simhasana comes from the Sanskrit word “Simha”, which means “Lion” and is the king of the forest, and Asana means “Posture” or “Seat”. In the Simhasana posture, the body and face are directly manipulated to evoke the strength and intensity of the lion’s roar. In fact, this pose is believed to be one of the easiest facial exercises to do. Its posture resembles a sitting lion, therefore this poses named as Simhasana.
Steps To Do Simhasana
- To start the asana, kneel on the floor. Cross your ankles so that the front of your right ankle crosses the back of your left ankle. Feet should point to both sides. The perineum should press against the edge of the heels.
- Place your palms on your knees. Part your palms so that your fingers are wide apart. Press firmly on each knee.
- Inhale through your nose while opening your mouth and sticking out your tongue. Bend the tip to the chin. Your eyes should be wide open and the muscles at the front of your neck should be arched. Exhale through your mouth while making a distinct ‘ha’ sound. You need to make sure that the breath flows down the neck.
- While some schools of thought suggest that you set your gaze between your eyebrows, others ask you to look at the tip of your nose.
- Roar several times. Change the cross of your legs and repeat the asana.
Health Benefits Of Simhasana
- This helps relieve stress and tension in the chest and face.
- It stimulates the platysma (thin, flat, rectangular muscle at the front of the neck). It holds those muscles in place as you age.
- These are the parts that benefit from this asana – face, eyes, tongue, neck, vocal cords, stomach, airways, diaphragm, chest, hands and fingers.
- This helps get rid of infections affecting the airways.
- This helps train the tongue as it fully expands outside the mouth.
- This asana helps improve the tone and texture of the sound.
