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Izzy’s Yoga Posture for the Month of March – The Lion

March 06th, 2018


Simhasana – the Lion

This is one of the more exciting yoga postures and is a technique for clearing the lungs, expelling toxins from the mouth, tongue and throat and invigorating your body.  It’s “old school” yoga and this is the way I was taught to do it many years ago.

 

Benefits

Improves posture
Strengthens the lungs
Helps to expel toxins from the lungs, throat and tongue
Invigorates the body
Enables the speech to become clearer (according to BKS Iyengar in his famous book “Light on Yoga”)

 

How prepare for it

Practise sitting in a cross-legged posture with the feet tucked underneath you (see below)
Become aware of your breathing
Practise deepening your breath and lengthening the breath out

 

How to do it

·       Sit on your mat with both legs extended out in front of you

·       Press gently with your palms on the floor either side of your hips to lengthen your spine

·       Release the hands and use them to support you as you arrange your legs

·       Bend the right knee and bring in the right foot, placing it under the left buttock

·       Bend the left knee and bring in the left foot, placing it under the right buttock

·        The feet will point out to the sides

·        Sit back so the perineum sits on the top (right) heel

·        If you find this position too difficult, simply kneel and place a block or thick folded blanket on top of your calves to ease any pressure in the knees

·       The posture can also be done sitting upright on a chair

·       Place your right hand on your right knee and your left hand on your left knee

·       Lean slightly forward from the hips, ensuring that you keep your back straight

·       Open your mouth wide and roll your tongue forward and out, taking the tip of your tongue towards your chin

·       Take a breath in

·       Exhale firmly through the mouth with a “ha” sound, feeling your diaphragm rising to expel the air

·       Breathe in gently through the nose

·       Repeat up to 3 times

·       Bring your tongue back into your mouth and if you’ve been working with the legs crossed, repeat the posture with the legs arranged in the opposite way

 

Things to watch

Be careful to avoid pressure around your eyes – if you observe any pressure, keep the breath moving smoothly rather than as a short expulsion of air
Keep your shoulders soft to avoid tension in your neck
Ensure that your knees are comfortable and don’t twisted or under pressure
Link for more info about Simhasana:

https://www.yogajournal.com/poses/lion-pose

 

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