by Yogi Ananda Viraj (Eugene P. Kelly, Jr.)
“Simha is [the sitting at ease with the body erect] pressing the right side [of the thigh with the hollow of the left heel and vice versa. Rest your hands on the knees, spread out the fingers, open your mouth and carefully fix your gaze on the tip of your nose.”
The word simha (pronounced sing-ha) means “the powerful one,” lion, hero. The simhasana is most often translated as the “lion posture.”
Instructions:
- Sit up straight with feet tucked under the buttocks.
- Place hands on knees with fingers extended and arms straight.
- Inhaling, bend forward slightly, keeping the back straight, extend the tongue as far out as possible, open the eyes as wide as possible, stretch the fingers, and, while holding the inhaled breath, focus the eyes on the tip of the nose.
- Exhaling, slowly relax all the facial muscles, withdraw the tongue, close the eyes, relax the hands and sit comfortably in the starting position.
- Repeat two more times holding the position as long as you can hold the inhaled breath comfortably.
Variations:
Each of three major hatha yoga texts, the Sandilya Upanisad, the Gheranda Samhita, and the Hatha-yoga-pradipika gives us a different variation of the simhasana. These variations differ mainly in the positioning of head and legs. The Gheranda tells us to place the head between the knees and rest the chin on the ground while crossing the legs under the buttocks. The Sandilya-upanisad, quoted above, instructs us to cross the legs and omits the tongue technique. These variations may be tried to break a possible monotony.
Benefits:
Aside from nourishing the face and neck muscles with fresh oxygenated blood the simhasana, done with the tongue extension, is an excellent aid for the prevention and cure of sore throat. The joints and muscles of the hands also benefit as well as the eyes.