Simha refers to the lion. This asana or pose is dedicated to Narasimha or the Man-Lion incarnation of Lord Vishnu. This asana has two variations.
How to Perform Simhasana
1. Sit on the floor with your legs extended or straight out in front of you.
2. Cross your ankles under the body so the left ankle is under the right buttock on the right side of the perineum. Place the right ankle under the left buttock on the left side of the perineum.
3. Sit on your heels; your toes should be pointing backwards. Move the weight of your body on your thighs and knees.
4. Keep your back straight/erect and stretch and stretch or lengthen your torso in the forward direction.
5. Keep the right palm of your hand on your right knee and the left palm of your hand on your left knee. Keep your arms stiff and stretch or lengthen them. Spread the fingers of both hands and push them or press them on the knees.
6. Open your jaw as wide as you can and stretch your tongue out of the mouth towards the chin as far away as possible.
7. Focus your gaze on the tip of your nose or at the centre of your eyebrows. Breathe through the mouth and hold in this pose for around half a minute.
8. To come back, take back the tongue in your mouth, remove your hands from the knees and stretch your legs. Repeat the pose following all the steps mentioned above by first putting the left foot below the right hip and the right foot below the left hip.
9. Stay in this pose for around half a minute on this side too.
Simhasana Benefits
Western Physiology
Simhasana has a therapeutic effect on mental and physical health.
- Simhasana improves mental health:
- It relieves stress (Verna et al., 2020).
- Simhasana benefits the respiratory system:
- It helps in cleaning the tongue and curing the problem of foul breath. This asana is recommended for stammering as the speech becomes clearer after practising this pose for some time. It helps in relieving tension from the chest and face.
- This pose helps with sleep apnea (Kumar et al., 2019).
- Other therapeutic effects of Simhasana include but are not limited to:
- It helps stimulate the platysma; a flat, thin rectangular muscle situated on the front portion of the throat. Contraction of the platysma pulls down the corners of the mouth and causes wrinkling of the skin of the neck.
- This pose helps in keeping the firmness of platysma as we age.
- Traditional texts describe that Simhasana helps destroy disease and facilitate the three major bandhas (Mula, Jalandhara and Uddiyana).
Yogic Physiology
Accomplished yogis recommend the practice of the technique, bhastrika, after simhasana to remove tamasic forces. Bhastrika, or bellows breath, is a kriya or pranayama technique that generates fire at the navel centre.
Essential to this practice is the use of the root lock mula bandha, energy moves upward along the spinal column to the brain or ajna chakra.
Suppose you want to transcend the tamasic forces with a more sattvic quality; one must then spend a few minutes in meditation immediately after completing the practice of bhastrika.
The stimulation of the throat activates the prana in the Kurma Nadi.
Kurma Nadi traces from the Muladhara region to the hollow of the throat.
When kept clear, Kurma Nadi is related to physical, emotional, and mental stability.
The posture is thought to enhance the capacity and ability for expression on the physical and emotional levels. Simhasana is a way of releasing pent-up emotions, which tend to block the flow of prana and have a destabilising effect on our entire being.
The version found in Hatha Yoga Pradipika is more subtle than the version that most of us practice. The energy from the lower body is activated and brought up in the manner of agni sara, a pranayama practice designed to stimulate the solar plexus. The foot position described above stimulates heat and activates mulabhanda. The contraction of mulabhanda continues to draw energy upward with the movement and contraction of the diaphragm and abdomen, uddiyana bandha.
Jalandhara bandha is then employed with the movement of the chin downwards towards the chest and the jaw and mouth are opened wide. The eyes look upwards to direct the energy to ajna chakra, assisting the mind to move inwards. If you choose to focus on the nose, the eyes instead bring mental energy to two of the most important nadis: ida and pingala.
The facial mudra affects many marmas of the face, jaw and head.
Neck Marmas
Nila
Manya
Sira Matrika
Krikatika
Head Marmas
Phana (one by either side of nose)
Apanga (one by each eye)
Shanka (one on each temple)
Vidhura (one by each ear, close to jaw)
Staphani (between eyebrows)
Throat marma
Shringataka Internal marma of the soft palate
Contradictions and Cautions
Individuals who suffer from a knee injury should be cautious while performing flexed-knee sitting positions and if they feel it necessary, they should preferably sit on a chair and perform the pose.
Preparatory Asanas
- Baddha Konasana
- Dandasana
- Siddhasana or Sukhasana
- Supta Virasana
- Supta Baddha Konasana
- Virasana
Follow up Asanas
Simhasana is a perfect posture for “cleansing the air”, so to speak, at the beginning or at the beginning of the practice of asanas or pranayama. So almost any pose will be appropriate for the next practice. (Lion Pose. Yoga Journal. 2007).
Tips for Beginners
Hands and shoulder blades are sympathetically connected. Put the right hand on the right knee and feel the shoulder blade spread across your back. In the same way, as you press each hand against the knee of the same side, feel the shoulder blade of the same side pressing deeper into your back, helping to lift your heart (Lion Pose. Yoga Journal. 2007).
Variations
Sit in what is called Mandukasana, then kneel on the floor and sit on your heels; then swing your buttocks down onto the inner arches of your feet, forming a kind of saddle together. Then, keeping the inside tips of the big toes touching, spread your knees wide, at least on the outside of your thighs. Now tilt your torso forward and rest your palms on the floor between your legs, fingers turned back to the pelvis. Keep your elbows as straight as possible. Then perform the posture as described in step 4 above.
Modifications and Props
If the position of the legs described above seems uncomfortable, sit in Virasana. Sit on a block located between your legs.
Deepen the Asana
Some old textbooks teach that Jalandhara Bandha should be done during Simhasana. (Lion Pose. Yoga Journal. 2007). Follow the subtle version outlined above in Yogic Physiology section using the bandhas.
References
Lion Pose. Yoga Journal. (2007). Retrieved 16 July 2022, from https://www.yogajournal.com/practice/energetics/pranayama/lion-pose/
Verma A, Shete SU, Doddoli G. Impact of residential yoga training on occupational stress and health promotion in principals. J Educ Health Promot. 2020 Feb 28;9:30. doi: 10.4103/jehp.jehp_394_19.
Kumar V, Malhotra V, Kumar S. Application of Standardised Yoga Protocols as the Basis of Physiotherapy Recommendation in Treatment of Sleep Apneas: Moving Beyond Pranayamas. Indian J Otolaryngol Head Neck Surg. 2019 Oct;71(Suppl 1):558-565. doi: 10.1007/s12070-018-1405-5.
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