Lion Pose

The Gheranda Samhita places the heels beneath the buttocks, the hands on the knees, the mouth open and the gaze fixed between the brows, and calls simhasana the destroyer of disease and the best of postures. The Pradipika lists it among its four principal seats. It is unusual in the classical catalogue: a posture built around the face, throat and tongue rather than the limbs. The tradition connects it to the throat — to jalandhara bandha, to the voice, and in later manuals to the practice of khechari — and treats the wide-open mouth and extended tongue as a release of the tension the throat habitually holds.

Kneeling gives a neutral pelvis with little demand on the hips; raise the seat on a block if the knees complain. The distinctive part is the facial and pharyngeal work: strong tongue protrusion with a wide mouth activates the suprahyoid and tongue muscles and the muscles of the soft palate. Tongue and oropharyngeal exercises of this kind have been studied for snoring and mild obstructive sleep apnoea, where regular daily practice produces modest measurable improvement in upper-airway tone — a narrow but real overlap with the text's claims about the throat. The forceful exhalation through the open mouth also releases jaw and facial tension that a habitual clench keeps in place.

1. Kneel with the hips resting on the heels, or sit on a block.
2. Place the palms on the knees, fingers spread wide.
3. Straighten the arms, lift the chest and lengthen the spine.
4. Inhale through the nose.
5. Open the mouth wide, extend the tongue toward the chin and exhale strongly with an audible haaa.
6. Turn the gaze up between the eyebrows or to the tip of the nose.
7. Close the mouth, breathe normally, and repeat three to six times.

Go gently with jaw disorders such as TMJ pain, and avoid the upward gaze with glaucoma, retinal problems or neck injury. Keep the exhalation strong but not straining.