Yoga is a holistic form of exercise which provides several benefits to the human body. Simhasana or lion pose is considered as one of the best facial exercises. The word “Simhasana” has been derived from the Sanskrit word ‘Sinha’, which means lion and ‘Asana’, which means pose, and thus, Simhasana means lion pose in English. This posture is a part of the Hatha yoga and modern yoga movement. Simhasana or the lion pose is considered one of the most unique yogasanas one would ever practice. While performing this posture, you don’t just stretch your complete body in a specific position but also need to sound like a lion. The excellent combination of sound and body posture helps in enhancing the advantages of Simhasana. Read the article further to know about the health benefits of Simhasana or lion pose.
Benefits of Simhasana (Lion Pose)
Listed below are 5 main health benefits of Simhasana:
1. Relieves sore throat
Simhasana or lion pose is one of the best yoga poses for both preventing and relieving a sore throat. When you open your mouth completely and roar, it helps in stimulating the throat and face muscles. It also increases the blood circulation in your body, further relieving stiffness and promoting relaxation.
2. Improves blood flow
Lion pose is considered as the best facial exercise as it stretches your face, firms up the throat and improves the blood flow to the face. Therefore, another major health benefit of practicing Simhasana is that it stimulates the blood flow in your body.
3. Stretches the body
It may not be a primary health benefit but your body gets a full stretch. From your chest to lower body, most parts open up when you lean forward and roar. Lion yoga pose also improves the posture of the body by stretching out your spine.
4. Enhances digestion
Practicing Simhasana daily can enhance your digestion and it also helps in preventing different types of digestion related problems, including constipation. When you perform Simhasana, it puts a lot of pressure on the stomach and intestine, and because of this our body produces stress hormone, which helps in improving the functioning of the digestive system, promoting the bowel movement and also for better production of digestive juices and enzymes that help in digestion of complex proteins and carbohydrates.
5. Reduces back pain
Different studies have been proven that, regular practice of Simhasana can be very helpful for those who are suffering from perennial back pain, because while practicing this asana it create lots of pressure on the spine and it also stretches the spine, that helps to improve the flexibility of our spine and helps prevent back pain.
How to do Simhasana?
- Follow these simple steps to practice Simhasana or lion pose easily at home:
- Sit on the floor on your knees in the vajrasana pose
- Spread out your knees at a little distance
- Bend forward and place your hands between the knees on the ground, but the fingers should face towards your body
- Open your eyes and try to focus at the centre of your eyebrow.
- Relax your body as you deeply inhale while keeping the mouth closed
- Exhale with your mouth, take out the tongue and take out a strong and clear ‘haa’ sound, like a lion
- Close your mouth and inhale again with the nose
