The pranayama, or breathing technique, called lion’s breath is beneficial to your yoga practice. Here’s how to do it:
- Find a comfortable sitting position with the spine tall and sits bones supported.
- Take a deep belly breath in and feel yourself connected to the ground and mother earth.
- As you exhale through the mouth make a Haaaa sound, hinge open the mouth wide, stretching out the tongue, and lifting the eyebrows while opening the eyes.
- Arms can be in T or goal post shaped on inhale, and as you exhale, keeping the hands out wide, lower the elbows down to the rib cage closing the armpit. This stimulates and massages the lymph nodes.
- Continue 5-10 breaths total.
Benefits
- Bolstering confidence, lion’s breath opens the throat chakra allowing for courage, honesty, and truth in communication.
- Improves digestion and increases lung capacity.
- Relieves tension in the face and neck muscles by stretching. Encourages laughter, allowing the pelvic floor muscles to release.
- Soothes stress and anger.
- Stirs up and releases stuck energy in the body, allowing to clear space for more benevolent energy to come in. Potentially can increase your alertness and vitality in clearing out the heavy residual energy that no longer serves you.
- When practiced with the arm position as described above, bolsters the immune system by mechanically pumping the lymph through the body.
What are some of your favorite things about lion’s breath? Please share in the comments below.