In short: lion pose is a kneeling or seated pose with a strong breath and facial action: hands pressed on the knees with the fingers spread, mouth wide open, tongue stretched toward the chin, eyes wide, and a long exhale through the mouth, often with a “ha” sound. It is simple, a little silly, and many people find it a quick way to release tension in the face and jaw.
Lion pose is one of the few postures in which the face does most of the work. It is taught at the start of a practice to wake up, or in the middle to lighten the mood. Below we explain the name and its old roots, the different leg positions, how to do the breath and facial action plainly, and the precautions.
The name and the texts
Siṃha means lion. In Light on Yoga (1966), B.K.S. Iyengar dedicates the pose to Narasimha, the man-lion form of Vishnu, and notes that his first version follows the old texts. The Hatha Yoga Pradipika (15th century) lists Simhasana among its four most important postures: the heels are crossed beneath the body near the perineum, the hands rest on the knees with the fingers spread, the mouth opens and the gaze goes to the tip of the nose. The text calls it highly esteemed and says it helps the three bandhas (body locks); that is the text’s claim, and you can read about bandhas separately.
Leg positions vary. Light on Yoga and Yoga Journal sit back on crossed ankles, so the feet point out to the sides. The Bihar School’s Asana Pranayama Mudra Bandha starts from thunderbolt pose with the knees apart, places the hands on the floor between the knees with the fingers pointing back toward the body, leans forward and tilts the head back, making a steady “ah” sound. Yoga Journal also offers hero pose or a chair as the seat. The face and breath are the same in all of them.
How to do it
Choose a seat you can hold comfortably. Press the palms into the knees and spread the fingers wide like claws, straightening the arms. Take a deep breath in through the nose. Then, all at once, open the mouth wide, stretch the tongue out and down toward the chin, open the eyes wide and breathe out slowly through the mouth with a clear “ha” sound passing over the back of the throat. Yoga Journal notes that some texts set the gaze between the eyebrows and others at the tip of the nose; either is fine. Close the mouth, breathe normally for a moment and repeat two or three times, changing the cross of the ankles halfway.
Precautions in plain words
The kneeling seat is the main concern. Yoga Journal advises caution in flexed-knee positions if you have a knee injury, and sitting on a chair if needed. With a jaw (TMJ) problem, open the mouth only partly. Keep the exhale long but not forced; if you feel light-headed, return to normal breathing. Lion pose is sometimes recommended for bad breath or stammering in traditional and popular sources, including Light on Yoga; those are traditional claims, not established findings. This page is general information, not individual advice.
Preparation and next poses
No special preparation is needed beyond a comfortable kneeling or seated position; thunderbolt pose and hero pose are the usual bases. Because it clears the air, Yoga Journal suggests lion pose near the beginning of an asana or breathing practice, after which almost any pose can follow. Child’s pose is a natural rest afterward.
Where it is taught
Lion pose appears in hatha and Bihar School teaching, in Iyengar practice and in chair yoga, where the seated version works well. Browse other seated poses in the pose library.
