Today’s Poses – Reclining Hero and Lion Yoga Poses

Reclining Hero and Lion Yoga Poses

Reclining Hero Pose

Supta Virasana, or Reclining Hero’s Pose, is the reclining variation of Virasana, a seated yoga pose, with the legs bent at the knees and the calves resting alongside the thighs, feet pointing backward. It is considered an intermediate pose that deeply stretches the back, legs, knees, hips, and chest.

Steps

• Start in Virasana / Hero Pose sitting on, or in-between, your heels.
• Bring your hands behind you to the mat.
• Press the tops of the feet to the mat and firm the inner ankles in.
• Bend your elbows and slowly lean your body back as you exhale, lowering onto your forearms and then your upper back, if that still feels ok for your knees and lower back.
• You should feel a stretch in the midpoint of your thigh muscle (quadriceps) rather than the attachment points of the muscle at your knees.
• If your back is on the mat you can bring your arms alongside the ears, out to the sides, or place your hands on your belly.
• Stay here for 10 breaths.
• Try to come out of the pose the way you came into it – mindfully. Engage your abdominal muscles as you inhale, pushing your hands or elbows to the mat to lift back up to Virasana.

Benefits

Lion Yoga Pose (Simhasana)

The Simhasana is named so as it resembles a roaring lion in its final pose. This asana requires the body and face to work towards invoking a lion’s intense roar. This is quite a comfortable asana that anyone can perform. Although it’s not a familiar pose, its benefits are very different from the other asanas. Take a look at what this asana has to offer.

Steps

1. To begin the asana, kneel down on the floor. Cross your ankles such that the front of the right ankle crosses over the back of the left ankle. The feet must point out on both sides. The perineum should press down on top of the heel.
2. Place your palms on the knees. Spread out your palms, such that your fingers are splayed out. Press them firmly against each knee
3. Inhale through the nose, and as you do that, open your mouth and stretch out your tongue. Curl its tip toward the chin. Your eyes must be wide open, and the muscles in the front of the throat contracted. Exhale through your mouth as you produce a distinct ‘ha’ sound. You must ensure that the breath passes over the back of the throat
4. While some schools of thought suggest that you must set your gaze between the eyebrows, others ask you to look at the tip of your nose.
5. Roar a few times. Change the cross of your leg and repeat the asana.

Benefits

These are some amazing benefits of Lion pose.

1. It helps reduce stress and tension on the chest and the face
2. It stimulates the platysma ( a thin, flat, rectangular muscle that lies on the front of the throat). It keeps this muscle firm as we continue to age.
3. These are the parts of this asana benefits – the face, eyes, tongue, throat, vocal cords, abdomen, respiratory tract, diaphragm, chest, hands, and fingers.
4. It helps get rid of any infection that affects the respiratory tract.
5. It helps exercise the tongue owing to the full stretch outside the mouth.
6. It helps get rid of bad breath.
7. It cures stuttering, teeth grinding, clenched jaws, and back pains.
8. It helps remove wrinkles and delays aging.
9. It relieves burning eyes.
10. It also relaxes the neck muscles.
11. This asana helps improve the tone and texture of the voice.