Two poses for today are Happy Baby and Lion Poses

Happy Baby and Lion Poses

Happy Baby Pose – Ananda Balasana

Ananda Balasana, also known as the happy baby pose, stretches the inner groin and lower back while calming the mind.

Steps

1. Start on your back with your knees drawn in towards your chest.
2. Grab hold of the pinky toe sides of your feet, with your elbows on the inside of your knees.
3. Draw your shoulders toward the ground, tone your arms and flex your feet as you pull down on your feet.
4. Draw your knees wide and toward your armpits and try to stack ankles above knees.
5. Lengthen your lower back down to the ground.
6. Stay here for up to one minute, and then release and draw your knees into your chest.

Benefits:

• Opens and stretches the hips.
• Stretches the inner groins.
• Lengthens the spine.
• Strengthens the arms and shoulders.
• Relieves stress.
• Calms the mind.

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.