Simha in Sanskrit means “the powerful one” and is also the word for lion. This, therefore is known as the lion posture, and one performing it can be said to resemble a roaring lion.

Start by sitting up on your knees with your heels of your feet pressed against your buttocks.

Place the heels of your hands on your knees, straighten your arms and keep your back erect and your head straight.

Inhale while leaning forward slightly, stretching your jaw as wide as possible, extend your tongue out and downward as far as possible, and fix your gaze either at the tip of the nose or between the eyebrows and stretch the fingers straight out from the knees.

Hold the posture for the duration of the inhaled breath then exhale, relaxing the forward stretch, dropping the fingers to the knees and closing the mouth and eyes.

Hatha Yoga Postures: Sanskrit – English