Why?
- Yawning like a lion prepares the body for movement.
- This movement lengthens and awakens the muscles.
- The Lion’s Yawn can refresh the eyes, allowing them to see more clearly.
- The Lion’s Yawn helps to relax and remove stress from the jaws.
- The nerves in the face, the trigeminal nerves, are connected to the diaphragm. A big Lion’s Yawn can improve the function of the diaphragm (it can help you breathe better).
- The Lion’s Yawn stretches the tongue, which is connected to both the vestibular system and the diaphragm. This, too, can greatly enhance the body and prepare it for movement.
How?
We are going to approach this two ways:
- The Standing Lion’s Yawn
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and reach your arms spread wide overhead (make a big X with your body).
- Take a big breath in through your nose, down into your belly, and make a huge yawn releasing the air out through your throat.
- Imagine you are a lion (or imagine what a lion looks like) and make a huge yawn while you lengthen your body from your feet to your hands.
- As you yawn, lengthen and curl your tongue as a lion would.
- When you have ended the yawn, relax your body.
- Reaching Lion’s Yawn
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and fold at your hips, reaching your arms out horizontally.
- This can also be done with the hands on the ground, just the same way a lion would do it.
- Take a big breath in through your nose, down into your belly, and make a huge yawn releasing the air out through your throat.
- Imagine you are a lion (or imagine what a lion looks like) and make a huge yawn while you lengthen your body from your feet through your hands (again, this time your body is mimicking a lion).
- As you yawn, lengthen and curl your tongue as a lion would.
- When you have ended the yawn, relax your body.
- Stand with your feet slightly wider than shoulder-width apart and fold at your hips, reaching your arms out horizontally.