When I was little, sticking my tongue out just felt great. I wanted to do it all the time, whenever something or someone really sucked. Parents, teachers, rules, restrictions – baaah. The only time I indeed refused vehemently was – exactly, when the doctor asked me to.
Years of training in appropriate behaviour later, there finally comes the chance to stick out my tongue in a totally sanctioned environment – the yoga class. It’s not only okay, it’s absolutely encouraged. Yogis call it Lion’s Breath, and hhmm, it still feels good. 🙂
There’s just a little problem. Now, as adults, we’ve become so self-conscious that we feel ashamed to do it. Walk into any beginner’s yoga class and see how students start looking around: Is every one doing it? Don’t I look stupid like that? No, really. I just CANNOT. And do I really need to make that funny noise at the same time? Yoga is weird, indeed.
Well, no. As with everything in yoga, it might look a bit – ahem – unusual first, but there’s a whole lot of sense and meaning behind it.
Let’s look at the anatomical benefits:
- If you stretch the tongue out as far as possible (I’ve seen people touching their chin!), you’ll increase circulation to the root of the tongue and the throat and at the same time stretch the jaw muscles
- You can stimulate and release a whole range of often overlooked muscles – as Leslie Kaminoff points out, the “tongue and jaw can be thought as the front of the neck, and cervical tension can frequently be related to tightness in these structures“
- You’ll get a good stretch in the muscle that covers the front of the throat, the one that pulls down on the corners of the mouth and wrinkles the skin of the neck when you contract it (it’s called platysma, in case you’re interested, even if just for purely cosmetic reasons ;))
Tongue muscles, left side. (Wikipedia)
- Because it’s accompanied by a forceful exhale (the lion’s roar!) you’re not only activating the three diaphragms, but engaging the three bandhas will eventually become easier – or at least that’s what the scriptures say
HOW TO DO IT
This is how Swami Vishnu-devananda instructed the posture:
“Assume a kneeling position, keep your palms over the knees and gently lean over the hands. Now protrude the tongue as far as possible by contracting the throat muscles, meanwhile rolling your eyeballs upward. During this position exhale the breath as much as possible. Repeat 4-6 times.”
So here’s something for you to try out:
Next time the teacher says: And now – Lion’s Breath! you just imagine your (insert whatever feels appropriate) standing in front of you and finally, after all these years you’re able to stick your tongue out at them!! See? The scriptures are so damn right. What a release! 🙂
Oh and if you’re worried about the cleanliness of your tongue, and who isn’t – (I just say: bacteria, food debris, fungi, and dead cells – YUM), read on here.
I wish I had known this as a kid – I could have just said, well, I’m practising YOGA!
Enjoy,
P.S. I wrote this post a while ago but strangely enough a large number of people who find the blog google “how to stretch my tongue”. Seriously, guys, there seem to be a lot of us out there. So, here you go 🙂
Categories: Yoga
Yoga & Joyful Living 
Thank you for reading my blog ~ love your blog … I thoroughly enjoyed this post, I was just introducing my students to this…we had so much fun with it!
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wow thats kind of new to me,looks like life has a lot of suprises for me
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Loved this post – it made me smile! in quite a child-like way 🙂 Thanks for the reminder that our tongues can benefit from some yoga as well.
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I study Yoga. This is great news.
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Thanks for the anatomical benefits … my students always giggle shyly when they first do Simhasana, so it helps to share practical info with them – and it’s not long before everyone is roaring with delight 🙂
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I have practiced Lion’s Breath for years, and honestly, sometimes do it when stuck in traffic. Makes ME feel better, but seems to worry some of the drivers of cars next to mine. 🙂
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I have practiced Lion’s Breath for years, and honestly, sometimes do it when stuck in traffic. Makes ME feel better, but seems to worry some of the drivers of cars next to mine. 🙂
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I love simhasana! It’s also a great way to relieve tension in the jaw that may have built up during your practice.
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I like to stick my tongue out and stretch my mouth when doing the cobra pose. I think cobras have cool tongue sticking out talent.
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That was a good read! Thanks for sharing, Andrea!
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Thanks to you for reading – please share!xx
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Great read. I too was self-conscious when I first started yoga classes, overtime it has truly allowed me to connect deeper with myself and let go of ego. Thanks for sharing! 🙂
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Thanks for stopping by my blog because lend me to yours! I’ve been practicing my “Lion’s Breath” ever since. 🙂
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i think an important, or even main reason for sticking the tongue out is to stretch it so it can eventually go back behind the uvula & into the pharynx for the king of yogic seals — the khechari mudra. i’ve seen yogis grab it with a cloth and stretch it too.
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I love making funny faces in yoga. I remind my students to smile all the time, sometimes we take it all way too seriously.
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thanks for sharing! now I can explain the benefits when my Nia students are reluctant!
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We do this in Nia too, but not always with a defined posture. Love this post. Thank you!
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Reblogged this on Day by Yoga and commented:
So the other day, when I was standing in Victory Goddess (do you know how weird it is to say that?) with my tongue out, I didn’t realize that I was working these little muscles:
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Reblogged this on ashokkarnanis.
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Love the post and love lions breath! Teach it in class all the time and tell people about the “deep front line” of facia connecting the tongue all the way to the big toe!! Check out Gill Headley for more on that one. Namaste 🙂
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Awesome, thanks for the tip and great you teach lion’s breath in class, some teachers leave it out because students find it “weird” 🙂
Thanks for your comment,
Andrea
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Reblogged this on Integrative Yoga and commented:
Yoga can be weird
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😀
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True how people get sooo self-conscious about this pose. My trick is having them face the wall first instead of the mirrors in the studio. After our sequence, we do Lion’s Breath/Pose and have them do it one more time. This time facing the mirror. They may have either succumb to shelving their ego, being embarassed or whatever… or they’re too tired to complain! 😉
Namaste! =)
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Great idea – sometimes only a trick will do the trick! 😉
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Thank you! I have been wondering about this in class. Never got around to asking the teacher. I’m on my way to class now! (It’s 520am here in Bondi). Cheers.
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Enjoy! Nothing better than an invigorating yoga class in winter, including some tongue stretching 🙂
Thanks for reading!
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