Lion Face (Simhasana)

Sit tall at an eye-level mirror. Soften the shoulders and unlock the jaw. Open the mouth wide like the cover, stretch the tongue forward and down toward the chin, and open the eyes wide with a clear forward focus — match the cover, without hiking the brows into a hard frown. Hold about four seconds while you exhale through the mouth if comfortable. Release two seconds to a soft closed mouth. Complete eight holds. Never force the jaw into pain and never yank the tongue so hard the underside stings.

• Primary — Jaw openers and tongue extrinsic group: wide opening plus forward-down tongue reach for oral–jaw release awareness.
• Orbicularis oris — Lengthens around a true open rather than a tight purse.
• Platysma / front-of-neck — May lengthen lightly; keep the neck long, not yanked.
• Contrast — Wide Oral O is a rounded O without tongue out; Soft Jaw Drop is a gentle drop; this drill is classic Lion with tongue reach like the cover.
• Keep quiet — Frontalis frown and shoulder hike. Wide open eyes with a quiet brow line are the standard.

Mirror at eye level. Shoulders down. Soften the jaw first — then open wide and reach the tongue like the cover.

Inhale through the nose before you open. Exhale as the mouth opens and the tongue reaches. Return to soft lips before the next inhale.

• Eye-level mirror
• Quiet space to open the mouth freely

1. Sit tall and soften the shoulders at an eye-level mirror.
2. Open the mouth wide and stretch the tongue forward-down toward the chin like the cover.
3. Open the eyes wide with quiet brows; hold about four seconds on an exhale.
4. Release two seconds to soft lips, then complete eight holds.

• A tiny polite open instead of the cover’s wide mouth
• Tongue only to the lips instead of forward-down
• Clenching the back teeth inside the open
• Raising the brows into a hard frown while forcing the eyes

• Beginner: 5 holds of 3 seconds, smaller honest open
• Standard: 8 holds of 4 seconds as coached
• Sensitive jaw day: focus on tongue reach with a milder open
• Cool-down: soft closed lips, tongue on the palate for two breaths

• Close softly and swallow once
• Optional gentle jaw circles without force
• Sip water if the mouth feels dry
• Do not stack another hard jaw isometric immediately

• Helps interrupt all-day jaw and mouth clenching
• Offers a clear classic landmark beginners can match
• Pairs well before gentler lip or neck drills
• Supports a freer tongue–jaw feel after desk hours

• People who hold tension in the jaw and mouth all day
• Beginners who want a clear classic yoga-face landmark
• Anyone pairing screen breaks with a short release set
• Men and women — facial hair or makeup does not change the tongue cue

• Acute TMJ flare that worsens with wide opening
• Active ulcers on the tongue or oral mucosa
• Early days after oral or jaw procedures until cleared
• Anyone advised against wide mandibular opening

• Forcing the jaw past a painful end-range
• Hiking the brows into a hard frown while the eyes open
• Holding the breath and hiking the shoulders
• Only poking the tongue without a true wide mouth open

• Morning as a short face-and-jaw wake-up
• Evening after desk clenching when the jaw feels stuck
• Before a gentler lip or neck drill as a release opener
• Skip when the tongue, throat, or TMJ is acutely irritated

• During painful jaw locking or dental infection flares
• Right after aggressive dental work while tissue is reactive
• When the throat feels raw or inflamed