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Lion's Breath is the outlier among the calming practices. Everything else on the list is quiet, and this one is a deliberate roar with the tongue out and the eyes up. It is aimed at a specific place that slow breathing does not reach well: the held tension around the jaw, the throat and the face.
What it is
The practice pairs a full nasal inhale with a forceful open-mouthed exhale. On the way out the mouth opens wide, the tongue stretches down toward the chin, the gaze lifts toward the brows, and the breath leaves with an audible haaa from the back of the throat.
The target is muscular rather than respiratory. A clenched jaw, a tight throat and a set face are where a lot of people carry stress, and they are difficult to release by relaxing them on purpose. A large, brief, deliberate contraction followed by a complete release does it more reliably.
There is a second effect that is harder to write about seriously. The practice looks absurd, and doing it anyway loosens something. The app says as much: it is meant to feel a little silly, and that is part of the release. What people commonly report is a noticeably slacker jaw afterwards and a lift in mood. Nothing beyond that is claimed.
How to practise it
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Take Lion Pose
Kneel and sit back on your heels, or sit comfortably cross-legged. Press the palms onto the thighs or knees, spread the fingers wide like claws, lift the chest, and lengthen the spine tall.
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Roar it out
Inhale fully through the nose. Then open the mouth wide, stretch the tongue down toward the chin, and gaze up toward the brows. Exhale forcefully with an audible 'haaa', as if fogging a mirror from the back of the throat.
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Repeat and release
Relax the face, take a normal breath, then repeat a few times. Feel the jaw, throat, and cheeks let go. It is meant to feel a little silly. That is part of the release.
How long and how often
Five rounds is the app default and it is plenty. Each round is one inhale and one roar, with a normal breath in between to let the face settle.
This is not a practice with a progression. More rounds do not make it better and a louder roar is not a stronger practice. What improves with repetition is the release afterwards, as the face learns to let go rather than reset straight back to its held position.
It suits the end of a long day of talking or screen work, and it sits well as a short, sharp opener before a quieter practice. It needs privacy for obvious reasons.
What usually goes wrong
Craning the neck. The gaze lifts toward the brows; the head does not throw back. The neck should stay long and easy while the face does the work. This is the one part of the practice with any real risk of strain.
Roaring from the throat. The sound is a forceful breath, not a shout. If your throat is sore or your voice is hoarse afterwards, you were pushing the vocal cords rather than moving air. Ease off.
Skipping the pause. The release between rounds is where the practice actually happens. Take a normal breath, let the jaw hang, and only then go again.
Doing it half-heartedly. A tentative version does not reach the tension it is aimed at, and it manages to be self-conscious without being useful. Either commit to it in private or choose a different practice.
Who should take care
Practise safely. Keep the roar strong but the neck relaxed. Never crane or strain the throat. Ease off if you feel any hoarseness, and simply return to your natural breath whenever you like. See our full Health & Safety Disclaimer.
Five rounds, guided
PanchPrana walks through Lion Pose and the roar step by step, with the rounds counted, so you are not stopping to check what the hands and tongue are meant to be doing. Lion's Breath is one of the 66 techniques that are free to practise in full.
Common questions
Do I have to stick my tongue out?
It is what separates this from an ordinary forceful exhale. The tongue reaching toward the chin is what stretches the throat and the floor of the mouth, which is much of the point. A version without it is a different, milder practice.
Does it have to be loud?
The exhale is forceful, which makes it audible. It does not need to be loud in the sense of shouting. Think of fogging a mirror from the back of the throat rather than projecting across a room.
Can I do it seated in a chair?
Yes. The app teaches it kneeling back on the heels or sitting cross-legged, but any seat where the chest can lift and the spine can lengthen will do.
My throat feels rough afterwards. What am I doing wrong?
Almost certainly pushing the voice rather than the breath. Ease off the volume, keep the neck relaxed, and let the sound come from moving air. Stop if hoarseness persists.
Is it really a calming practice?
It is filed with the calming techniques because of what it leaves behind rather than how it feels while you are doing it. The roar itself is energetic; the released jaw and face afterwards are the calming part.
