Develop Fierce Confidence with Leo-Inspired Yoga: Discover Your Lion’s Roar!

When was the last time you roared like a lion? Sometimes yoga is quiet and reflective, and at other times it prompts you to roar like a lion and to defend what you believe in. The reflective side of your yoga practice puts you in touch with what is true for you, whereas the active side of your practice requires you to give voice to that truth—and this is your lion’s roar.

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When I was researching the Leo chapter of my Yoga by the Stars book I was fascinated to discover that at the heart of a lion pride is a closed sisterhood of female adults; they work cooperatively together, both in hunting and looking after their young. In the Leo-inspired yoga practice in the book, we aim to build fierce, unshakeable confidence in tandem with a compassionate, loving heart. We draw our inspiration from the strength and courage of a lion as well as the lioness’s ability to cooperate lovingly with other lionesses in her pride. Our intention to build a strength that is tempered by love is encapsulated in our affirmation for the practice, which is: My strength is powered by love. The practice is suitable for everyone, regardless of their sign.

Leo is a positive, fiery sign ruled by the Sun. Its key words are creatively and joyfully. The parts of the body that are associated with Leo are the heart and the spine. The sign has a regal nature, reflected in its favoured royal colours, which are scarlet and gold.

In the Leo-inspired yoga practice in the Yoga by the Stars book, we celebrate Leo’s rulership by the Sun by including energizing and revitalizing Sun imagery. We visualize a sun, radiating warmth and energy at the solar plexus chakra (manipura), and we use the empowering seed mantra Ram, which is associated with this chakra. This is our lion’s roar. We temper this fierceness by including the compassionate seed mantra Yam, associated with the heart chakra (anahata). Stability is created and our connection to the earth strengthened by chanting the seed mantra Lam, which is associated with the earthy root chakra (muladhara).

We include flowing yoga sequences (vinyasas), incorporating yoga poses such as Fierce Pose (Utkatasana) and modified press-ups to build up mental and physical strength. And, of course, we include the playfully fierce Lion Pose (Simhasana).

Below is a Sun Visualization, which is the perfect way to begin a Leo-inspired yoga session. For more Leo-inspired yoga ideas check out my website: www.yogabythestars.com

Seated Sun visualization

Find yourself a comfortable, erect seated position. Picture in your mind’s eye the Sun symbol, which is a dot within a circle. Then imagine that you are drawing a circle of light around yourself. Picture yourself as the Sun at the centre of this circle. Now picture a sun, at your solar plexus, radiating light and warmth around your body. Silently repeat this affirmation three times: My strength is powered by love.

Now, let’s look at some Leo-Inspired Meditation Questions, adapted from the Yoga by the Stars book. The theme is “Building confidence and unshakeable self-belief”. You could integrate the questions into your journaling practice, turn them over in your head on a meditative walk, meditate upon a question whilst in a yoga pose, or read them before bed and trust that your subconscious mind will come up with some insightful answers whilst you sleep.

Leo-Inspired Meditation Questions

What am I passionate about?
Has following this passion led me to be an expert in my field?
How comfortable am I with owning this expertise and sharing it with others?
How do I feel about authority—both my own and other people’s?
Am I prepared to stand up for myself when others unfairly challenge my authority?
Am I able to confidently “take the one seat” and give voice to informed opinions?
What ideas do I have for collaborating and cooperating with others to work toward a shared vision?
How do I support others to step into their authority and to find their own voice?
Am I able to praise and affirm both myself and others?
Which aspects of yoga do I find helpful for improving my self-confidence and developing an unshakeable belief in myself?

Strength, powered by love, is an irresistible force. Yoga helps you stand tall and find the courage in your heart to follow your true path in life. At the heart of a lion pride is a closed sisterhood of female adults; they work cooperatively together, both in hunting and looking after their young. When we work collectively with others, we are stronger and can achieve more than when we work alone. So, get together with other like minds and roar together in orchestrated chorus! I’d love to hear you roar like a lion. No, really, go on, roar!