Exercise                  

The Five Tibetan Rites/Exercises

Years ago, in 1939, a small book titled Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth was published. Written by Peter Keldor, it told the story of an aging colonel who went to Tibet and returned 10 years later, looking many years younger. The colonel attributed his youthful appearance to doing these five exercises every day. They're affectionately known as the Tibetans.

The Tibetans get your heart pumping, although not long enough for full cardio benefits. They strengthen your muscles and improve your flexibility. Even better, they give you a great lift, like you had a cup of coffee without the coffee.

The five Tibetans have been passed around quietly for years, and those of us who do them routinely would never stop. Why? Because they deliver. After you've done the five Tibetan exercises for about three months, you'll notice you no longer have a double chin. It has vanished. Women eventually discover that their midriffs are sort of slinkier, and men often have lost several belt sizes … even without losing weight.

How the Five Rites Work

Medical professions explain the benefits based on their personal perspective and I suggest you read the entire two books for a broad overview. However, the majority share the view that the rites represent a system of exercise that affects the body, emotions and mind. The Tibetans claim that these exercises activate and stimulate the seven key chakras that in turn stimulate all the glands of the endocrine system. The endocrine system is responsible for the body's overall functioning and aging process. This means that the Five Rites will affect the functioning of all your organs and systems, including the physical and energetic systems and that includes the aging process. The man who brought these Five Rights out of Tibet stated that "performing the Five Rites stimulates the circulation of essential life energy throughout the body".

Chakras

Chakra is an Indian Sanskrit word that translates to mean "Wheel of Spinning Energy". Chakras are spinning wheels or vortexes of energy of different color that perform many functions connecting our energy fields, bodies and the Cosmic Energy Field. Chakras are powerful electrical and magnetic fields. Chakras govern the endocrine system that in turn regulates all of the body's functions including the ageing process. Energy flows from the Universal Energy Field through the chakras into the energy systems within our bodies, including the Meridian System.

Our bodies contain seven major chakras or energy centers and 122 minor chakras. The major chakras are located at the base of the spine (Root Chakra), at the navel (Sacral Chakra), in the solar plexus (Solar Plexus Chakra), within your heart (Heart Chakra), within the throat (Throat Chakra), at the center of your forehead (Brow or Third Eye Chakra), and at the top of your head (Crown Chakra). These chakras are linked together with all other energy systems in the body and various layers of the auras.

The Speed of the chakra spin is a key to vibrant health. The other keys to vibrant health that relates to the chakra is ensuring they are clear of negative energy and that they are perfectly shaped and not distorted.

The Five Rites speed up the spinning of the chakras, coordinate their spin so they are in complete harmony, distribute pure prana energy to the endocrine system, and in turn to all organs and processes in the body. This is one of the major requirements for vibrant health, rejuvenation and youthfulness.

The reported benefits of the Tibetans are as follows:

• Double chin gone
• Midriff slimmer
• Upper arms firmer
• More energy
• Increased muscle tone
• Early morning wake-up lift
The following is what researchers say the five Tibetans do for the body:
• Stimulate the reticular activating system of the brain.
• Balance the right and left hemispheres of the brain, which means you think more clearly. (You should definitely do the Tibetans before an exam or an important presentation!)
• Balance the body's hormonal system.
• Strengthen bones, as the exercises are weight-bearing.
• Improve the body's immune system.
• Build muscle strength.
• Reduce body-fat percentage.
• Boost metabolism.
• Align and strengthen the spine, plus make it more supple.
• Lighten menopausal symptoms.
• Lessen premenstrual symptoms.
• Help relieve the discomfort of arthritis and other aches and pains.

Doing the Tibetans



This program is often described as a modified yoga program. Simply put, yoga is a science that unites the body, mind and spirit. Today this is often called Mind/ Body Healing. The author of the book believes that yoga was brought to Tibet from India in the 11th or 12th century and that Tibetan monks over time developed modified these exercises and developed an effective program of exercises that western society now calls the "Five Tibetan Rites". The rugged mountainous conditions these monks live in may well account for their particular emphasis on vigor. Many of the yoga exercises and practices being taught in the western world today are very new. The "Five Tibetan Rites" are exactly what the ancient Tibetans developed over many centuries of time. Therefore it's very important to do the "Five Tibetan Rites" exactly as they are presented without altering the form or sequence to achieve some of the benefits accrued to these "Rites".

We recommend that you do the Tibetans every morning when you wake up. They're easiest to do on an empty stomach. If the exercises seem too strenuous at first, refer to the book Ancient Secrets of the Fountain of Youth, Part 2, published by Doubleday, for starter exercises so that you can slowly build up strength to do the full recommended set.

For beginners, just start with three or four repetitions of each exercise for the first week. Then increase the number of repetitions by a few every week until you reach the full 21 repetitions. Do the repetitions of each exercise before moving on to the next exercise. If you never work all the way up to 21 each, don't worry; they will still deliver results.

The five Tibetan exercises can be performed anytime and virtually anywhere. It sn't necessary to do each exercise more than 21 times to receive all their benefits.

Beginning the "Five Rites" Exercise Program

Depending on your health and ability you may want to start with the warm-ups and alternate exercises, see below. After you are able to do ten repetitions of the Alternate Exercise program, you should be able to begin to do the Five Rites.

For the first week, and only if your are relatively healthy and fit, do each exercise three times
.
If you are inactive, overweight, or have health problems begin these exercises doing one of the first three each day, and only if you feel totally comfortable doing this. Later in this article I will describe exercises you can do to help yourself strengthen so you can begin to do the "Five Rites". If you have any concerns whatsoever, please consult with your physician. Individuals on serious medications should consult with their physicians.

If you are overweight do not do Rites #4 and #5 until you have developed some strength and endurance. Do the substitutes for #4 and #5 until you yourself feel ready to begin doing #4 and #5 of the "Five Rites".

Do only what you feel comfortable doing. That may be only one of each exercise for the first week. Build up to two of each exercise the second week, three of each exercise the third week, etc. or at a faster pace only if your body does not hurt when you do these exercises.

21 is the maximum of each exercise you should ever do. If you want to enhance your program, do the exercises at a faster pace, but do not so more than 21 of each exercise each day. Doing more than 21 repetitions of each exercise in any day will affect your chakras negatively and can create imbalances in your body.

The "Five Rites" may stimulate detoxification and often creates many unpleasant physical symptoms. This is why it's recommended to increase the number of each exercise gradually on a weekly basis.

If you have not exercised for some time, prepare to begin your "Five Rites" exercise program by walking daily, for a half hour each day if possible.

Another alternative in preparation for the Five Rites is a stretching program with a gradual increase in the types of stretching exercises and the duration of this program.

A sugar free and low fat diet is an important support when integrating the "Five Rites" exercise program into your life. Also check for Digestive Food Sensitivities and eliminate all foods you do not digest easily.

Do the Five Rites exercises every day. The maximum you should skip is one day each week. If the exercises are done less than six days each week, the results will be greatly reduced.

If on certain days your time is limited, do 3 repetitions of each exercise. This takes less than five minutes.

For maximum benefit, do the exercises before breakfast in the morning, if at all possible. If this is not possible do them anytime during the day.

"Five Tibetan Rites" Exercise Program

The following instructions and photographs for the "Five Rites" and other preparatory exercises as taken from the book Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth, Book 2.

I will show the exact Five Rights exercises, a group of exercises for those who need to develop flexibility and strength before beginning to do the "Five Rites", and a set of warm-up exercises.

I strongly recommend you purchase the book since it provides detailed information about methodology, concerns and benefits not included in this article.

SPECIAL CAUTION: Spinning and stretching through the following exercises can aggravate certain health conditions such as any type of heart problem, multiple sclerosis, Parkinsons's Disease, severe arthritis of the spine, uncontrolled high blood pressure, a hyperthyroid condition, or vertigo. Problems may also be caused if you are taking drugs that cause dizziness. Please consult your physician prior to beginning these exercises if you have any difficult health issues or if you have any other concerns.

Rite #1: Standing with arms extended outward to the sides at shoulder height, spin your body toward your right hand. Go slowly at first and be sure to stop if you feel dizzy. Should you get dizzy, pick a spot on the wall and look at it until you feel clear-headed. Spinning seems like an odd exercise, and in a way it is. But it wakes your body up and seems to stimulate proper hormonal balance. There's a reason why children love to spin—because it feels good and it's good for you.	Eventually, you will be able to spin quickly without getting dizzy. In the beginning, just spin three complete rotations, eventually working up to 21.
Rite #2: First lie flat on the floor, face up. Fully extend your arms along your sides and place the palms of your hands against the floor, keeping the fingers close together. If you want, place your hands under your hips to brace your movement. Then raise your head off the floor, tucking the chin against the chest. As you do this, lift your legs, knees straight, into a vertical position, perpendicular to the floor. If possible, let the legs extend back over the body toward the head, but do not let the knees bend. Then slowly lower both your head and legs, knees straight, to the floor.
	Breathe in deeply as you lift your legand breathe out as you lower your legs.
Rite #3: Kneel on the floor with the torso of your body erect. Place your hands behind your back either in the middle back or lower back. Bend your neck and head forward, tucking the chin against the chest. Then move the head and neck backward slowly, arching your spine. As you arch, you brace your hands against your body for support. Go backward until you are looking up at the ceiling and your neck feels fully stretched. After the arching, return to the original position and start the second repetition.
	Breathe in deeply as you arch the spine and breathe out as you return to an erect position.
Rite# 4: Sit down on the floor with your legs straight out in front of you and your feet about 12 inches apart. Sit up straight and place the palms of your hands on the floor alongside your buttocks, fingers pointed toward your toes. Tuck your chin forward against the chest. Then slowly drop your head backward as far as it will go. At the same time, raise your body so that the knees bend while the arms remain straight. The only body parts touching the floor are the palms of your hands and the soles of your feet. The trunk of your body will be aligned with the upper legs, horizontal to the floor. Your body will be in the shape of a bench. Then tense every muscle in the body. Finally, relax your muscles as you return to the original sitting position and rest before repeating the procedure.
	Breathe in as you raise up, hold your breath as you tense the muscles, and breathe out completely as you come down. If you are overweight do not do Rites #4 and #5 until you have developed some strength and endurance. Do the substitutes for #4 and #5 until you yourself feel ready to begin doing #4 and #5 of the "Five Rites".
Rite #5: When you perform the fifth exercise, your body is facing the floor with just your toes and hands on the floor. Make a tent shape out of your body, with your head tucked between your arms and your bottom up. Then move your torso toward the floor so that you are flexing the spine in reverse and look up at the ceiling. Breathe in deeply as you raise your body and breathe out fully as you lower it.

The five Tibetans are an exercise “extra” to boost your fitness progress. They're a great way to start the day, and they fit nicely with other parts of your exercise program. Clients rave about the results they get. You'll love the results, too.

Your may want to start with the below exercises before starting the Rites.

Exercises In Preparation For Doing the Five Tibetan Rites The following group of exercises has been developed as a preparation for doing the Five Rites, or as an alternative when you are unable to do any of the Five Rites. Doing these exercises will help you strengthen and become more flexible to be able to do the Five Rites as they have been described above. Do these alternative exercises in the sequence from one to five and when possible, substitute the Five Rite exercise into this alternative program until you have fully integrated the Five Rites. As with the Five Rites, begin by doing two or three of each exercise daily, until you are able to do 10 each day. Once you are able to do ten of these alternatives, you should be ready to begin doing the Five Rite exercises themselves.
Stand with your feet about 12 inches apart. Extend your arms palms down until your arms are level with your shoulders. Swing your arms to the right, letting your slapping your left hand against your right shoulder, with your right hand slapping against the small of your back. Then swing your arms in the opposite direction, having your right hand slap against your left shoulder and the back of your left hand slap against the small of your back. As you swing back and forth allow your torso and legs to follow the movement. Allow your heels to lift from the floor but do not allow either foot to completely leave the floor. As you swing right turn your head right, and turn your head left as you swing to the left. Breathing: Breathe in rhythm to your swinging Movement.
	Alternative (for Rite #2) Exercise #2 Lie down on the floor and elevate your head and shoulders propping up on your elbows keeping your forearms flat on the floor, palms facing down. Keeping your legs straight, hold them off the floor For 20 or 30 seconds. Breathing: Inhale as you raise your legs, breathe in and out normally while holding your legs up, and exhale as you lower your legs.
Alternative ( for Rite #3) Exercise #3 Stand with your back to the wall and your feet 12 - 18 inches apart. Without moving your feet bend forward from the hips so that your buttocks rest against the wall. Slide downward, bending your knees as you go. Keep sliding down until your thighs are horizontal, as if you were sitting in a chair. Hold this position for 15 seconds and then slide back up. Breathing: Begin to exhale as you slide down to the chair position and inhale when slide back up.
	Alternative ( for Rite #4) Exercise #4 Lie flat on your back, your arms straight, palms down, feet flat, and knees bent. Press your pelvis up a few inches off the floor and hold it for 10 seconds. Release and lower your pelvis to its original position. Breathing: Inhale as you lift your pelvis and Exhale as you lower your pelvis.
Alternative ( for Rite #5) Exercise #5 Begin in the table position. Curl your toes under And bend your hips raising your buttocks so that Your body forms an inverted "V". Your knees will lift up off the floor, your legs will be straight, and your outstretched arms will be in a straight line with your back. Hold this position for 15 seconds. Breathing: Inhale as you raise your buttocks, breath Slowly and deeply while holding the position, and exhale as you return to the table position.

Warm-up Exercises The following group of exercises has been developed to open, relax, release tension, to strengthen various parts of the body, and to provide toning to different parts of your body. If you are overweight, in poor physical condition, or experiencing serious illness, this group of exercises is an excellent to help you begin your journey towards physical fitness. I suggest you do these warm-up exercises prior to the Five Rites if you are overweight or have not exercised in a long time. Begin this group of exercises by doing 2 of each exercise and then gradually increase the repetition until you are able to do 10 of each warm-up exercise.
	Warm-Up Exercise #1 Stand upright, tilt your head sideways towards your left shoulder and hold it for five seconds, then tilt your head towards your chest and hold it 5 seconds. Then tilt your head towards your left Shoulder and hold it five seconds, and lastly tilt your head backward and hold it five seconds. Return your head to a normal position. Breathing: Exhale as you move your head around, and inhale as you return to the upright position.
Warm-Up Exercise #2 Stand upright, slowly rotate your shoulders in a forward circular motion 5 times, then reverse the movement and rotate your shoulders in a backward circular motion 5 times. Breathing: Breathe normally but deeply as you do this exercise.
	Warm-Up Exercise #3 Stand upright with your arms help up, your elbows bent, and your hands together in front of your chest, with your fingertips touching and palms apart. Press inward on your fingers until their inside surfaces are almost touching. Your palms should not be touching. Release and press your fingers again. Breathing: Breathe normally.
Warm-Up Exercise #4 In a relaxed standing position, hold your arms in front of you. Clasp your right hand around your left wrist, with your thumb against the inside of the wrist. Squeeze gently but firmly five times. Repeat the procedure with the left hand Squeezing the right wrist. Breathing: Breathe normally.
	Warm-Up Exercise #5 Recline on the floor, resting the upper part of your body on your upper arms. Flex your knees and rhythmically bang Them up and down against the floor in rapid succession. Your heels should remain on the floor throughout this exercise. Do this exercise for 20 - 30 seconds. Breathing: Breathe normally through this exercise.
Warm-Up Exercise #6 Get down on the floor on your hands and Knees with your hands positioned under your shoulders and your knees under your hips. Bring your chin up and rotate your hips so the tailbone moves up, arching your back down. Then tuck your chin into your chest and rotate your back so that your pelvis moves down, arching you're your back down. Breathing: Inhale as you move your tailbone up and exhale as you move your tailbone down.