The Five Tibetan Rites

My theme for the month of January is Well-Being. I’m excited to offer a medley of ideas, suggestions and creative activities to enhance and enrich your sense of well-being. I also have some fabulous guest bloggers lined up who are experts in their respective fields.

So, let’s get going! I’m going to start off with The Five Tibetans of The Five Rites of Rejuvenation. I was first introduced to this ancient ritual years ago when I traveled to San Miguel de Allende to attend a five-day retreat focused on the the hero’s journey. Each morning, we began with the Five Tibetan Rites. Since then, I have often used this ritual in my own daily practice from time to time as well as in my workshops.

The beauty of this practice is that it is powerful yet simple and quick. Legend has it that a British Navel Officer, Colonel Bradford (not his real name) learned about the Rites while he was trekking in the Himalayas in the 1920s. Supposedly, Peter Kelder learned about the Rites from Bradford, and wrote about his conversations with him in a 1939 publication entitled The Eye of Revelation.

The Rites are said to be a form of Tibetan yoga comprised of five different movements, with each movement performed up to 21 times (Tibetans believe 21 is a perfect, mystical number). It is best to start with three repetitions of each exercise and gradually increase the repetitions. The entire routine can be completed in less than 10 minutes.

The benefits are said to include: increased energy, weight loss, better memory, new hair growth, pain relief, better digestion, longevity, greater flexibility, and just feeling younger.

The Tibetans claim that these exercises activate and stimulate the seven key chakras that in turn stimulate all the glands of the endocrine system. 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.

FIRST RITE
To synchronize and speed up the seven vortexes (chakras) in the body thereby creating a greater sense of balance and grounding.
Instructions
1. Stand erect with arms outstretched: left palm facing upward, right palm facing downward.
2. Spin in a clockwise circle while continuing to breathe deeply and slowly. Move your feet as you turn rather than planting one foot and pivoting around it. Look straight ahead, selecting a focus point in the beginning to prevent loss of balance.
Suggestions
Allow yourself to feel any dizziness and move beyond it. Control the degree of your dizziness with the speed of your motion and the number of repetitions.

SECOND RITE
To strengthen and stretch leg, stomach and neck muscles.
Instructions
1. Lie flat, face up, arms are by the side, palms down.
2. Inhale while raising your head off the floor. Tuck your chin against your chest while lifting the feet with knees held straight.
3. Exhale while lowering the head and legs. Relax the tension, then repeat.
4. Start with five, increase by two’s to 21.
Suggestions
1. Keep your lower back pressed to the floor as you perform the exercise.
2. Place your hands under your buttocks for more support.
3. Straighten your legs to the vertical position as your strength grows and rotate and flex the feet for added stretch.

THIRD RITE
To strengthen and stretch the abdominal muscles.
Instructions
1. Kneel with chin on chest, toes curled under and palms resting lightly on your thighs.
2. Inhale, holding the lower body stationary and placing the hands on the back of the thighs at the buttocks. Press in with the hands while leaning the head and neck backward into an arch.
3. Exhale and return to the starting position with chin on chest, palms on thighs and shoulders slightly rounded.
Suggestions
1. Increase back support by placing hands on low back instead of buttocks and thighs.
2. Work within your ability and create pain-free motion.
3. Feet may remain straight if curling is uncomfortable.

FOURTH RITE
To stretch and strengthen the shoulder and abdominal muscles.
Instructions
1. Sit on the floor with legs straight out in front; feet are hip width apart; hands are along side of thighs, fingers, forward, palms down and chin against chest.
2. Inhale while dropping the head backward and lifting the torso and thrusting the pelvis upward.
3. Exhale while returning to starting position, chin upon chest.

FIFTH RITE
To stretch and strengthen the shoulder blades and triceps.
Instructions
1. Begin with body face down with toes curled under and with feet placed hip width apart. The hands are beneath the shoulders, fingers pointing ahead. The abdomen is slightly raised from the floor. Keeping the arms and legs straight, the neck and back are arched.
2. Inhale while raising the pelvis into an inverted V position. Keep the arms and legs straight and touch the chin toward the chest.
3. Exhale while lowering the pelvis. Continuing to have the arms and legs straight, return to the original position.
Suggestions
1. Keep inverted V position, push heels toward the floor.
2. Keep spine straight when in the V position.
3. Stretch rear toward ceiling.
4. Increase starting distance of pelvis form the floor if touching the floor is uncomfortable.

Every man desires to live long,
But no man would be old.
~Jonathan Swift

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