A set of
concentration exercises, known as "The Original Five Tibetan Rites of
Rejuvenation" has been published in the western world by Peter Kelder in
1939. Due to unprecedented effectiveness of these simple concentration exercises
(which I have also verified myself) Peter Kelder' book has been published again
(Peter Kelder, The Eye of Revelation - The Original Five Rites of Rejuvenation,
Borderland Sciences Research Foundation, 1989, ISBN 0-945685-04-1) and is
gaining considerable popularity. Below is my summary of these exercises.
According to Tibetan
Lamas, these exercises aim to
Even if only a part
of above aims is achieved, the impact of these exercises seems to extend far
beyond their physical benefits.
The most important
in all Tibetan exercises described below seems to be a conscious synchronization
of breathing with physical activity. For best results, I strongly advise anyone
to practice basic 4 stage breathing techniques ( inhale, hold, exhale, hold
empty lungs) before trying Tibetan Rites.
The other important
advice, passed on by ancient Lamas and verified
by modern medical science is that no exercise at any stage should be too intense
or make us feel exhausted. This advice applies not only to The Five Tibetan
Rites presented below, but to any physical exercise.
If the intensity of
the exercise is excessive, not only such exercise is not beneficial, but
may be even harmful. If you are "loosing your breath" for example, it
is a sign that the body has entered an anaerobic (low oxygen) emergency mode of
operation and it is a fair warning from your body and mind that you should slow
down.
One method of
assessing the right level of physical activity for you is to observe your pulse
rate. If it exceeds 90-100 - you should slow down. Another good gauge is this:
if you feel comfortable continuing the exercise (Tibetan, yoga, jogging,
walking, skating, roller skating, tennis etc.) over long periods of time without
strain, this level of activity is right for you. Note, that with training you
can increase the intensity of exercise. After exercising at the right intensity
you should not feel tired. On the contrary, you should be more energetic and,
most importantly, have clearer, sharper mind. We should enjoy whatever we do,
shouldn't we?
Applying the above
advice to Five Tibetan Rites, you should not get too enthusiastic about
overdoing them. Although they are very simple, the main emphasis should
be on breath synchronization and fluency, rather than on speed and
number of repetitions.
Tibetan Lamas
recommend starting with 3 repeats and gradually building strength and skill to
reach 21 repeats. Performing more than 21 repeats, according to Lamas, is
redundant and therefore not necessary.
All motions in the
following Five Tibetan Rites need to be fluent, with depicted positions held
between the motions as shown in the following diagrams. Please note breathing
phases.
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Tibetan #1
Stand
straight and stretch your arms to the sides. Spin clockwise
standing at one spot. The most important, apart from the clockwise
direction of spin, is to make sure that you stop before feeling
dizzy and getting any difficulty with your balance. Choose carefully the
speed and the number of full rotations (up to 21) which do not make you
dizzy. Gradually with practice, you should be able to spin full 21 times
and also increase the speed without getting dizzy. Children do this
exercise spontaneously and they have plenty of energy.
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Tibetan #2
Start
stretched on your back with your hands along the body, palms of your
hands on the floor, fingers together. Raise your head and legs gradually
while breathing in. Your legs should be straight, straighten them as
much as you can. Tuck your chin against the chest. After holding the
position with raised legs and head, lower them gradually while breathing
out. Then relax your muscles before repeating the cycle. Keep a
breathing rhythm so that all four phases of this exercise are
approximately of the same duration. If you need to miss a cycle because
you need a rest, keep breathing in the same rhythm and wait for
the entire breathing cycle before starting again. Maintaining the rhythm
is important.
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Tibetan #3
Lamas
recommend exercise #3 to be practiced immediately after the exercise #2.
Kneel on the
floor, hands on thigh muscles. Tuck the chin against the chest,
breathing out. Then arch back as far as you can bracing your arms
against your thighs while breathing in. When you return to the original
position, breathe out, relax and start the cycle over again. Lamas
practice this exercise with eyes closed, focusing inward for best
effect. Deep
breathing and maintaining rhythm is important. Keep a breathing rhythm
so that all four phases of this exercise are approximately of the same
duration. |
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Tibetan #4
Start
sitting down on the floor, legs straight, feet 30 cm (12 inches) apart,
palms of your hands on the floor alongside your buttocks. Tuck the chin
against your chest, breathing out.
Then arch
your head back and lift your body so that the knees bend and your arms
remain straight while breathing in. Aim to achieve the horizontal
position of the body as indicated in the figure above and maintain it by
tensing every muscle in your body. Then exhale while returning to the
original sitting position. Your hands and feet should remain at the same
location on the floor. Relax with your chin down and start the cycle
over again. This
exercise may seem to be initially more difficult than others. If you
cannot do it at first, continue with other exercises, trying your best
with this one every time. Gradually, Tibetan #4 should become as easy as
others. Keep a breathing rhythm so that all four phases of this exercise
are approximately of the same duration. |
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Tibetan #5
In
this exercise hands and feet should be spaced slightly wider than your
shoulders.
Start in a
sagging position, your spine arched back, hands perpendicular to the
floor, feet on the toes, head as far back as possible, breathe out. Your
body should be close to the ground, but not touching it. While
breathing in and keeping your legs and arms straight, raise your body as
high as you can, as depicted above. Then breathe out returning to the
original position. Tense your muscles at each position. Keep a
breathing rhythm so that all four phases of this exercise are
approximately of the same duration. |
The series of Five
Tibetan exercises described above can be practiced two or three times a day
everyday during the entire lifetime. In contrast, the following exercise,
according to Lamas, has a very special purpose and it should be practiced only
in circumstances described below. If you are not sure, and do not practice the
first five exercises regularly, do not practice this exercise. You have
been warned.
The purpose of the
Tibetan #6 exercise is to redirect the excess of sexual and reproductive
energy, generated by the activity of the base chakra to all higher chakras along
the spine, especially to the brow chakra, which activity is related to our
spiritual awareness and psychic abilities. According to Lamas this exercise
should be practiced only when the excess of the sexual urge is
experienced, otherwise this exercise does more harm than good, by draining
the energy from the base chakra.
By systematically
practicing the first five Tibetan exercises it is quite possible to raise the
energy of the base chakra so much, that the sexual urge appears and needs to be
dealt with. This can happen at any age.
One way to handle
the situation is to dissipate this powerful energy in sexual activities. The
Tibetan alternative is to transmute it to higher use, to accelerate our
spiritual development and rejuvenate the body. Instead of dissipating the
reproductive energy you can use it to regenerate cells in your entire body. The
choice is yours, you have the free will, as always.
In my opinion,
sexual activity without sincere love and a spiritually matched partner is like
going to a forest and not seeing trees. Or enrolling at a University just to
have lunch in the canteen.
Sexual love should
be a spiritual union, bringing experiences and sensations far more profound,
pleasurable, longer lasting and beneficial than just a physical act of relief.
In the absence of a
perfect partner, Tibetan Lamas offer us the alternative, verified over many
thousands of years to be not only effective, but also very beneficial to our
health, longevity, bio-energy level, Aura and most importantly to our spiritual
development. They do not try to suppress the powerful energy of the base
chakra. Such suppression is destined to fail, much as any act against the
Nature. They offer an efficient way to transmute it for the higher
purpose.
Tibetan #6 differs
in many ways from all of the previously described Tibetan exercises. Firstly, it
is one of the easiest to perform from the physical body motion point of view,
hardly requiring any diagram. Secondly, it involves a special breath control,
requiring a prolonged holding of the breath, rather than breathing
rhythmically. The third difference is that after each cycle of Tibetan #6
several cycles of deep breathing are required. Another difference is that no
more than three repeats are recommended for most people.
The sequence of
Tibetan #6 is as follows:
1.
Stand straight and breathe out completely
2.
Bend over forward putting your hands on your knees, forcing out the last
trace of air
3.
With your lungs empty return to standing straight posture
4.
Put your hands on your waist and push your shoulders up by pressing down
with your hands. Pull the abdomen in as much as possible and raise your chest -
keeping your lungs empty.
5.
Hold this position as long as you can, with empty lungs
6.
Breathe in through the nose until your lungs are full
7.
Exhale through the mouth, relaxing arms to hang free
8.
Take several deep breaths before the next repetition
