What are the Five Tibetan Rites?
The Five Tibetan Rites or The five tibetans are five dynamic exercises for health, longevity and healthy aging. They are a true gem in the world of yoga, providing real and lasting benefits in just a few minutes a day. Regular practice of these postures relieves muscle tension and nervous stress, improves digestion, strengthens the cardiovascular system, tunes and energizes the chakras and leads to deep relaxation and well-being.
History of The Five Tibetans Rites
Peter Kelder first introduced the Five Tibetan Rites in a 1939 booklet called The Eye of Revelation. Kelder told a story about a retired British Army officer named Colonel Bradford. He traveled to Tibet and learned five simple yoga exercises from Tibetan monks. These exercises made him look and feel much younger. Colonel Bradford later taught them to Kelder, who then wrote a small book about them.
Benefits of The Five Tibetans
The Five Tibetan Rites are powerful exercises that help balance energy, improve strength, and keep the body flexible. According to Kelder and Colonel Bradford, these movements help align the body’s energy centers (chakras), increasing vitality and awareness. While they may not reverse aging completely, they can slow the aging process and improve overall health.
The Five Tibetan Rites are believed to offer many benefits, including:
- A more youthful look
- Better sleep
- Relief from joint and back pain
- Improved memory
- Better eyesight
- Increased strength
- More energy and endurance
- Better emotional and mental health
Many people think these benefits come from how the exercises help stimulate the glands in the endocrine system, like the pituitary gland, thyroid, adrenal glands, pancreas, and for women, the ovaries, and for men, the testicles. These glands work together to control things like metabolism, growth, sleep, aging, and overall body function. Because the endocrine system affects so many parts of the body through hormones, keeping it balanced is really important for staying healthy. Since the endocrine system affects most organs through hormones, keeping it balanced is key to overall health.
How to perform The Five Tibetans
For maximum benefit, practice The Five Tibetans daily. In the beginning, do each exercise only as many times as you can comfortably manage (perhaps 3 or 4 times to start with). Over time, gradually increase the repetitions until you reach the maximum of 21 (nose breathing is preferred). Completing 21 repetitions of all five exercises daily is recommended to experience youthful energy, feel energized, calm and relaxed and maintain a youthful appearance.
- 21 repetitions is the maximum for each exercise. If you want to challenge yourself more, try doing the exercises at a faster pace, but don’t exceed 21 reps of each exercise per day. Doing more than 21 can negatively affect your chakras and cause imbalances in your body.
- The Five Tibetans can help with detoxification but may also cause some uncomfortable physical symptoms. That’s why it is best to gradually increase the number of repetitions each week.
- For the best results, do the exercises in the morning before breakfast. If you can’t, do them later in the day when your stomach is empty.
The Five Tibetan exercises
Tibetan rite 1 – The spin
Stand up straight and stretch your arms out to the sides, keeping them level with your shoulders and palms facing down.
Spin clockwise at a speed that feels comfortable for you.
Try to complete 21 spins
When you are done, if you feel dizzy, either lie down in child’s pose and take deep breaths or stand still with your palms pressed together like you’re praying. Focus on your hands until the dizziness passes.
Breathing: Inhale and exhale deeply as you do the spins.
Lamas (monks) say that spinning helps clear bad energy from the body and connects the left and right sides of the brain. It also increases energy and wakes up the chakras. Please don’t do this exercise more than 21 times because it might have a negative effect on your body.
Tibetan rite 2 – The leg raise
Lie flat on your back with your arms by your sides, palms facing down.
Keep your legs straight and together.
Lift your legs as high as you can while at the same time raising your head and tucking your chin into your chest.
Hold for a second or two.
Slowly lower your legs and head back down and relax.
Breathing: Breathe in deeply as you lift your head and legs and exhale as you lower your head and legs.
Lifting your head toward your chest gives extra energy to the solar plexus chakra and the “conception vessel,” which runs through the center of your body.
Tibetan rite 3 – The camel
Kneel on the floor with your knees under your hips and your toes flat. Keep your back straight.
Place your hands on the back of your thighs, just below your buttocks.
Tilt your head forward and tuck your chin into your chest.
Slowly lean your head and neck back, arch your spine, and look upward.
Gently return to the starting position.
Breathing: Inhale as you arch your back and exhale as you return to a straight position.
This exercise helps open up the solar plexus and heart. When we are born, we start by drawing energy through our belly button area. This is where we first received nourishment and energy from our mother through the umbilical cord. Lamas believe we keep doing this, pulling energy into the solar plexus, where we hold our emotions. Without even realizing it, we take in all kinds of emotional energy this way. We can end up attracting negative emotions from others that match what we are already feeling inside – like fear or anger.
When we are tense or closed off, it can block the solar plexus, which sends important messages to the brain about our safety and can trigger the “fight or flight” response. This exercise stretches and lifts the entire body, which opens us up and breaks that defensive, tense feeling. By doing this movement, you change the flow of energy and bring it up to the heart, bringing in positive energy instead.
Tibetan rite 4 – The table top
Sit on the floor with your legs straight, back upright, feet about shoulder width apart and chin tucked toward your chest.
Place your hands slightly behind you with your fingers pointing forward.
Take a deep breath in, press through your feet and lift your hips, bending your knees as you raise your body.
Keep lifting until your body is in a straight line, parallel to the floor and gently tilt your head back.
Hold the position for 3 seconds, squeeze all your muscles, then slowly lower yourself back down to the original position.
Breathing: Inhale as you lift up, hold your breath as you tighten your muscles, and exhale as you lower yourself.
Tibetian rite 4 gently stimulates the area around your lower back, hips and sacral region (the lower part of your spine). It helps activate the energy flow through the meridians that run to and from your groin, and down your legs. It helps make your legs and glutes stronger and more toned while also improving energy circulation in these areas.
Tibetan rite 5 – The upward and downward dog
Start in Downward facing dog with your fingers spread wide and palms pressing into the floor. Keep your lower belly slightly engaged to protect your back.
Then transition with straight arms, through plank and into an Upward dog position on the ball of your toes, eyes and head position glancing upwards. Keep your neck long and collarbones broad.
As you exhale, press firmly into your hands, draw your hips up and back, and return to Downward facing dog.
Breathing: Inhale deeply as you lower your body, and exhale fully as you lift it.
Tibetian rite 5 quickly changes the energy flow in your body, making you feel strong and energized. It brings a healthy, glowing radiance to your face. This exercise is the most effective for speeding up the movement of energy in the chakras, helping them spin faster and work more powerfully.
At the end of the 5th rite, lay on your back for 3-5 minutes, allowing your body to relax and feel a sense of calm.
We are not finished yet! Did you know there is a Tibetan 6 exercise? Tibetans believe this special sixth rite has the power to transform you into a super-being. This powerful Tibetan practice is said to offer extraordinary benefits for both your body and mind, similar to the well-known Five Tibetan Rites.
Tibetan rite 6
You should incorporate the sixth Tibetan exercise once you have achieved good results from the other five. Dont incorporate this exercise at the beggining, you can try it later on. The sixth Tibetan exercise is a practice that involves pulling your stomach towards your spine while holding your breath. It is basically a stomach vacuum exercise.
- First, stand upright and exhale fully, bending over to place your hands on your knees. Force out every last bit of air.
- With empty lungs, stand up straight, place your hands on your hips, and press down to lift your shoulders. At the same time, pull in your abdomen as far as possible to raise your chest (stomach vacuum)
- Hold this position for as long as you can. When you need to inhale, take a breath through your nose.
- Exhale through your mouth as you relax your arms and let them hang naturally at your sides.
- Take several deep breaths, either through your nose or mouth and allow them to escape quickly through either opening.
- Repeat a maximum of three times.
The Tibetan 6 stimulates the digestive fire, clearing out toxins, indigestion and constipation. It is believed to help eliminate excess phlegm and mucus. The Tibetan 6 is also great for toning the abdominal muscles and giving your internal organs a healthy massage.
Safety tips for the Five Tibetan Rites
The Five Tibetan Rites should be practiced with caution, starting with slow movements and a few repetitions, gradually increasing as your body adjusts. Be extra careful if you have heart or breathing problems, balance issues (such as Parkinson’s or multiple sclerosis), dizziness or vertigo, are pregnant or have had recent surgery. Always consult your doctor before starting if any of these apply to you. Listen to your body and stop if something feels wrong.
Conclusion: The Five Tibetan Rites
By practicing these Tibetan healing rituals, you can tap into the timeless wisdom of the Tibetan monks to rejuvenate both body and mind. If you are seeking a holistic approach to wellness or a deeper connection to your spiritual self, these Tibetan exercises offer a profound, natural remedy.
