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5 Tibetan Rites: Yoga Sequence Mar 28, 2016

5 Tibetan Rites: Yoga Sequence

Location Google Map: Siem Reap, Cambodia

Fountain of Youth
Legend has it that the Tibetan 5 Rites (5 yogic kriyas) is a fountain of youth - practitioners delay the ageing process and look considerably younger than their actual age! It was supposedly taught to a British army colonel by Buddhist yogis when he explored the Himalayan mountain range in the 1930s. I came upon this story back in 2004 and even practised it for a few days. Now, it has timely resurfaced as I am engaged in the yoga of a teacher here in Siem Reap. I believe it's a good integration in a typical one-hour yoga class as it can fuse seamlessly into other established asanas. This can be part of the warm-up before doing the Surya Namaskars.

5 Tibetan Rites: Yoga Sequence
5 Tibetan Rites

5 Tibetan Rites
These rites should be done daily and repeated 21 times. To new practitioners, start with 5 repetitions until you reach 21.

Tibetan Rite 1 Rite 1 (spinning stand)

Info: there is an energy vortex spinning on the 7 chakras (energy centers). As we age, the vortex slows down and becomes imbalanced causing health to decline. Spinning restores the speed and balance of the vortex.

Sequence: stand upright with arms stretched at shoulder level with palms facing down. Spin from left to right (important!) until you become slightly dizzy. Start with a low number of spins but increase to 21 spins. Best to gaze into the right hand or a fixed object in the room while spinning. When done, stand steady, palms together at eye level about a foot away. Concentrate on the thumbs until the dizzyness goes away.

Breath: breathe deep, slow and steady as you spin
Tibetan Rite 2 Rite 2 (leg raises)

Sequence: lie flat on your back with palms facing down by the hip side. Straighten legs and raise up until the feet are slightly over the top center, about 1 o'clock, while lifting the head and the shoulders. Keep the legs straight at all times. Hold for one complete breath and slowly lower down to the floor. Do one complete breath while keeping the body completely relaxed. Repeat. When done, go into Savasana for a few minutes.

Modification: if there a lower back pain when lifting the legs, try bending the knees close to the body first and then lift the legs up

Breath: inhale as you raise your legs and exhale as you lower down the legs
Tibetan Rite 3 Rite 3 (bow, backbend)

Sequence: kneel down with toes tucked-in, arms straight with the hands holding the back of the thigh, body upright. Head tilts down, chin by the chest then move the body as far back as possible, doing a back bend while head tilts back. Come back to a kneeling position and take a full breath (relax) before repeating.

Breath: inhale on the backbend, exhale on getting back to upright
Tibetan Rite 4 Rite 4 (seated to inverted table)

Sequence: start seated (Dandasana), legs straight and active, sit bones squared and centered, spine straight, chin close to the chest and hands stretched, pressed against the mat slightly behind with fingers pointed forward. Inhale and press against the feet, lift the pelvis up with bent knees until the body is parallel to the floor and tilt the head back. Hold and contract every muscle while in this position. Exhale and come back to seated. Take a full breath and completely relax the body. Repeat.

Finish: remain seated with knees bent and pointed to the ceiling, feet one foot apart. Lean the body forward and relax.

Breath: inhale while going into Table Top and exhale on the way to seated
Tibetan Rite 5 Rite 5 (downward dog to upward dog)

Sequence: begin on plank, full body straight from top of the head to heals, arms fully stretched, hands shoulder width apart, fingers pointed to the front and feet shoulder width apart, toes tucked-in. Exhale while lifting the pelvis up and pushing it back while toes remain tucked-in. Chin should be close to the chest. You are now in Downward Dog. You should be in an inverted "V" position, with a straight line from palms to pelvis and another straight line from pelvis to the heels. Contract all the muscles while in this position. Inhale and slowly sag the pelvis as low to the floor as possible while keeping the arms straight, toes remaining tucked-in and head tilted back. Chest is pushed out and shoulders pulled back. Contract all muscles while in this position. Exhale and repeat the process, taking the hips up and back.

Breath: (reverse from yoga) exhale when lifting up the pelvis and inhale when going into upward dog with a sagged body and toes tucked-in

Ending Thoughts
With the exception of Rite 1, the spinning (which is perhaps borrowed from the Whirling Dervishes of the Sufis?), all of the rites are practically yoga poses unto themselves. It is not surprising that yogis who are dedicated to the practice look younger than their actual age.

--- Gigit (TheLoneRider)
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Yoga-Sequence Series

Reader Comments:

Julia ClaretteJulia Clarette
(Mar 28, 2016) Yes I love the T5! Fixed my breathing and my back, among other things. Tara. Discovering step 1 of 5 was an accident. Galing hanep! Let's make magic! Pinas: 4-6, KL-6-20. Kung nasa Cambodia ka pa ng April 8-15, pupuntahan ka namin ng anak ko. Game? Gusto ko panaman maturuan mo ako ng $5/day happy living. Kung sa Chiangmai... Babalik ka ba ng Plum Village? Be right back, langoy Lang ako. Balitaan mo ako pls, kung saan ka, tagpuin kita.

Amazon CarpenterAmazon Carpenter
(Mar 28, 2016) Bookmarking

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