We all want a shortcut to fitness. Try this unique set on for size.
I came across the set of the Five Tibetan Rites rather serendipitously on youtube a few years ago, and I think it's a pretty solid set of exercises. Maybe, for ultimate long-term health, I would also suggest adding some twisting poses -- but maybe you could do that over a bolster while in bed (I do, and it's so delicious).
Nonetheless, this is an interesting set. I'm interested in your feedback. How does it work for you? Any of my readers ever heard of it before? I'm surprised it's not more widely known.
The story swimming around on the internet is that some British army guy went and lived with monks up in the mountains of Tibet after World War II and he came back to the western world evangelizing this set of 5 miraculous exercises that will give you health, longevity, and... who knows, probably wealth and happiness too. Why not.
The Moves
A nifty thing is that you can remember these five moves with the word SELECTED. I like that, because we should always remember that everything we do in life is a choice. We always have the ability to make some kind of choice, even if it's to live and suffer through a terrible situation instead of giving up and dying. We choose this awesome company we live for, we choose the place where we live, we choose to surround ourselves with positive (or negative) people and experiences.
Instead of me writing about how to do the exercises, I think it's better for you to see how the exercises go by watching the video (you can fast-forward through if you want, but it'd be better to watch them and do them with young man, there). http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gWJo2mpI-w
S - spinning
L - leg lifts
C - camel pose
T - tabletop
D - down dog / up dog
Why They're Good
Here's a list of things that immediately enchanted me about this set of five:
- I can see that they're definitely great because they all work your core and your spine, and a strong core and a flexible spine will always serve you well.
- Their mystical origins. What if that British dude actually /did/ bring them back in their original form? We have to leave that possibility open.
- They combine other ancient traditions, like Sufi whirling and some of the most beneficial yoga poses. Some of the sources claim that these five exercises work all your chakras in a good order. Having examined/tested them, I think I can buy that. They just Feel Good, which is what any physical practice should do!
- They're challenging, but not undoable. So they're totally the kind of thing you can work up to without too much trouble.
- They're quick and short, which means there's no excuse not to do a little every day, and also means that there's space in between to insert some other exercises that your body might be asking for. I suggest some twists, since twists are awesome, and maybe lingering in downward dog and stretching and rotating your legs a bit, and maybe doing a little cat-cow... well, your body will know.
- They pay attention to breath and conscious movement, turning exercise into a meditation, which is an excellent plan.
Being Canadian, long descended from two pioneering ethnic groups (Irish and Ukrainian) who were totally hammered by the British, I tend to be skeptical when I approach a British rendition of any local practices. For example, I don't know why the rites prescribe whirling clockwise when the Sufis whirl counterclockwise. I'm more likely to trust the thousands-of-years old traditions of the Sufis than a manuscript from a single British dude. So I asked around various wise people-in-the-know and the general consensus was that you should just whirl the way your intuition tells you to.
That said though, there's a lot of literature out there about this set, and I think most of it seems pretty valid. The crucial tests:
Does it feel good? Yes, I think it feels great.
Does it make you fitter and stronger and more flexible? Yes. I think it does.
Can you injure yourself doing it? Not easily if you're being smart, but yes, I think you could, if you didn't listen to your body. If you do not have very strong abdominal muscles to start with, then be careful particularly with the last move, down dog to up dog, to make sure that you're not dropping your back into a range of flexibility that's not appropriate for you. Listen to your body. If you need to start with three of each movement, start with three. I find in my own practice so far (being an inconsistent hippie type) that I might do 27 of one exercise and only 4 of another. That's fine. If that's what feels right to your body today, who will you impress by pushing through more?
Does it really activate your chakras and enhance your qi gong ability and all that? Probably. I think it probably does. But whether you'll feel that or be able to make use of it probably depends on you and where you're at in terms of understanding and using your energy body, chakras, and chi.
External links - Video
Here's the video that launched my research into this topic. I have to say, I think these rituals feel way better and have more benefit if you actually get down and do 'em, but they're very pleasant to just kind of sit and watch, too. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2gWJo2mpI-w
If you enter "five Tibetan rites" in the search window you'll find tons of videos. People like it. I do too.
It's worth a try, and it doesn't take long. Why not give it a go?
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