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| RE: Five Tibetan Rites
I have seen lots of different information on this and was wondering if anyone else who teaches has an opinion on long term effects on the body, etc. I was thinking about introducing some of my students to it since they are also involved in martial arts and/or gymnastics. I'm not sure I like the sources I've read and was just curious about the opinions of a more advanced peer group. |
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| I used them daily for a couple of years. During that time I didn't get a lot of other exercise, so they really helped me. There's probably a potential for repetative injury, but other than that, they're a really good idea. |
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| Dear Rodenyogi: This is my personal suggestion. Take it as you like. Before you recommend these rites to your students, peform them yourself for a prolonged time in some form (if you want my answer, 5 years), and then you shall know what to teach your student, how much, etc. |
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| kulkarnn - 2007-03-25 9:37 PM
Dear Rodenyogi: This is my personal suggestion. Take it as you like. Before you recommend these rites to your students, peform them yourself for a prolonged time in some form (if you want my answer, 5 years), and then you shall know what to teach your student, how much, etc.
I've done them before, and my personal teacher said she didn't care for them much. However, we are only 2 people. I was just getting some info since I didn't have a whole lot for them when they asked. Naturally I can't give them an answer in a timely manner if I wait 5 years while I do a bunch of Five Tibetan Rites. Do you personally have any experience with this practice? That is more of the kind of information I was looking for. |
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| OK. Now I realize. I do not see any necessity for me to do TR. I am sure they would not add anything to what I already have. But, they are good on their own if done moderately, meaning within the capacity of a doer. They are beneficial. |
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| Rodenyogi,
I was introduced to the Rites only recently but have done them daily since. Other than the spinning(1st Rite) they work in with my practice and the classes I teach. I introduced two of my friends to them and both felt an almost immediate impact. I feel the more yoga you do the less you will feel the Rites although they have helped me with meditation. I have found no downside with their practice, and it is a practice that takes only 5 to 15 minutes at most. I recently demonstrated them to a group at a yoga training and they were very well received. I can understand other people's reluctance to say much good about the Rites--at least as a caution to people always looking for an easier way to better health--but when done with respect to ones' self, I can't imagine anyone not receiving some benefit from this practice.
I'm not sure from your post if you have seen the book that popularized them or not but it is, "Ancient Secret of the Fountain Of Youth" by Peter Kelder. It is a small book and a quick read. Rick |
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| AKBrooker1, the book "Ancient Secret of the Fountain Of Youth" by Peter Kelder was part of my reluctance to even get started myself. I think most of the claims are against yoga in the first place. The search for youth and other ideas don't go well with the yoga sutras, or even much of todays contemporary teachings. The book almost makes it sound like a story, not so much a work of fact. The more I search for information, the more it ALL leads right back to the book, no independent sources to collaborate the info.
I appreciate all the insight from everyone. Thanks! |
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| Rodenyogi, To quote from the book jacket, "--restore youthful health and vitality by balancing and harmonizing invisible energy vortexes within the body." I'm not sure why you do yoga but I feel this is a pretty good representation of why I do. And it seems as though almost every yoga text on the shelf at your local bookstore encourages the same results. As for collaboration of the info the book presents, hasn't yoga itself forever fought this battle in the West? |
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| The Five Tibetans are designed to stimulate and balance the system of the chakras. Some students are very affected by the rites, especially the first. For those students it is best NOT to spin 9 times but to oscilate back and forth like a helicopter blade, arms out to the sides.
It is said, by some, that the Tibetans are the secret to long life, youthfulness, etcetera. If one believes in and studies the chakras then this would maake quite a bit of sense. I believe the rites to be safe (when taught properly) and it is important to emphasize to students that they are not done with normal yogic breathing. |
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| I analyzed the "5 Tibetans" a few years back and they are just simplified yoga asanas, with repeition, nothing more. The spinning takes the place of sun salutation to stimulate the circulation of prana (chi).
It is a very simple form which takes very little time to maintain the physical health for monks who do a lot of sitting. They have therapeutic value, and I've taken cues from the series for teaching beginners and yoga therapy. They don't replace, nor would they add anything to a complete Hatha sequence for yogis who are in good condition. In terms of long term effects, they're the same as for Hatha yoga, just milder in terms of benefits. People who have difficulty with regular Hatha yoga asana practice can benefit from the Tibetans. Good that you analyse and experiment with any new techniques yourself before teaching others. |
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| purnayoga - 2007-04-10 3:08 PM
Some students are very affected by the rites, especially the first. For those students it is best NOT to spin 9 times but to oscilate back and forth like a helicopter blade, arms out to the sides.
All of them have to be done within the student's capacity - especially the first one, meaning they stop if they get dizzy or uncomfortable. So they may go around only 3 x to start and work up gradually to 7 or 9.
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| Agreed but capacity isn't exactly the issue I was broaching. The spinning particularly is disorienting. The other Rites move only in the mid-sagital plane.
Typically, the student who get nausea of dizziness gets it early, after the second or third rotation, so I was taking the modification down below that. I was not clear.
Of course reducing the number of times the student spins, down to a "do-able" number comes before not spinning at all.
Edited by purnayoga 2007-04-13 1:33 AM
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