The Five Tibetans: Yoga Exercises for the Spine
(with video at the end)
The Five Tibetans: Exercise Number One
When you perform the first exercise, you must place your body face down and hold it with the palms of your hands, leaving your toes flexed to perform this rite. Both your hands and feet must be placed two feet apart, and your arms and legs must be kept straight.
Start with your arms perpendicular to the floor and your spine arched, so that your body is flexed. Then, pull your head back as far as possible. Then, bend your body at the hips and place it in an inverted V shape. At the same time, tuck your chin forward, pressing it against your chest. That’s all there is to it. Return to the original position and begin the rite again. By the end of the first week, people generally consider this rite one of the easiest to perform. Once you’ve mastered it, drop your body from the high position to a point very close to the floor, but without making contact with each other. Tense your muscles for a moment in both the up and down positions. Continue using the same deep breathing pattern used in the previous rites. Inhale deeply as you raise your body and exhale fully.
The Five Tibetans: Exercise Number Two
The first time I performed exercise number two, the colonel said, I found it very difficult, but after a week, it was as simple as any of the others. First: Sit on the floor with your legs stretched out in front of you, approximately 12 inches apart, with your torso upright. Place your palms on the floor so they are next to your buttocks.
Then, press your chin to your chest. Then, lean your head back as far as possible, simultaneously raising your body so that your knees bend while your arms remain straight. Your torso will be in a straight line with your thighs, forming a horizontal plane with respect to the floor. Keep your arms and legs straight, perpendicular to the floor. Then, tense all the muscles in your body.
Finally, relax your muscles as you return to the original sitting position and rest before repeating the procedure. Once again, breathing is very important for this ritual. Inhale deeply as you raise your body. Hold your breath as you tense your muscles and exhale completely as you lower them. Continue breathing at the same rate when you rest between repetitions.
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The Five Tibetans: Exercise Number Three
Once fully stretched out on your back, extend your arms at their full length and place your palms on the floor, keeping your fingers firmly pressed together. Then, raise your head and press your chin to your chest. Once this is done, raise your legs, keeping your knees straight, until they are in a vertical position. If possible, let your legs extend over your body, toward your head, but don’t allow your knees to bend.
Then slowly lower your head and legs, without bending them, until they touch the floor. Let all your muscles relax, and then repeat the ritual. With repeated repetition, establish a breathing rhythm. Inhale deeply as you raise your legs and head.
Exhale completely as you lower them. Between each step, while you let your muscles relax, continue with the same breathing rhythm; the deeper you breathe, the better. If you can’t keep your knees perfectly straight, then let them bend as much as necessary. But as you continue to perform the exercise, try to straighten them as much as possible.
The Five Tibetans: Exercise Number Four
The fourth exercise should be practiced immediately after the second. It is also very simple. All you need to do is kneel on the floor, keeping your body upright, and place your hands on your thigh muscles. Then, bend your head and neck forward, pressing your chin to your chest. Then, pull your head and neck back as far as possible and at the same time bend backward, arching your spine. As you arch, you will use your arms as props, keeping your hands on your thighs for support. After arching, return to the original position, and begin the rite again.
As with rite number two, you must establish a rhythmic breathing pattern. Inhale deeply as you arch your spine and exhale as you return to the upright position. Deep breathing is the most beneficial, so take in as much air as your lungs allow.
The Five Tibetans: Exercise Number Five
This exercise is very simple, it is done with the express objective of accelerating the vortices. Children do this constantly when they play. “All you have to do is stand upright with your arms extended out to the sides of your body, so that they are horizontal to the ground, then spin until you feel slightly dizzy.
One important thing is that you must do it from left to right. In other words, if you were to place a clock on the ground in front of you, your body would spin in the same direction as the clock hands. At first, most adults will be able to spin only half a dozen times before feeling very dizzy, if you find it necessary to sit down or lie down to recover from the dizziness. Do this. I did it at first. At first, practice the rite only until you feel slightly dizzy, but over time, as you practice the five rites, you will be able to do more and more spins, feeling less dizzy.
Also, to lessen the feeling of dizziness, you can do what dancers and figure skaters do. Before you begin the spins, fix your gaze on a point directly in front of you. As you begin the spins, continue to fix your gaze on that point for as long as possible. Finally, you’ll need to free your field of vision so that your head can rotate with the rest of your body. As this happens, rotate your head very quickly and return to the original point as quickly as possible. This reference point will help you feel less disoriented and dizzy.
Video: http://youtu.be/EAvWLo74alY