The 5 Tibetans
“Yoga helps you rise to the challenge of living.” ~ Christopher Kilham
It is time to look to the wise ones for advice. This post is a book endorsement of The Five Tibetans by Christopher Kilham. I love this little book. Originally the 5 tibetans were called The Five Rites of Rejuvenation. Chris thought it sounded a little too corny. Typical me, I love the poetic name:) I have been doing these exercises most mornings for the last 3 years and can testify personally to their ability to increase energy, core strength, and balance. I’ll bring you through them one by one and throw in my two cents about why each one is so beneficial from an anatomical and anti aging perspective. All of the exercises are done 21 times but you can begin with fewer repetitions and work your way up. Remember: Never do an exercise that is causing pain. Listen to your body and breathe through all the exercises. We tend to hold our breath when we are doing something physically challenging.
Good deep breaths are essential for health and well being.
#1: Spinning
Stand up straight with your arms parallel to the floor, shoulders down, away from your ears. Spin 21 times to the right. When I began, I would get so dizzy, I could only do 3 sets of 7 spins and had to stop in between sets to allow my eyes to quiet from the spinning. I am sure that stressing the inner ear in this way, strengthens our balance system. Of all the exercises, this is the one that we are probably lacking in our lives. As therapists, we know the body functions on a “use it or lose it” philosophy. I think that really applies to the inner ear and its strong participation in good balance. WORD OF CAUTION: If you are worried about falling, consider going to a therapist in the beginning, for instruction and guarding so you don’t fall. It is normal for your eyes to track horizontally once you stop spinning. This is called nystagmus. Just wait for it to pass, watching your breaths until your eyes quiet down, knowing that it is so beneficial. I believe always going to the right soothes down the hair like receptors in the inner ear and also keeps any tiny rocks (calcium carbonate) in place. Children do this for FUN so we should be thinking Joy here! At the end of my dock and with the right music, I have felt that I could almost fly.
#2: Leg lifts
Lie on your back, legs straight out. (Look! How exciting: Perfect posture!) Palms flat down by your hips. As you breathe out, lift your legs straight up to 90 degrees. Repeat 21 times. As we age, we begin to lose strength in our abdominals and they are SO important for stabilizing and protecting our backs. WORD OF CAUTION: If you have low back problems, consider going to a therapist to receive instruction on stabilizing your spine and not increasing your low back pain.
#3: Kneeling back bends
Kneel with your knees shoulder width apart. I always kneel on a jacket or towel so my knees are comfortable and pain free. Place your hands on the backs of your thighs for support. Inhale and arch back. Exhale as you come back to straight upright. 21 times. As we age, our hip flexors tend to get too tight and can wreak havoc on our backs. This is a great hip flexor stretch and very good for balance righting reactions. This exercise also stretches our necks so we can maintain upright posture and prevent forward head.
#4 Long sit to table
Sit with your legs straight out in front of you. Palms flat (on the dock) by your hips. Keeping your palms flat, inhale and swing your tush up into the air so that it is level with your shoulders and you have become a table someone could set a glass of water on. Exhale as you come back to long sitting. 21 times. As we age, we lose our glute strength. We need strong glutes and will feel much more balanced as our glutes regain their strength. This is also a wonderful stretch for the hamstrings.
#5 Cobra to Downward facing Dog.
Begin lying flat on your stomach, palms flat under shoulders. Inhale and arch your back, nose to sky. Exhale and press back, hips up, heels flat down. Repeat 21 times. This exercise is good for abdominal strength and stretching the hip flexors, hamstrings and gastrocs (calves). This is also good shoulder strengthening and flexibility.
All that yoga is really just the warm up for the main event …. Just sit where you are! Breathing. I breathe and watch Life on the pond pass by; invisible breezes made visible across the surface of the still water. Listen to the birds and the peepers sing. This is the soundtrack of the world.
I just feel deep down in my gut that these ancient Tibetan monks were on to something. We are dipping our toes in the fountain of youth!
