Fountain Of Youth: 5 Tibetan Exercises You Should Be Doing Every Day

What are the 5 Tibetan Rites?

The 5 Tibetan Rites are a form of Tibetan yoga said to be more than 2,500 years old, which were brought to light in a publication by Peter Kelder called The Eye of Revelation, written in 1939. Kelder claims this series of exercises was used by Tibetan monks to live long, vibrant and healthy lives. He cited many benefits, including weight loss, better memory, improved physical strength, enhanced sense of wellbeing, even a reduction in the speed of the aging process - for this reason, these exercises are also referred to as the Foundation of Youth. 

How can they benefit you?

The 5 Tibetan Rites exercises are simple, you don’t need much space to do them in, or any specialist equipment and they can be done in around 10 or 15 minutes, depending on how many times you repeat them. The sequence stretches and strengthens the main muscles of your body and may improve balance. It's also a great way to warm up for your yoga practice.

How many should you do?

'Officially' you repeat every exercise 21 times before moving on to the next exercise, but the key is to start slowly and build up the number of repetitions. For example, you could start with 1 to 3 reps, working up to 7. Eventually, you can work up to 3 sets of 7 with rest in between (like I do in the video below). Don't rush to get up to 21 repetitions, this is meant to be a lifelong practice so you can take your time to build it up. Pay attention to how your body feels and don't strain or force anything. Try it out and see how you feel!