I have wanted to learn about the 5Tibetan rites, and have enjoyed reading thru the forum. I have looked at all the links and read the information.

I am a yoga teacher here in the rural Idaho, and even tho I am not the most experienced teacher you can find, I am concerned with some of the rites and how they can be injurious to some of our joints and spine for beginners to the 5 rites, or to yoga.

I would like to offer some modifications to each of the rites, so that we can practice them safely for many years and not create unwanted side effects.
If we were Tibetan monks, we would probably be just fine and not need any of these modifications. But - we have 21st century, western bodies and we cannot just ignore this. Our lifestyle is almost polar opposite to the originators of the 5 rites and so we must make these movements safe for our lifestyle.

Rite #1 - Spinning. Begin with a good, tall, long spine. Shoulders back and down. Tall neck, tail tucked under. If you turn your body and then head follows, do not snap or jerk your head around, just make it a smooth spin. Keep breathing.

Rite #2 - Double leg raises. The back spine MUST be firmly glued to the floor at all times. This is the most important thing. It is too much pressure on the lumbar spine if it is not pressed flat with those strong abdominal muscles. To make this easier, lay on top of your hands, palms down.
Also for beginners who are just building up their strength, lay on your hands, press back into the floor and then slide both legs up the floor to a bent knee position, then bring them up (with knees bent) . Use this same bent knee in bringing both legs down again, then slide them out straight. Keep breathing rhythmically.

#3 This pose has two different concerns for me. First is the "throwing your head back." Throwing your head anywhere is not a smart thing. Your neck bones are there to protect your spine and hold your head erect. Throwing your head is just encouraging whiplash or compression of the vertebrae in your neck. Compressing these vertebrae can lead to a decrease in blood flow to the brain and upset the balance of the spine all the way down the back, hips, knees, ankles and feet.

I have decided to put in a Rite #6 to take care of this problem. Whenever the Tibetan rites instruct to throw my head back, I will just leave it forward, or take it back slightly, so I still have muscular control in the back of my neck. Then at the end of #5, I will do some gentle neck exercises. Chin down to chest on a slow exhale, chin stretching to ceiling (mouth and teeth closed) on slow inhale. If you look up and focus on bringing your chin to the ceiling you are still not letting the neck vertebrae completely compress.

The next possible problem with #3 is not enough support for the lumbar spine. Again - we do not want to compress the lower back. The purpose of rite #3 is to stretch the front body, since we have just finished strengthening it in #2. I would shift the focus from a back bend to a front stretch.

Two options for a safe pose: Sit on your heels. Bring hands behind with fingers pointing towards your hips. Roll your shoulders back vigorously and then lift hips and chest on a slow inhale. Sit back on heels on exhale. Keep head forward or slightly back supported with strong neck muscles.

OR Kneel with feet straight back and bring hands to support your low back. Lengthen your spine before moving. Press your hips forward, lift chest, roll shoulders back, open the front body on the inhale. Do not bend backwards and compress that lower spine. Keep head forward or slightly back. Come back to top on exhale.

Rite #4
Table top. All is fine here except the "throw your head back." Keep head forward or slightly back and really pull your shoulder blades back. This will give you a little shelf to rest your head if/when it is back. Breathing!

Rite #5
Down dog to Updog
The upside down V - or downdog is fine. If you feel any pulling behind the knees, it is important to bend your knees. Have someone look at you and check that your spine is straight and long, keeping all the natural curves in the spine and neck. Some might need to bend knees rather than curve the middle spine.

Beginners should start with something more appropriate than updog. The problem areas are letting your shoulders hunch up around your ears, thus bringing tension to neck and shoulders. This happens because arms are weak. Another problem area is trying to bend too much in the lower back and thus compressing the spine there. This is caused by not enough flexibility all along the rest of the spine and our low back takes the brunt.
The safer version would be to have your body be a straight plank. No bend or curve in the lower back. This builds arm strength, requires abdominal strength so as not to allow the low back to drop. If this version is even too difficult, bend the knees and have your knees on the floor. Keep strong arms and pushing out of the shoulders. Again - no throwing head back. Keep the natural curve of your neck. Breathe. Move slowly and decisively.

Of course if you are a dancer or gymnist, these modifications are not necessary, but for the rest of us normal- body people, we need to be careful with our spine and neck and not injure it with something intended to heal and help.


Comments?
Questions?