What are the Five Tibetan Rites?
The Five Tibetan Rites were introduced to the West in 1939 by Peter Kelder in his little book Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth — the full text is free to download above. It tells the story of “Colonel Bradford”, a retired British Army officer who travelled to a remote Himalayan monastery and returned looking decades younger, bringing with him five exercises — the lamas called them rites — said to restore health, energy and vitality.
Whatever you make of the legend, the rites themselves are a compact, low-equipment daily routine of spinning, leg raises, back bends, table pose and a flowing up-and-down dog movement — a blend of mobility, core strength and breathing that thousands of people around the world still practise every morning. All you need is a bit of floor space and a mat or carpet.
- Five exercises, done in order, the same number of repetitions each.
- Start with 3 repetitions of each rite. Add 2 per week until you reach 21 — never more needed.
- Spin clockwise in Rite 1 (left to right, like the hands of a clock face-up on the floor).
- Breathe deeply and rhythmically — in on the effort, out on the release.
- Practise daily, morning or evening. Skip at most one day a week.
- Never strain. Do what you can, build up gradually — that is the whole method.
How to do the Five Rites
Stand and spin clockwise
- Stand erect with your arms outstretched, horizontal to the floor, palms down.
- Spin around from left to right (clockwise) until you become slightly dizzy.
- To ease dizziness, do what dancers do: fix your eyes on a point ahead and re-find it each turn.
Tip: most adults manage about half a dozen spins at first — that's plenty. If you need to sit or lie down afterwards, do exactly that. The lamas do around a dozen, not hundreds.
Lie flat, lift head and legs together
- Lie flat on your back on a mat, arms along your sides, palms on the floor, fingers together.
- Raise your head off the floor, tucking your chin to your chest.
- At the same time lift your legs, knees straight, to vertical — over the body towards the head if you can.
- Slowly lower head and legs together, knees straight. Relax all muscles, then repeat.
Breathing: breathe in deeply as you lift the legs and head, breathe out fully as you lower them. If your knees won't stay straight, let them bend as much as needed and straighten over time.
Kneel and arch the spine
- Kneel on the floor, body erect, hands against the thigh muscles, toes tucked under.
- Incline the head and neck forward, tucking the chin to the chest.
- Then throw the head and neck back as far as they will go, arching the spine backward, bracing arms and hands against the thighs.
- Return to the upright position and repeat.
Breathing: breathe in deeply as you arch the spine, out as you return upright. The lamas close their eyes during this rite to turn the attention inward.
From sitting, raise into a table
- Sit with legs straight out in front, feet about 30 cm apart, palms on the floor beside your hips, chin tucked to chest.
- Drop the head back as far as it will go while raising your body: knees bend, arms stay straight, until the trunk is horizontal — a flat table from knees to shoulders.
- Tense every muscle in the body for a moment.
- Relax as you lower back to sitting. Rest, then repeat.
Breathing: in deeply as you raise up, hold while you tense, out completely as you come down. It feels hard the first week and quickly becomes one of the easiest.
Flow between the sag and the inverted V
- Start face-down, supported on palms and flexed toes, hands and feet each about 60 cm apart, arms and legs straight.
- Begin with arms perpendicular to the floor, spine arched, body sagging — head thrown back (like upward dog).
- Bending at the hips, raise the body into an inverted “V”, tucking the chin to the chest (like downward dog).
- Return to the sagging position and repeat. Once proficient, let the body drop to just short of the floor and tense the muscles briefly at both the top and bottom.
Breathing: breathe in deeply as you raise into the V, breathe out fully as you lower.
The build-up schedule
Start gently and add two repetitions per week. In ten weeks you'll be doing the full 21 of each rite — around 20 minutes a day, ten or less once you're fit.
| Week | Repetitions of each rite, daily |
|---|---|
| 1 | 3 |
| 2 | 5 |
| 3 | 7 |
| 4 | 9 |
| 5–9 | 11 → 19 (add 2 each week) |
| 10 onwards | 21 — the full practice |
Good to know:
- Morning or evening — whichever suits. Do it every day; skip at most one day a week.
- If the spinning is hard, do fewer spins than the other rites and build up — or leave it out for a few months. Four rites done well still work.
- Can't do a rite at all? Omit it, do the other four, and try it again after a few months.
- Between rites: stand tall, hands on hips, and take a few slow deep breaths.
- Never strain — it's counterproductive. Steady daily practice beats heroics.
- The rites complement any other exercise you do — they don't replace it.
Common sense applies: if you have neck, back, heart or blood-pressure issues, or you're pregnant, check with your doctor first. Spinning can make you dizzy — build up slowly.
One-page summary — from the Papamoa Hills
Here's my one-page cheat sheet, photo taken on top of the Papamoa Hills. Print it, stick it on the wall.
Downloads & video
⬇ Ancient Secret of the Fountain of Youth (PDF, 37 pages) ⬇ One-page poster (PDF)
🎥 There's also an older video of me doing the rites on top of the Papamoa Hills — watch it on YouTube if you'd like to see them in motion. The PDFs above are the best guide to follow.