While they appear to be simple physical movements, their purpose is energetic. They are designed to stimulate the body’s energy centers (often compared to chakras or subtle vortices of force) and increase vitality throughout the body.
These exercises are often referred to as a system of rejuvenation because regular practice is believed to strengthen circulation, increase flexibility, and stimulate the energetic flow within the body.
This rite stimulates the entire energetic field of the body. It activates the body's energy centers, increases overall circulation of subtle energy and awakens the nervous system and sense of balance. It begins the process of activating the body's subtle energy system and preparing the practitioner for deeper energetic work.
This rite stimulates the lower energy centers of the body. It strengthens the abdominal and core muscles, stimulates the lower spine and activates the energy associated with grounding and vitality. It helps strengthen the body's foundation by activating the lower energy centers associated with physical vitality and stability.
Rite Three – The Back Arch
This movement stimulates the chest and throat regions. It opens the chest, increases spinal flexibility and stimulates the heart and throat energy centers. It encourages the upward movement of energy through the spine, helping to open the central energetic channel of the body.
Rite Four – The Table Position
This movement strengthens the central axis of the body. It strengthens the arms, legs, and core, activates the spine, and increases circulation through the entire torso. It stabilizes the flow of energy through the central structure of the body, helping to integrate the energy activated by the previous rites.
Rite Five – The Upward and Downward Stretch
This rite stretches the entire body and stimulates the spinal energy flow. It lengthens the spine, improves flexibility, and increases circulation of energy throughout the body. It completes the sequence by distributing the awakened energy throughout the body.
When practiced as a sequence, the Five Tibetan Rites function as a system of energetic activation and circulation.
The routine progresses through several stages:
The result is a body that is:
Within our Hermetic training system, these rites function well as a physical counterpart to the energetic practices such as the Middle Pillar and Circulation of the Body of Light.
Within this training system, the Five Tibetan Rites serve as a physical method of awakening and circulating energy in the body.
They complement the ritual practices by:
In combination with the Hermetic rituals that make up the first Daily Ritual Routine, in strengthens the practitioner's physical body and energetic awareness, creating a balanced foundation for spiritual development.
Some versions of the Tibetan system describe a Sixth Rite that differs significantly from the first five.
This rite involves techniques intended to redirect and conserve sexual energy through intense muscular contractions and breath control.
The Sixth Rite was traditionally taught only to advanced practitioners who had adopted a disciplined lifestyle involving celibacy and strict control of sexual activity.
Its purpose was to transform sexual energy into spiritual energy through a process of internal redirection. This is not compatible with our system of magick because ir requires celibacy or strict sexual discipline that actually reduces the amount of life force in the lower chakras, creating a form of energetic imbalance that is detrimental to our system of magick as it severely reduces (and in some cases, eliminates) manifestation of practical magick, which requires energy to flow down from Spirit into the physical world.