There Is An Error in “The Eye of Revelation” by Peter Kelder

by Carolinda Witt

 I received this email which said, 'I hope you can help me with some insights regarding my concern. This quote is from the book “The Eye of Revelation”

“When I was in India it amazed me to see the Maulawiyah, or as they are more commonly known, the Whirling Dervishes, almost unceasingly spin around and around in a religious frenzy. Rite Number One recalled to my attention two things in connection with this practice. The first was that these Whirling Dervishes always spun in one direction-from left to right, or clockwise."

To me this is false

My wife is Turkish and the Whirling Dervishes spin counter-clockwise…”

Dr Tim Jaeger, Toronto

Tim, and of course his wife, are correct; the Dervishes do spin anti-clockwise and according to the historical writings they always have.  

Peter Kelder wrote his book in 1939, and then republished it again in 1946, making a few descriptive amendments to the movements as well adding a couple of extra chapters.  His quote about the clockwise spin direction of the Dervishes was not corrected in the reprint, so I can only assume he made a mistake.

I had read Bradford’s description of a clockwise spin direction and it confused me also.  When the Whirling Dervishes visited Sydney, I went to the Opera House to see them perform the Sema (the religious ceremony in which they spin).  All the material I had read on the Dervishes said they spun anti-clockwise so I decided to go and see for myself.  The Dervishes spun in four separate sections and to tell you the truth I got completely confused which way they were spinning.  I thought they went anti-clockwise in the first section, clockwise in the 2^nd, anti-clockwise in the 3^rd and finally clockwise in the 4^th!

So I made an error too, and did not feel certain enough to write this article until now – thanks Tim! In truth, I found the music and the rhythmical twirling were so relaxing that I almost fell asleep! I had a friend with me who knew what I was looking for, but she was as confused as I was. I can emphasise with Colonel Bradford making his observational error.  You’d have to see them to believe me!   

For the record, in the book “The Eye of Revelation” the monks make no comment at all upon the spin direction of the Dervishes – that is Bradford’s observational error alone.  The monks instructed us to spin CLOCKWISE.

…”There is only one caution: you must turn from left to right. In other words, if you were to place a clock or watch on the floor face up, you would turn in the same way the hands are moving…”

For those readers, who believe “The Eye of Revelation” contains the exact words of the monks, Bradford/Kelder’s error is a salient reminder that it was a WESTERNER who interpreted the monks’ teachings and brought them back to the West.

To Download "The Eye of Revelation" Free - Click Here
To Learn T5T - and get your chakras spinning more rapidly - Click Here

If you wish to publish this article on your website you may do so, provided that you assign copyright to the author exactly as written below:  A pdf is available on request.

Copyright (c) 2005 Carolinda Witt - author T5T - The Five Tibetan Exercise Rites (Penguin/Lantern 2005) and The 10-Minute Rejuvenation Plan (Random House/Three Rivers Press 2007)

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New Five Tibetan Rites Poster

To supercharge your practice - try using these T5T affirmations when you physically practice the The Five Tibetan Rites. They really work. Free Poster Download.

At the time of the development of the Five Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation, the ancients believed that their world was composed of Five Elements; water, earth, air, fire and spirit (energy).

In psychology the Five Elements are used to personify different human traits, such as the personality types categories by Carl Jung (feeling, sensing, intuiting, and thinking) and those associated with the astrological signs of the zodiac. I experimented with the concept of assigning an element to each of the Rites, and found the results to be amazing.

In each case, the physical movement of the Rite was a metaphor for what we were trying to achieve mentally - awareness in a different aspect of life. For example the Spin takes the element energy, and the vortex that the movements create allows you to replenish your body from the larger energy all around us. The Tabletop takes the element earth, and its movements focus on stability, foundation and balance, giving us a solid base from which to form new ideas.

In holistic exercise it can sometimes be hard to marry the physical state with the mental state, and having a metaphor helps people enormously to align the two, and to present a clear picture of what they are working towards.

Having assigned an element and a modern name to each Rite, I then experimented with creating an affirmation that expressed the 'energy' of each movement. The result is a method of reinforcing and focusing upon the positive benefits of each Rite physically, mentally and spiritually. This has a ripple effect on every area of your life.

• Rite # 1 (Energy) - The Spin -- "I am full of energy"
• Rite # 2 (Air) - The Leg Raise -- "My mind is clear and calm"
• Rite # 3 (Water) - The Kneeling Backbend -- "I am flexible and receptive"
• Rite # 4 (Earth) - The Tabletop -- "I am strong and balanced"
• Rite # 5 (Fire) - The Pendulum -- "I am positive and motivated"

Try using them when you practice next time - they really work!

In T5T emphasis is also placed on the mind/body connection. The physical movement of each Rite is a metaphor for the desired mental state.

FIVE TIBETAN RITES - FREE DOWNLOADS

Here's something nice for you! Our FREE downloads are now available on the website.

1. Eye of Revelation the authentic 1939 AND 1946 editions - e-book (59 pages)
2. Poster of the 5 Rites on one page
3. Poster of Five Rites warm-ups
4. Five Tibetans Brochure/info sheet
5. 7 Undulation to Relieve Office Tension

Possible Detox Effects of The 5 Tibetan Rites

Due to the increased elimination of impurities and wastes, and increased oxygen in your body, you may experience some minor detox effects. You could also experience some unblocking of the human energy system (chi, qi, prana etc). Some people experience no symptoms at all, while others experience one or more of the following:

• slight headache, as if you have given up coffee or fasted for the day
• a metallic taste in the mouth
• achy joints for a day or so
• darker, stronger-smelling urine
• diarrhea or strong bowel movement
• initial constipation
• slight nausea
• initial fatigue as the body balances itself
• cold or flu-like symptoms that last a day
• a runny nose as sinuses clear
• a tic or involuntary muscle movement over one eye
• a mild rash or pimples
• moodiness, either a bit snappy or teary

Consult your physician if these symptoms are severe or if they continue for longer than a few days to a week

To Download "The Eye of Revelation" Free - Click Here

To Learn T5T - and get your chakras spinning more rapidly - Click Here

If you wish to publish this article on your website you may do so, provided that you assign copyright to the author exactly as written below:

Copyright (c) 2005 Carolinda Witt - author T5T - The Five Tibetan Exercise Rites (Penguin/Lantern 2005) and The 10-Minute Rejuvenation Plan (Random House/Three Rivers Press 2007)

The Tibetan Five Rites: Should We Breathe Through the Nose or the Mouth When We Practice Them?

You should breathe only through the nose. The nose is designed for breathing. The nose is the first line of defense, warning you of harmful smells, and trapping and filtering out particles and bacteria.

When you breathe through your nose, it is easier to regulate your breathing rate and depth. When you breathe slowly and deeply it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system associated with digestion, assimilation, calm and relaxation.

When you breathe rapidly into the upper chest you stimulate the sympathetic nervous system associated with ‘flight or fight’ response of the body. By controlling your breathing you can initiate the ‘relaxation response’ of the body which reduces stress.

An expert on breathing whilst exercising is Dr John Douillard whose breathing techniques have been used by dozens of world-class athletes, including tennis greats Martina Navratilova and Billie Jean King.

He is a great advocate backed by research who says we should bring the intensity of our exercise down to a point where we can breathe through our nose. He has shown that this improves performance, stamina, focus, and coordination.

He believes that we should breathe through our nose when exercising because it stimulates the parasympathetic nervous system associated with regeneration and rejuvenation. When we exercise to intensity whereby we breathe through the nose in a rapid upper chest type emergency breath, this degenerates us and causes stress to the body.

He says ...”In Ayurveda, the first requirement for health, fitness and longevity is that the body’s life force or “prana” must flow effortlessly into every cell of the body. This is accomplished primarily via the breath. It is the proper use of the breath during exercise that will bring harmony between the mind and body and create a measurable experience of calm and rejuvenation in each workout.

Exercise can act as a double edge sword where it can either incur stress or remove it depending on the quality of the breath. The best way to consistently breathe into the lower lobes of the lungs is by nasal breathing. The nose is really an intricately designed breathing apparatus that will prepare the air perfectly for access into the lower lobes. In short the nose filters, moistens and rarifies the air before it penetrates the lower lobes.

Probably the most unusual feature lies in the turbinates of the nose, which act as turbines to swirl the air into vortices that drives the incoming air into the small and distal alveoli of the lungs. It is when these distal lobes are fully perfused that the body produces a neurological state of composure even while under extreme stress - thus the eye of the hurricane."...

He quotes tennis great Billie Jean King saying, ...“I would transport myself beyond the turmoil of the court to a place of total peace and calm."...

The Importance of Correct Breathing

Breathing well is incredibly important, because a number of clinical studies have proven that how well you breathe is literally an indicator of how long you will live

Poor breathing patterns can seriously affect your physical health as well as your mental and emotional well being.

With a high percentage of raw foods the respiratory system is responsible for eliminating approximately 70% of your metabolic waste. The remainder should be eliminated through defecation 3%, urination 8% and perspiration 19%. So, if you think that going to the bathroom every day is important, or that of working up a sweat now and then is healthy - think again about the value of full free optimal breathing!

If you want to find how well you breathe – try breathing expert & contributor to T5T®’s breathing techniques; Mike White whose free online breathing tests – have been done by around 50,000 people so far.

To get the most out of any type of healing work and more importantly life - developing optimal breathing habits is one of the most valuable things you can do.

T5T® has incorporated breathing with the Five Tibetan Rites because it supercharges their effects by boosting your vitality & improving health & wellbeing.

If you are taking the time to do a daily energy raising exercise routine like The 5 Tibetans– it makes perfect sense to include natural full breathing with the movements. Breathing in fills your body with life-giving oxygen; and breathing out eliminates toxins and wastes.

T5T® teaches you how to breathe slower, deeper, fuller and with less tension. Our ‘Energy Breathing Technique’ is completed 3 times between each Rite. Plus we instruct you on how to breathe correctly while performing the Rites.

..."Breathing slower, deeper and easier is vital for longevity, health and vitality. I believe that T5T can help most people become more conscious of their breathing. It can also release tension in their breathing, and often gradually expand their breathing capacity as well as slow their breathing rate. T5T will help many people to achieve the above, however there are those who may have an undetected dysfunctional breathing or what I call UDB whose next step would be my Optimal Breathing Techniques."... Michael Grant White, “The Breathing Coach” - Executive Director of www.breathing.com and the Optimal Breathing School

To Download "The Eye of Revelation" Free - Click Here

To Learn T5T - and get your chakras spinning more rapidly - Click Here

If you wish to publish this article on your website you may do so, provided that you assign copyright to the author exactly as written below: A pdf version is available on request.

Copyright (c) 2005 Carolinda Witt - author T5T - The Five Tibetan Exercise Rites (Penguin/Lantern 2005) and The 10-Minute Rejuvenation Plan (Random House/Three Rivers Press 2007)

Should You Practice "The Five Tibetan Rites" When Menstruating?

The monks who practiced the original Rites were celibate and male. There were no instructions given regarding menstruation!

However, my experience and the feedback of many of the women I have taught, is that T5T seems to improve the symptoms of menstruation. Some women report less bloating, moodiness, anxiety, cramps and sore breasts. Others say they feel less congested and the flow is improved.

I believe that because you are doing a little bit of yoga & core training (T5T) everyday - your body becomes conditioned to it - and you benefit from the cumulative effects of regular practice.

The monks said that the purpose of the Rites is to get the chakras (energy centers) of the body spinning rapidly and evenly again. The chakras are located above major nerve plexi (bunches of nerves) and the major endocrine glands of the body. In this way, they are said to improve hormonal function.

An example of this hormonal stimulation is that I taught one women who reported an increase in the production of her breast milk!

During menstruation some women's physical energy is not as strong as usual. In this case - maintain the pattern of your practice so as not to lose the motivation of the daily ritual - but perhaps to do less repetitions. Or revert back to one of the easier versions of the postures. However, some women experience increased energy during their period - so there is no one size answer to fit all! Exercise is good for you, and in fact is normal! Our sedentary lifestyle has turned exercise into an option!

Certainly if you have a condition that requires you to receive treatment from a doctor - you should definitely discuss this with him/her. There are some people who have underlying conditions such as cysts that have become aggravated through practicing the Rites (or doing other forms of exercise). If you experience any irregular spotting then you should see your doctor.

If you are exercising so much that your period stops, then that is not healthy. You would have to be working out at very high intensity for this to occur from exercise alone.

It is worth considering that in many rural cultures women work whilst having their period. They also work right up to the day before giving birth and return immediately after delivery! Of course their bodies are conditioned to ongoing physical labour, whilst those of us in urban communities need to be more cautious. The point I am making here though is the human body is pretty tough!

Personally I share the opinion of Barbara Benagh - a yoga teacher, seminar teacher and columnist on Yoga Journal

..."Since I know of no studies or research that makes a compelling argument to avoid inversions (eg. Rite No 5) during menstruation, and since menstruation affects each woman differently and can vary from cycle to cycle, I am of the opinion that each woman is responsible for making her own decision.

The bottom line is that hatha yoga is full of contradictions and varied opinions, leaving each of us ultimately responsible for our own choices. Pay attention to your body and discover what works and what doesn't — not just during your period but every day."...

Geeta Iyengar (yoga expert) says that the practice of Uddiyana Bhanda (the 6th Rite) should not be done during menstruation.

I do not incorporate the 6th Rite in any of my teachings as the monks said you must be celibate to practice it. Rather than express (waste) their sexual energy in a sexual manner; they used this powerful energy for creating higher spiritual awareness, by channeling it up the major energy lines of the body. Read my article "Why We Don't Teach The 6th Rite From The Five Tibetans" for more in-depth information.

The bottom line is that the Rites appear to help stabilize the periods. I have not had one report of ongoing increased blood flow or stopping of menstruation through practicing the Rites. What I do hear about is people saying that they are less moody, have less cramps and reduced bloating - but maintain a craving for chocolate!!!

To Download "The Eye of Revelation" Free - Click Here

To Learn T5T - and get your chakras spinning more rapidly - Click Here

If you wish to publish this article on your website you may do so, provided that you assign copyright to the author exactly as written below: A pdf version is available