Five Tibetan Exercises

by martha
(ioannina, greece)

Namaste,

I would like to know what exactly the first of the five tibetan exercises does to our body/mind system. What are the specific effects of spinning, why spinning to the right, does it have any relation with "sufi spinning"

thank you for your very interesting site!
martha

The first rite is the practice of spinning, which affects the emotional body by speeding up the vortexes. As one spins clockwise, Lamas say that negative residues are flung out of the body and the bridge is strengthened between the left and right hemispheres. Spinning stimulates the body's energy system and wakes up the chakras.

In India, the Maulawiyah, or whirling dervishes, spin counter clockwise, with the left palm facing down, towards the earth, and the right palm facing up, towards heaven. Tibetans spin clockwise. This may be due to the fact that Tibetan Buddhist yogis regard clockwise rotation to be favorable, whereas counter-clockwise rotation is considered to be unfavorable

Lamas do not carry the spinning to an excess. While the whirling dervishes may spin hundreds of times to bring about a spiritual experience, the Lamas only do it 21 times, just enough to stimulate the vortexes into action.

I hope this answers your questions.
Patricia from Tibetan Life