Legend has it that hidden in the remote reaches of the Himalayan mountains lies a secret that would have saved Ponce de Leon from years of fruitless searching. There, generations of Tibetan monks have passed down a series of exercises with mystical, age-reversing properties. Known as the Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation or the Five Rites, these once-secret exercises are now available to Westerners in Ancient Secret of the Fountain Of Youth. Peter Kelder's book begins with an account of his own introduction to the rites by way of Colonel Bradford, a mysterious retired British army officer who learned of the rites while journeying high up in the Himalayas. Fountain of Youth then offers practical instructions for each of the five rites, which resemble yoga postures. Taking just minutes a day to perform, the benefits for practitioners have included increased energy, weight loss, better memory, new hair growth, pain relief, better digestion, and just feeling younger.

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1. I look the same as my mug in pics taken 8 years ago. Better, actually, because my face has more colour.

2. I can easily get into the jeans I wore at University -- half my age -- with the wear at the same hole of my belts to prove it.

3. No grey hair. Not genetics maybe -- my younger brother is half-grey.

4. I can rarely count past fifteen after I get into bed before I crash out.

5. Love food when there is some, but feel zero craving for it otherwise. Much the same with sex.

6. Other people's projections, angst, attempts of manipulation, and 'designer spites' feel as if they pass right through my body, with no 'wall' there to take the hits. They no longer seem 'real' and I can smile/laugh in spite of external circumstances.

Point 6 brings me to an experience I want to share. Before I began doing the rites, I had been the sort who lived almost entirely in my head. After doing the rites for a few weeks, my head and face felt heavy all the time. I discovered the 'solution' quite by accident. I chanced upon somebody I knew in a pub and I smiled at her. I suddenly felt the said 'heaviness' moved from my eye sockets into my third-eye chakra, then upwards to the top of my head, and dispersed. It felt as if I got connected to the 'dance' of being as it was.

Wonder why sages advise the thinking/serious type to smile a lot more.

Let's make constant, sincere smiling the seventh -- if not the most important -- rite!

150 of 155 found the following review helpful:

Great Book, But Book Two is even better!Dec 05, 1999
By Donald M. Schuster
This is a great book. These exercises have revolutinized my energy level & life! However, Book #2 in this series reiterates most of the same information AND adds in one absolutely crucial element for maximum benefit... the proper breathing techniques that should accompany the movements. I highly recommend Book Two because it covers all the basics plus the crucial breathing!

269 of 285 found the following review helpful:

Can This Book Really Make Me Immortal, Mr. Butler?Apr 18, 2000
By Bill Butler "Bill Butler"
Yes, Virginia. There IS a Santa Claus. First, the fundamentals. There are five Tibetan rites. The first is just swinging around like an idiot. The second one is where you are just lying down and you raise your legs while touching your chin to you chest. The next rite is where you just arch your back. The fourth is when you position yourself so you look like a table. And the fifth is where you alternate looking like a "V" and and then looking like a cobra. Takes about 5 minutes. Do each 3 times. If you can't do any, don't worry. People who can hardly move are able to do so eventually. Add 1 repitition a week and build up to 21 repitions. This can take as little as 10 to 20 minutes. And that's it! How does it work? I've studied a little yoga so here we go. At the very tailbone of your spine is the muludhara chakra. This is where the kundalini rests. To make it simple, almost all your energy resides in the bottom of your spine. Now think of your Mother-in-Law or the presidential candidates. The shock of this thought will cause your spine to compress. Actually, what is happening in yoga is that your conciousness is now residing in the bottom of your spine. This "stress response" can eventually cause you to become "humped over". There is very little energy now in the upper spine. The energy level is normally supposed to go UP the spine. But because of the way people live and think, most people live in the lumbar part of the spine during their whole lives. In an unconcious state. This is why dugs and alcohol work. They send this energy to the higher regions of the spine. Unfortanately, this is considered dangerous because it is done violently. Now eventually, the chakras above the lumbar spine almost turn off. Now if you were to stretch the spine, wouldn't this release some energy UP the spine to the higher centers? If you moved the spine up and down, would this not release even more energy? This is what the 5 rites do. And they were designed for this purpose. They normalize the energy in the body. When the body is normalized, the vital organs return to normal. And rejuvenation happens. Simply because these centers of the spine are being "watered" for the first time in 20 years or whatever. Perhaps that's why yogis refer to the centers in the spine as lotuses. We need to keep them open. Now two more things. "The Ancient Secret Fountain of Youth Book 2" has medical advice on using each rite. Why not just play it safe and buy this book as well? Finally, if you burst out in anger daily, buy "Feel the Fear and Do IT Anyway" by Susan Jeffers. If you are subject to anxiety attacks, anger, depression - these rites will help greatly. But whenever you think a horrible thought, the conciousness in your spine will have a tendency to go to the bottom of the spine. Buy the book I mentioned above and pump some "positive ions" into your brain to avoid this. But no matter what, the rites will even help demolish your negative attitudes. Why? Because you are "gushing energy" higher up the spine and nourishing the higher nerve centers. This makes it easier to think positively. In fact, the 5 rites are a good way to start to feel "happy" again. For those of you who want to go farther, please buy "The Ancient Secret Fountain of Youth Cookbook." Also the video on the 5 rites. And "the Five Tibetans". Okay. You're all set with the first three books I mentioned. I'll see you in 200 years!

49 of 49 found the following review helpful:

Ok, I have to weigh in on this topic now...Aug 16, 2004
By J. Gazda "Authentic Presence"
...I have seen the recent negative reviews where people have performed the Five Rites as explained in the book, 21 reps a day, and have experienced NO results. I find that unbelievable. My only question would be "how" are they doing the Five Rites? The author/Col. Bradford is adamant about doing the rites completely "to form" and adhering to every aspect as written in the book.

There is breathing to attend to; physical form with the actual rites movements; and ensuring that the head does indeed go back and forth correctly with each exercise, among many others. It would be my suggestion to those folks who have experienced nothing so far, that they look into "how" they are actually performing the rites.

I say this because, after five months of doing the five rites (and I am only able to do up to 10 reps of each so far, they are so intense to do!), I have lost 20 POUNDS, and my energy and fitness level has NEVER BEEN BETTER! I have tried many, many exercise routines and eating programs, but I will be doing the five rites for LIFE! I wish I DID have a "before and after" picture for those who are skeptical! All I can say is that I am constantly having co-workers ask me what I have been doing lately, because I look so much better! I also have not been sick since I started the Five Rites.

This way of living involves so much more than just exercise...it balances all of your internal systems (hormonal, metabollic, etc.), that is how it works so completely. I had female hormone problems prior to doing the Five Rites, and now I have NO problems in that area (and I am in the middle of peri-menopause).

Well, I just had to provide my two cents, and to say that this WOL (way of living) is superb, and very satisfying. I feel fit from the inside out, and that is how it should be! Thanks for listening.


46 of 46 found the following review helpful:

Lay your skepticism asideJan 27, 2001
By Rob C
January 27, 2001 I first heard about The Ancient Secret Of The Fountain Of Youth in 1997. I found a copy of the book at a friend's home later that year. After reading it I was skeptical but I decided to give it a try. I committed to doing the exercize for three months,hoping that would be long enough to feel any benefits. Within a few weeks I felt an increase in my energy. If I didn't do the five rites for a few days I could feel the difference. I am now 47 and I've been doing the rites for three years.It's the only exercise that I've ever done consistently. My energy level is better now than five years ago. I have good flexibility and I seldom feel any soreness no matter what physical activity I engage in. I've had back problems in the past but not anymore. Most people think I'm in my early thirties. I do the rites every morning before breakfast. I may skip a day once every two weeks. I don't know how but it works! My advice is this: Lay your skepticism aside and try it for two or three months,you'll be pleasantly surprised.

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