Global Mala Day.

Today, Sunday September 20th is Global Mala Day:

The purpose of the Global Mala Yoga for Peace is to unite the global yoga community from every continent, school or approach to form a "mala around the earth" through collective practices based upon the sacred cycle of 108 on Sept. 19th or 20th, Fall Equinox as the yoga world's offering to further the UN International Peace Day.

Each center offers their form of a Yoga Mala according to their yoga tradition and inspiration:

• 108 Sun Salutations (or variations of 27, 56)
• 108 rounds of mantra such as the Gayatri or Maha Mrityanjaya
• 108 rounds of a kriya
• 108 minutes of meditation, kirtan or movement meditation

Each Global Mala Yoga for Peace event can be dedicated to practice or to practice and seva - service by integrating local action, and raising funds for the organization of their choice.

Michelle {my favorite - new found - yoga instructor} held a class today...an extra special class. Though we didn't do 108 sun salutations, we did begin the class with a performance by yours truly {I played guitar and sang Desree's "You Gotta Be"} and then did a little exercise {or should I say "project"...}. She handed out a piece of paper to everyone in class, along with a pen. First we were to write three words: What words would someone you love choose to describe you? Next we were to write two ways that we express these qualities. Finally we were to write the kind of world that we want: i.e. an "organic world", "world free of violence", etc. etc. etc. To end the assignment we were to compose of a sentence using these words...selecting one word from our qualities, one way that we express them - and how that can change the world in a way that we envision. My sentence was "I will use my PASSION through TRAVELING to create a COMPASSIONATE WORLD". We folded up this piece of paper, placed it under our mat, and we used this sentence as our mantra for the session...focusing all of our love and energy towards it.


SO, in the end, we didn't do 108 sun salutes...but we did our part to contribute to Global Mala Day. Here is a bit about the significance of 108....


108 has long been considered a sacred number in Hinduism and yoga. Traditionally, malas, or garlands of prayer beads, come as a string of 108 beads (plus one for the “guru bead,” around which the other 108 beads turn like the planets around the sun). A mala is used for counting as you repeat a mantra—much like the Catholic rosary.

Renowned mathematicians of Vedic culture viewed 108 as a number of the wholeness of existence. This number also connects the Sun, Moon, and Earth: The average distance of the Sun and the Moon to Earth is 108 times their respective diameters. Such phenomena have given rise to many examples of ritual significance.

According to yogic tradition, there are 108 pithas, or sacred sites, throughout India. And there are also 108 Upanishads and 108 marma points, or sacred places of the body.

Namaste.