Yoga Mala

Time to Take Yourself Out of Hibernation&Help Give Back to Your Community.

Join us in celebrating the Spring Equinox with 108 Sun Salutations

When: March 20th, 2011

What Time: 2-4pm

How Much: Class will be by DonationAll Donations will go back to support your local community.

Where: y Respira Yoga Studio234 Fayettevile St.Raleigh, NC 27601

Why 108? This is the famous question when asked why 108? There are so many reasons, that one of the best ways to describe it is google it:) 108 said to be a very symbolic number world wide. You can read more about the symbolic meaning of 108 athttp://www.salagram.net/108meaning.htmlHere are a few meanings that I found interesting:

• 1, 0, and 8: 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for infinity or eternity.
• The distance between the earth and sun is 108 times the diameter of the sun, therefore, the number 108 is taken to represent the "distance" from the devotee to the divine.
• Some say there are 108 feelings: 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future.
• Planets and Houses: In astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108.
• Marmas: Marmas or marmastanas are like energy intersections called chakras, except have fewer energy lines converging to form them. There are said to be 108 marmas in the subtle body.
• Heart Chakra: The chakras are the intersections of energy lines, and there are said to be a total of 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra. One of them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is said to be the path to Self-realization.
• Powers of 1, 2, and 3 in math: 1 to 1st power=1; 2 to 2nd power=4 (2x2); 3 to 3rd power=27 (3x3x3). 1x4x27=108

What are Sun Salutations?The Sanskrit word for Sun Salutations is Surya Namaskara. It means bowing to your inner sun. It is best performed at the beginning of the day, Sunrise. Sun Salutations include a bit of all types of poses, except for twist, which you can always add in. Different styles of Yoga teach Sun Salutations differently and there ARE always modifications if you have injuries. And remember, you don't have to be Gumby to do any form of yoga. Yoga is about letting go, cleansing, detoxing. The Sun Salutations assist in contracting and relaxing opposing muscle groups in order to create a pumping motion to assist in purifying your blood and pushing debris through your systems.  This debris or toxins are removed through the body in the form of excrement, sweat, and Carbon Monoxide. During your Sun Salutations you will constantly be reminded to Breathe! This will help to begin the process of warming up your body.Spring Equinox is the celebration of the new season, and boy am I ready for it. Hibernation was great, but sometimes our bodies just get a little too sluggish from comfort food, too much sleeping in and not wanting to get out from under those warm covers, to just plain lazy. Spring is the time of rebirth for nature. All the beautiful things come out of hiding in Spring, including us. Many also choose Spring time to cleanse their homes by spring cleaning. Well why not cleanse your body and mind also. So join us March 20th to celebrate a time of year to stimulate all of your senses and reawaken your body!RSVP will be required, as space will be limited.