...I am planning an extended trip to beautiful Maui, to study with several experienced teachers.

Looking forward to a serene and enjoyable experience, and I'm sure that there will be much to share :-)

Mahalo,

LJ

Hi everyone!

A special Yoga Mala class is scheduled for Sunday, November 13th, from 11:00AM-1:00PM at O2 Cary.

PLEASE NOTE: There will not be a 4:00PM Yoga-Mojo Class that day.

Hassina Albukhary, Brian Oliphant and I will lead this practice.

The purpose of a Yoga Mala is to unite our yoga community with a practice of 108 Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar). 108 is a sacred number in Yoga and is open to interpretation - see below.

While a Yoga Mala is designed to challenge you physically, the repeated sun salutation also provides an opportunity to create a moving meditation to quiet the mind and relax the body while the collective motion of the group strengthens the spirit.

Our Mala practice will be divided in to four (4) rounds of 27 Sun Salutations. A silent dedication/meditation will be held between each round.

• The 1st round is a dedication to self
• The 2nd round is a dedication to family and friends
• The 3rd round is a dedication to all beings everywhere
• The 4th round is a dedication to the source

Upon the completion of all four rounds, your body will feel loose and your mind quiet. We will then release and reflect in a deep Savasana.

Other interpretations on the number 108 include:

• It is viewed as a number of the wholeness of existence. It is said that the number 108 connects the Sun, Moon, and Earth as the average distance of the Sun and the Moon to Earth is 108 times their respective diameters.


• 108 marma points, or sacred places of the body. Marmas or marmastanas are like energy intersections called chakras, except they have fewer energy lines converging to form them


• 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet. Each has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti. 54 times 2 is 108


• In relation to time, it is said that there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future.


• Anahata (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.

I hope you’ll mark your calendar and join us for this special Yoga-Mala practice.

Thank you!