108 Sun Salutations, June 21 7-8.30
The summer solstice brings the lightest day of the year. We will gather together in the morning to do 108 sun salutations to mark the beginning of summer for the earth north of the equator.
Why 108 Sun Salutations?
Surya Namaskara (Sun Salutation) is as rich in symbolic overtones as it is in physical benefits.
- Our primary source of light is the sun. In ancient traditions it has seen as both the physical and spiritual heart of our world and the creator of all life itself. The practice of Sun Salutations honors that life giving force of sun. Furthermore, it can be seen as a practice that honors the inner light and wisdom that radiates from within.
- The practice of 108 sun salutations is a mala – a moving mantra – a meditation in honor of the change of season and in honor of our changing selves.
- Typically this ritual can be performed 4 times a year, with the start of each season to acknowledge the changing world around us.
Why 108?
The significance of number 108 is open to interpretation and there is a wide range of different perspectives to the matter. However, it has long been considered a sacred number for example in Indian and yogic traditions.
- Renowned mathematicians of Vedic culture viewed 108 as a number of the wholeness of existence. The individual numbers 1, 0, and 8 represent one thing, nothing, and everything (infinity).
- 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.
- 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.