108
As I stand in mountain pose with a dear friend on a Facetime call ready to join me for a wonderful yoga experience. I root through my feet, and anticipate the strength and power we are about to awaken. Inhale, reach arms overhead. Exhale melt to forward fold. Inhale jump back to plank, exhale lower to crocodile, inhale lift to upward facing dog. Exhale, downward facing dog. Inhale float feet to hands, exhale release to forward fold. Inhale, rise to mountain pose exhale, repeat......108 times.
I have been wondering how to describe this wonderful opportunity. To connect with a friend who is 1200 miles away through way of Sun Salutations.
It was an out of the blue idea to see if a long distance friend would want to join me for a New Years Day, clean the slate moment with 108 sun salutations. She was totally on board and ready for the fun like only a wonderfully bold and confident women would be.
A quick explanation of 108 Sun Salutations:
According to Shiva Rea,
The number’s significance is open to interpretation. But 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.
*found on the Mind Body Flow Yoga website
There are many benefits of 108 Sun Salutations (Surya Namaskar) like feeling more focused, resilient, stronger and connected just to name a few.
My goal for this beautiful attempt at 108 Sun Salutations was to enjoy the chance to connect with a friend who is in another place, to be fond of the fresh start after ringing in the new year, revel in the surroundings and be grateful I have the ability to start at 1 and make it to the powerful, strenuous yet exhilarating 108.
It was an exciting start, 1,2,3,4.....feeling good and breezing through each breath and each movement. The flow was waving smoothly. Easy peasy, lemon squeezey. A few giggles as we settled into our sequence and got on the same page. Using the first part of our series to connect with our breath, get everything in sync. Clear the mind and just be.
Getting a little deeper into the progression 56,57,58.....you have to dig a little deeper and let your breath keep the rhythm and focus to not let the body give in to the subtle wavering of strength. Enjoying the warmth from the natural expectation of each pose and breath as they continue to stay equal in ability and demand. This is the opportunity to take your connection a little deeper. Into the unseen energy that surrounds us provided by mother nature and the higher power we choose to put our faith in.
81,82,83....Inching closer to our magical number feeling confidence and internal cleansing of the soul and mind. Complete awareness of joy as each bead passes and gives the visual of progress and accomplishment.
105, 106, 107.....Physically, ready to be done, but mentally and emotionally, wishing it wasn't over. 108...content with the task and grateful for the movement and breath I have to make this moment possible. Loving the deeper connection I was able to have wishing it could be paused to only be savored for a few more moments.
Sitting back in child's pose to digest everything that was able to happen this beautiful January 1st morning. Not quite ready to leave the mat and get back to the real world which I can now enter with a little more confidence, strength and integrity. Free from judgment and humbled by this moment and anticipating the next chance to do it all over again.
Would it have been easy to turn these 108 sun salutations into a class in my group fitness room at the gym? Yes. maybe someday. But creating an opportunity to be able to experience 108 with a wonderful friend and remembering the clean slate we started 2018 will be a memory we will have and enjoy even though we definitely felt the 108 the next few days and I wouldn't have changed a thing.
