Celebrating change
Change can be stressful, scary. When the COVID-19 pandemic started our lives changes in ways we were not able to imagine. How will the world and our lives look a year from now, nine or six months, or even just three? Hard to tell, change is the only constant.
I blinked and the summer was over. The days became shorter. Autumn chill crept into bright blue mornings and crips crimson sunsets. RBG passed away. September 22 marked the fall equinox and, in the yogic tradition, I celebrated this change of seasons and all the changes during this challenging year through a challenging practice of yoga mala, or 108 sun salutations.
Why 108? The number goes back to sacred texts of Rig Veda and the Upanishads, corresponding to the number of chapters. It is reflected in the number of mala beads and just like repeating a mantra 108 times can calm the ripples of the mind, repeating a sun salutation sequence 108 times is the ultimate form of moving meditation. Curiously, in astronomy diameter of the sun is about 108 times that of the earth and the distance from the earth to the sun is on average 108 times the diameter of the sun. A similar ratio also exists between the earth and the moon. There are 54 letters in the Sanskrit alphabet, multiplied by 2 (masculine - Shiva and feminine - Shakti) gives a total of 108.
Whatever the origin of the 108 sun salutations, the tradition is a wonderful way to surrender to change that is not within our control, to simply move with the breath, celebrating each peaceful inhale and exhale.