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Surya Namaskara Mala- 108 salutations

topic posted Mon, August 7, 2006 - 2:21 PM by  Amanda 		Share/Save/Bookmark
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Hi yogi/nis

Last night I posted an advertisement for the Yoga for Peace event that is going on September 9th in various cities through out the world. The plan is to do 108 surya namaskaras for peace. I believe that this is a beautiful concept and I'm looking forward to being a part of it.

This morning when I woke up I thought that I would start "training" for the 108-surya namaskaras. I'm in a yoga teacher training this summer. I have a daily asana practice and I feel that I am in good physical shape, however, I was a little nervous about doing 108 sun salutations.

My plan was to do 54 salutations today at the Japanese Friendship Garden by my apartment in San Jose. I started with 27 Surya Namaskaras Cs. Then I did 27 Surya Namaskara As (without jumping.) Then, I rested in balasana. I felt so good and with each salutation I was learning more and more about my body and spirit that I decided to do another 27 As but with jumps. I feel wonderful now.

I want to know if anyone else out there has ever done a mala of sun salutes and what has been your experience?
with love,
Amanda
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Amanda
offline Amanda
SF Bay Area
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    Re: Surya Namaskara Mala- 108 salutations

    Mon, August 7, 2006 - 8:05 PM
    Hi Amanda

    I did the Surya Namaskara Mala last year at the beginning of a season- summer I think- at Inner Heat Yoga.

    There were about 10 of us in a circle and the class was led with sound effects that guided us with light chimes when each repetition was done. I had a interesting experience in that I was VERY much in my head for the first half or more of the class. I realized that my body could do more than my mind actually wanted to, and I got bored with the repetition. So I tried to think about ways to make each sun salute a little different.

    By the end I had just started to accept the repetition and realized how much resistance is in my head . This was a great experience in that it reminded me that sticking with something can lead to wonderful results.

    I think you'll really enjoy it. I'd like to do it again too...maybe in September...

    NAMASTE, lila
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    • karin
      karin
      offline 54

      Re: Surya Namaskara Mala- 108 salutations

      Wed, August 9, 2006 - 8:35 PM
      hi amanda,
      i haven't done 108 surya namaskaras yet, but think i will join you and others in this september 9 event. sounds beautiful.

      i'm writing to share with you that i have practiced 108 prostrations, and found the experience very powerful and wonderuful.

      i was at a silent meditation retreat at an international zen center in south korea www.musangsa.org and part of the daily practice is 108 prostrations. in yoga-speak, one prostration in korean buddhism is like a standing forward bend and down to the ground and back up, in about ten steps. the practice empties your mind, and creates inner peace. we did this at about 3:30 am every day, and together with the chanting section that followed, it was my favorite part of the day.

      to respond to your thoughts about preparing your body physically for 108 surya namaskaras, i think if you are consistent in your daily practice, as you have already said you are, then you will not have a problem physically with this, and perhaps the only need for focus is on the mind, as lila said, and in that may i suggest dropping in and finding that peaceful, internal meditative space.

      i'd love to learn more about the event of september 9~could you post a link?

      in love and light,
      karin
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      • Amanda
        Amanda
        offline 131

        Re: Surya Namaskara Mala- 108 salutations

        Wed, August 9, 2006 - 10:19 PM
        Thanks for sharing Karin,

        My body has never felt better after practicing more and more Surya Namaskaras. I too am loving the meditative nature of the salutations. I am using a sort of counting meditation with each asana. It's working for me.
        Here's the link to the ad I posted:
        sanfrancisco.tribe.net/event/...a381ee8

        Are you planning on joining us in Santa Cruz!?
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        • Unsu...
           

          Re: Surya Namaskara Mala- 108 salutations

          Thu, August 10, 2006 - 6:14 AM
          They are doing the event in New York City as well but are cheapening the idea by charging twenty dollars to participate in a Public Park or 25 dollars the day of the event. they are calling it a donation but my feeling is that if you showed up without 25 bucks they would make a stink about it. The "donation" is supposed to be the benefit of your practice going toward world peace and those who are suffering not cash. If I wanted i could pay but it's the principle of the thing. what if people want to go and dedicate their efforts of 108 surya Nmaskaras but don't have the cash.
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          • Michael
            Michael
            offline 178

            Re: Surya Namaskara Mala- 108 salutations

            Sat, August 12, 2006 - 7:22 PM
            Cats and dogs do Surya Namaskar. I wonder if they call Down Dog Asana, Down Human? An old Kundalini book that I have says that if you do 108 Surya Namaskars per day you'll be as strong as a lumber jack in no time!

            :D

            SA
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        • karin
          karin
          offline 54

          Re: Surya Namaskara Mala- 108 salutations

          Sun, August 13, 2006 - 7:43 PM
          hi amanda,
          thanks for the link! i am in new hampshire currently, and so santa crus is a bit of a walk. but, i have forwarded the link to two fellow yoginis in hopes of a pilgrimage to brunswick, maine. and if that doesn't manifest, i will have my own little festival site right here in the white mountains of new hampshire...

          one thing that occurred to me as a way of keeping track of the number of salutations, as using a mala would be challenging and cumbersome while doing the salutations, is to make a small pile of stones and remove one stone with each completed cycle. this is how dr. usui kept track of his 21-day meditation/fast when he recieved the symbols for reiki...

          are you finding your mind empty as you move deeper into the practice?
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          • karin
            karin
            offline 54

            Re: Surya Namaskara Mala- 108 salutations

            Tue, August 22, 2006 - 10:06 AM
            namaste amanda and others...

            i posted interest in creating a gathering in alignment with the official yoga-for-peace event on another tribe to which i belong, and we are now manifesting an event outside of boston, in woburn, ma. we are figuring out final details, directions, etc., and i will post them to you, or you can pm me directly if you'd like specifics. so, for yanks who can't get to nyc or brunswick, perhaps meeting us in woburn will work for you.

            amanda, how is it going for you with practicing the surya namaskara? i was practicing around 20 for several days, and yesterday increased to 28. i observed resistance in my mind at about 18, thinking of reasons i should go on to my regular practice, reasons i should stop and do something else, etc., but then the last ten were very peacful and flowing well. i am finding it an interesting observation practice. i am counting with a mala; i have one that is loosely strung so i have it before me on the floor and after each salutation i bend forward (remaining in the cadence of the breath) and move one bead. it's working well. i will continue increasing the number of salutations i do until the event, but will not do the full series until that day. it holds something more powerful for me to wait.

            how is it going for you?
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