108 Thanks Salutations 2012

108 Thanks Salutations 2012  

The yoga studio I go to has a tradition for starting New Year’s Day with 108 Sun Salutations—one for each bead on the mala (an ancient ornament used for prayer and meditation, as the practitioner focuses intent on each bead, one bead at a time).  It’s a beautiful way to stay present in a meditative state as it incorporates the sense of touch (the body) into union with the intent.  Add the focus of the breath, and we have Yoga, which means “Union”, or the union of the body, breath, and mind.

Over the New Year’s weekend I was blessed to spend much of my time in yoga practice and in meditation, and I even taught a yoga class about my meditations over the holidays, called “Open Your Present”, where we acknowledge the gifts we may have received over the holidays, but most especially the gift that is always there for us, but often remains unopened, untouched, untapped—The Present moment.  So it’s time to tear into that pretty wrapping,  and get into it!  Open your present, and be amazed how generous the Universe is with each of us.  Every breath, every moment, is magic.

 So in keeping with this meditation, I would like to share some of my 108 Thanks Salutations, and hope you will add yours to the list if it’s in your flow.  Writing them down is bringing it into the physical (body) very much like touching each bead of the mala, or moving the body through Sun Salutations, in union with the breath and the mind (intent), and is a very real way of opening the channels between you and the Infinite in the most loving expression of thanks:

1                    thanks for  each breath I take

2                    thanks for good friends

3                    thanks for unexpected generosity

4                    thanks for laughter, especially big belly laughs

5                    thanks for kindness

6                    thanks for my dogs and my cats (family) J

7                    thanks for my yoga practice

8                    thanks for my yoga teachers

9                    thanks for such a gorgeous, amazing day

10               thanks for all the beauty that surrounds us

11               thanks for music

12               thanks for dancing

13               thanks for love

14               thanks for being able to change

15               thanks for being willing to change

16               thanks for health

17               thanks for abundance of all kinds

18               thanks for flowers and trees

19               thanks for the beach, the ocean, the sand

20               thanks for being able to sing

21               thanks for vision of all kinds

22               thanks for teaching me that the mind is a faithful servant of the heart

23               thanks for my meditation practice

24               thanks for smiles

25               thanks for brilliant sunsets and gentle sunrises

26               thanks for good food

27               thanks for wine, chocolate and other tasty decadence

28               thanks for adventure

29               thanks for fun, frolic and euphoria

30               thanks for handstands and other ways of turning things upside down

31               thanks for being able to go with the flow

32               thanks for the mirror that shows me I am you, and you are me

33               thanks for compassion

34               thanks for life!

35               Thanks for art and all forms of creativity and creation

36               Thanks for a planet filled with people who dream together of a better way

37               Thanks for all my awesome neighbors

38               Thanks for long walks on the beach with my dogs

39               Thanks for kisses and hugs

40               Thanks for peace and the practice of cultivating peace

41               Thanks for rain, for the dark night, for new moons, and empty spaces giving us a place to rest and grow

42               Thanks for the stars and for stardust,  earth, water and air coming together to form the fire of life

43               Thanks for the sun and its warmth and nourishment

44               Thanks for my home

45               Thanks for warm, comfortable, beautiful clothes

46               Thanks for heat, running water, refrigeration, electricity…and the internet

47               Thanks for feeling connected to so many wonderful beings

48               Thanks for my home office

49               Thanks for another wonderful year

50               What would you like to add here?

Meaning of 108 Beads on a Mala

Meaning of 108 Beads on a Mala:

'via Blog this'

Meaning of 108 beads on a mala
by Swami Jnaneshvara Bharati
Homepage

On a mala, or set of mantra counting beads, there are generally 108 beads, or some fraction of that number. The question often arises: Why are there 108 beads on a mala?

Below are some of the many reasons that have been given for having 108 beads on a mala, as well as a few other points of interest. None of these reasons are being promoted here as more or less true than the others. However, you may notice that 108 appears to be somewhat like a road map of reality in general, and the human in particular.

Regardless of the meaning of 108, it is important that if a mala is used to count mantras, the mantra be remembered with sincerity, devotion, feeling, and full attention. (More on use of mantras)

9 times 12: Both of these numbers have been said to have spiritual significance in many traditions. 9 times 12 is 108. Also, 1 plus 8 equals 9. That 9 times 12 equals 108.

Powers of 1, 2, and 3 in math: 1 to 1st power=1; 2 to 2nd power=4 (2x2); 3 to 3rd power=27 (3x3x3). 1x4x27=108

Harshad number: 108 is a Harshad number, which is an integer divisible by the sum of its digits (Harshad is from Sanskrit, and means "great joy")

Desires: There are said to be 108 earthly desires in mortals.

Lies: There are said to be 108 lies that humans tell.

Delusions: There are said to be 108 human delusions or forms of ignorance.

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. One of them, sushumna leads to the crown chakra, and is said to be the path to Self-realization.

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

Pranayama: If one is able to be so calm in meditation as to have only 108 breaths in a day, enlightenment will come.

Upanishads: Some say there are 108 Upanishads, texts of the wisdom of the ancient sages.

Sri Yantra: On the Sri Yantra there are marmas where three lines intersect, and there are 54 such intersections. Each intersections has masculine and feminine, shiva and shakti qualities. 54 times 2 equals 108. Thus, there are 108 points that define the Sri Yantra as well as the human body.

Pentagon: The angle formed by two adjacent lines in a pentagon equals 108 degrees.

Marmas: Marmas or marmasthanas are like energy intersections called chakras, except have fewer energy lines converging to form them. There are said to be 108 marmas in the subtle body.

Time: Some say there are 108 feelings, with 36 related to the past, 36 related to the present, and 36 related to the future.

8 extra beads: In doing a practice of counting the number of repetitions of the mala, 100 are counted as completed. The remaining are said to cover errors or omissions. The 8 are also said to be an offering to God and Guru.

Chemistry: Interestingly, there are about 115 elements known on the periodic table of the elements. Most of those, around or higher than the number 100 only exist in the laboratory, and some for only thousandths of a second. The number that naturally exist on Earth is around 100.

Astrology: There are 12 constellations, and 9 arc segments called namshas or chandrakalas. 9 times 12 equals 108. Chandra is moon, and kalas are the divisions within a whole.

River Ganga: The sacred River Ganga spans a longitude of 12 degrees (79 to 91), and a latitude of 9 degrees (22 to 31). 12 times 9 equals 108.

Planets and Houses: In astrology, there are 12 houses and 9 planets. 12 times 9 equals 108.

Goddess names: There are said to be 108 Indian goddess names.

Gopis of Krishna: In the Krishna tradition, there were said to be 108 gopis or maid servants of Krishna.

1, 0, and 8: Some say that 1 stands for God or higher Truth, 0 stands for emptiness or completeness in spiritual practice, and 8 stands for infinity or eternity.

Sun and Earth: The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth. The distance from the Sun to the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Sun.

Moon and Earth: The average distance of the Moon from the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon.

Silver and the moon: In astrology, the metal silver is said to represent the moon. The atomic weight of silver is 108.

Numerical scale: The 1 of 108, and the 8 of 108, when added together equals 9, which is the number of the numerical scale, i.e. 1, 2, 3 ... 10, etc., where 0 is not a number.

Meditations: Some say there are 108 styles of meditation.

Breath: Tantra estimates the average number of breaths per day at 21,600, of which 10,800 are solar energy, and 10,800 are lunar energy. Multiplying 108 by 100 is 10,800. Multiplying 2 x 10,800 equals 21,600.

Paths to God: Some suggest that there are 108 paths to God.

Smaller divisions: The number 108 is divided, such as in half, third, quarter, or twelfth, so that some malas have 54, 36, 27, or 9 beads.

Hinduism: 108 is said to refer to the number of Hindu deities. Some say that each of the deities has 108 names.

Islam: The number 108 is used in Islam to refer to God.

Jain: In the Jain religion, 108 are the combined virtues of five categories of holy ones, including 12, 8, 36, 25, and 27 virtues respectively.

Sikh: The Sikh tradition has a mala of 108 knots tied in a string of wool, rather than beads.

Buddhism: Some Buddhists carve 108 small Buddhas on a walnut for good luck. Some ring a bell 108 times to celebrate a new year. There are said to be 108 virtues to cultivate and 108 defilements to avoid.

Chinese: The Chinese Buddhists and Taoists use a 108 bead mala, which is called su-chu, and has three dividing beads, so the mala is divided into three parts of 36 each. Chinese astrology says that there are 108 sacred stars.

Stages of the soul: Said that Atman, the human soul or center goes through 108 stages on the journey.

Meru: This is a larger bead, not part of the 108. It is not tied in the sequence of the other beads. It is the quiding bead, the one that marks the beginning and end of the mala.

Dance: There are 108 forms of dance in the Indian traditions.

Praiseworthy souls: There are 108 qualities of praiseworthy souls.

First man in space: The first manned space flight lasted 108 minutes, and was on April 12, 1961 by Yuri Gagarin, a Soviet cosmonaut.

You don't have to love your negative emotions to dissolve them--just shine the light of awareness on them and love will flow. ~zenshine

You're not done telling the truth until you say, "I love you." ~Alan Cohen

You don't have to love your negative emotions to dissolve them--just shine the light of awareness on them and love will flow. ~zenshine

You create the solution along with the problem. Take responsibility for the problem, own it, and you will own the solution. ~zenshine

Since everyone you meet is a reflection of you, celebrate your 'differences' and love the challenges. ~zenshine

Since everyone you meet is a reflection of you, celebrate your 'differences' and love the challenges. ~zenshine

The Secret of Enlightenment by Burt Harding

~The key to enlightenment lies in a secret that very few people have ever known, but which Jesus knew well. The way you will experience and feel about yourself is not determined by how other people look at and think about you.

~The way that you will experience and feel about yourself is actually determined by how you look at and think about them. Ultimately, this determines your identity.

~You will identify yourself either as a body or perfect spirit, as either divided or whole, depending upon how you see others. And, once you understand that, you will be careful about how you think about other people.
~Immortal Reality page 17~

The way you look at other people is who you really are. ~zenshine

The way you look at other people is who you really are. ~zenshine


The holiest spot on earth is where an ancient hatred has become a present love. ~A Course in Miracles

The moment one gives close attention to any thing, even a blade of grass it becomes a mysterious, awesome, indescribably magnificent world in itself. ~Henry Miller

The key to transformation is across the threshold of your most challenging moments. ~zenshine

The key to transformation is across the threshold of your most challenging moments. ~zenshine

The heart of the universe does not have a particular location; it's not somewhere out there. It is concealed in every being. ~Eckhart Tolle

Freedom is the oxygen of the soul. ~Moshe Dayan

In a world where the journey is the destination, where we've arrived before we began, non-sense makes for perfect sense. ~zenshine

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  In a world where the journey is the destination, where we've arrived before we began, non-sense makes for perfect sense. ~zenshine
  
  

  One of the advantages of being disorderly is that one is constantly making exciting discoveries. ~A. A. Milne
  
  Art enables us to find ourselves and lose ourselves at the same time. ~Thomas Merton

  
  

  
  

Soften your attention to "when" around your desires and time will collapse. There is no "when" in creation, only "Now". ~zenshine

Soften your attention to "when" around your desires and time will collapse. There is no "when" in creation, only "Now". ~zenshine

Circumstances don't matter. Only state of being matters. ~Bashar

As human beings, our greatness lies not so much in being able to remake the world - that is the myth of the atomic age - as in being able to remake ourselves. ~Gandhi

This is the best time of my life. I have a challenge in front of me, and the energy of the Universe behind me. ~zenshine

When you perceive your relationship with others, remember that you are creating an illusion that causes you to mis-perceive your Oneness and your true power. ~zenshine


Always be a first-rate version of yourself, instead of a second-rate version of somebody else. ~Judy Garland

This is the best time of my life. I have a challenge in front of me, and the energy of the Universe behind me. ~zenshine

Angels sing your praises, and the entire Universe benefits every time you do what you love, even if only for a moment here and there. ~zenshine

Angels sing your praises, and the entire Universe benefits every time you do what you love, even if only for a moment here and there. ~zenshine



We can easily forgive a child who is afraid of the dark; the real tragedy of life is when men are afraid of the light. ~Plato

Morality is simply the attitude we adopt toward people whom we personally dislike. ~Oscar Wilde

As you let go and go with the flow, others will feel it and be able to do the same. ~zenshine

As you let go and go with the flow, others will feel it and be able to do the same. ~zenshine

Never give up on your dreams, but always let go of the obstacles: the worry, the doubt, the fear...and the details. ~zenshine

Don't let go of who you are here and now--let go of who you were, and what's left to you is "I am". ~zenshine

What if you somehow knew for an absolute fact, that whatever you're worried about would work out really well? What would you do? ~zenshine

What if you somehow knew for an absolute fact, that whatever you're worried about would work out really well? What would you do? ~zenshine

Wherever you stand is holy ground. ~Alan Cohen

The optimist proclaims that we live in the best of all possible worlds; and the pessimist fears this is true. ~James Branch Cabell

In holding the dreams of others close to your heart, you open a channel between you filed with the power of co-creation. ~zenshine

In holding the dreams of others close to your heart, you open a channel between you filed with the power of co-creation. ~zenshine


As soon as you trust yourself, you will know how to live. ~Goethe

If you were conscious, that is to say totally present in the Now, all negativity would dissolve almost instantly. It could not survive in your presence. ~Eckhar Tolle

You travel between physical and non-physical with every breath, being one with the Universe, as the Universe is one with you. ~zenshine

You travel between physical and non-physical with every breath, being one with the Universe, as the Universe is one with you. ~zenshine

We are all travelers riding on the breath between the finite and the infinite, but most choose to look in only one direction. ~zenshine

I perhaps owe having become a painter to flowers. ~Claude Monet

Make a donation to the Universe--give up all your worries, fears and other crutches to own your place among the stars. ~zenshine

Make a donation to the Universe--give up all your worries, fears and other crutches to own your place among the stars. ~zenshine

Ever notice that what the hell is always the right decision? ~Marilyn Monroe

People are always in good company when they are doing what they really enjoy. ~Samuel Butler

It's exciting to see how the Universe unfolds itself naturally for you when you let go and let it flow. ~zenshine

It's exciting to see how the Universe unfolds itself naturally for you when you let go and let it flow. ~zenshine

Let go of fear and fall into love. ~zenshine

The real voyage of discovery consists not in seeking new lands but seeing with new eyes. ~Marcel Proust

Life is not a competition, it's an awakening. ~zenshine

Life is not a competition, it's an awakening. ~zenshine

Don't believe everything you think. ~Thomas E. Kida

Love the dark the same as the light, because we are made of both. ~zenshine

Love the dark the same as the light, because we are made of both. ~zenshine

The answer is always "yes". ~Unknown

Where hope grows, miracles blossom. ~Elna Rae