108 minutes of nonviolence

Local yoga studio connects with others through spirt and peace

Kevin Freese
Assistant Campus Life Editor

As the United Nations celebrated its International Day of Peace there were shootings at Delaware State University, a bomb scare at Logan Airport and a bomb scare on the Fredonia campus. There was also a group of people coming together to collectively use yoga and extend their energies toward peace.

Friday, Sept. 21 was not as peaceful as many had expected. "Today made me realize how much we need things like this. Time for people to come together who do think that this kind of behavior is not ok and the world is a violent place," said Monica deMello-Patterson, professor of yoga and organizer of the Fredonia area portion of the Global Mala Project.

Internationally respected yogi Shiva Rea is the catalyst behind the project. The projects Web site, globalmala.org explains that Global Mala is being done to further the UN's International Day of Peace and integrate local acts of nonviolence.

To participate in the Global Mala Project, students and community members met at Bija Yoga on Main Street in Fredonia. They participate with hundreds of yoga centers around the world coming together to practice yoga and meditation.

"The idea is that when energy is produced in mass, trying to get a group of people that will affect the wave of energy in the world, if everyone is thinking of peace ... it will affect the violence," deMello-Patterson said.

This was an open event, welcoming any and all. The only requirement was an open soul. The world event was created to bring together yoga communities from all over the world to collectively use their practices and perform a mala based on each center's tradition and inspiration.

According to the Global Mala Project Web site, a Yoga Mala is a repeated series of 108 movements, varying between the different types of yoga or meditation being practiced.

At the Bija Yoga center, the goal was to do 108 "surya namaskar" or Sun Salutations. In a period of 80 minutes 56 successful salutations were completed. A Sun Salutation is a series of 12 positions that are to be conducted in a flowing manner, matching particular breathing patterns.

The series of 108 movements is not just a randomly chosen number; it has a specific purpose within the worldwide yoga community. The word "mala" is used in reference to necklace made of 108 beads used for counting the number of times one has performed a prayer.

The meaning of the number continues to go deeper. In Vedic astrologer Vaughn Paul Manley's article "The Significance of the Mystical Number 108" many examples are given to explain why the number is so important.

There are 27 lunar constellations combined with the four elements, earth, wind, fire and water or the four directions north, south, east and west. Coincidentally the product of these two numbers you get 108. Another phenomenon that he points out is that the sun is 108 times the diameter of the earth. Vedic astrology constantly references the importance of 108 when discussing points of consciousness within the body and connections between Vedic gods.

"There is meant to be a chain or connection of yoga centers, other schools of yoga and meditation schools," deMello-Patterson said. "So many that they are overlapping."

After doing all the Sun Salutations one should experience a personal transformation. Many believe that to give out energy of world peace a person must start with himself or herself. These 108 movements help to do that. Participants agreed that they did feel some personal transformation.

"I lost all sense of time, the most relaxing thing I have ever done," said Susan Kornacki, a sophomore visual arts major that participated in the events that evening.

"Definitely recommend it to anybody who wanted to get rid of some stress and forget some things in their life," said Jill Carrere, sophomore music education and performance major.