By Karuna

 

You’ve heard it bounced around in yoga studios like the term ‘down dog.’  You’ve seen the beads dripping off the arms of your favorite Buddhist friend.  Maybe you’ve even engaged in movement or sacred geometry under a merkaba or geodesic dome.

But do you really understand the significance of 108?

From spiritual seekers to those interested in math or the cosmos, 108 holds significance and power. But! 108 isn’t just for yogis and Buddhists.  It’s also for rocket scientists.*

The number 108 plays a cosmic role in the distance between the earth and the moon and between the earth and the sun. Once per month, the distance between the moon and the earth is 108 times the diameter of the moon (since the orbit is an ellipse). In yoga, moon energy is called chandra.

Similarly, the distance between the earth and the sun is 108 times the diameter of the sun. Earth’s orbit around the Sun is, however, also an ellipse, so once per month the distance of the Sun from Earth is 108 times that of the Sun’s diameter. In yoga the sun energy is called hatha.

So what do numerologists have to say about the number 108? Quite a bit more than this article can cover!

What about in relation to what our vision is at Mind Oasis?

Let’s check out what happens when you add up 1-0-8 = 9.

The number 9 is a spiritual number and is all about helping.  Mind Oasis, established in 2017, is all about meditation, but it is as much about creating connection and community.

When the number 9 is projected through as our highest truth, we engage in activities designed to share our talents, blessings, and aspirations with those around us. It inspires us to be helpers!

Sitting in meditation is one of the most potent helpful activities we can engage in to be in service to others.  Couple this with an attitude of gratitude, and we are moving together toward the Mind Oasis vision of Connecting a Compassionate Global Community!

What about the number 108 and the subtle body?

When you sit down in meditation, you might notice a heaviness on one side of your body or the other. You might also notice a little constriction in your heart space or at the throat. Perhaps you sometimes feel ungrounded or a little light in your feet.

Any of these subtle body sensations could be a result of your energetic body being out of balance. The subtle body (simply stated) is composed of channels, nadis, granthis, and more (if this sounds like a foreign language, we can help! We offer lots of yogic courses on Mind Oasis).

It is said in some yogic traditions that there are 108 of these subtle body channels leading to your heart chakra. When we engage in yoga and meditation practices, we are working to unknot the chakras or choke points where these channels intersect, in order to allow for smooth sailing by the prana which rides the breath.

Finally, what does 108 mean to the Mind Oasis community?

Because it is revered as a sacred number, to us it symbolizes our connection and community.  Sure, we filed our nonprofit status as a meditation organization.  Yes, we deliver mindfulness and meditation practices each day. But the truth, the holy sacred truth, is that we are all about Connecting a Compassionate Global Community.

We envision a world where people come together to meditate to elevate the consciousness of our collective experience.

Too woo?

We teach folks, including ourselves, everyday, how to be less of an asshole.

Wanna know how? Get heavily meditated with us by joining The 108 Club. The Mind Oasis 108 Club makes your learning habit more sustainable. Pay a reasonable monthly rate and receive access to all of our classes, workshops, and series, plus exclusive discounts, and more.

 

*This is a GREAT resource from the Himalayan Instituate about the significance of the number 108.