This past Sunday marked the sixth year for a very beautiful event and an amazing cause, Rise 'n Shine 108 Sun Salutations to benefit Saint Louis Ovarian Cancer Awareness. Last year was my first Rise 'n Shine and also the first time that I actually sat down and looked into some of the facts surrounding ovarian cancer. Needless to say I was shocked by all of information and statistics that I read. One of the first things I remember reading is that ALL women are at risk for ovarian cancer AND that a quarter of a million women are diagnosed annually (World Ovarian Cancer Day). This number is insane...and scary. Another thing that stood out to me was the timeline of being diagnosed and how often cases are detected at such a late stage due to the fact that a lot of symptoms can be quite vague. As most of us all know, like a lot of other cancers, ovarian cancer survival rate is drastically increased the earlier it is detected. So, ladies, please understand that it is so important to make sure you are getting your annual checkups. Do not let your symptoms go untreated. I am going to include a link at the end of my post for some additional information, statistics and risk factors of ovarian cancer. Again, pay attention to warning signs no matter how small they may seem. We're ALL fabulous so let’s take care of ourselves, eh? Yes!
Leading up to the event I had quite a few people that had never heard of Rise 'n Shine ask me what a sun salutation was and why we do ‘108’. I'll first explain what a sun salutation is for those of you who are not familiar. A sun salutation is a small series of poses done with the breath in a continuous flowing sequence. In Sanskrit a sun salutation is translated as Surya Namaskar which means "to bow to" or "to adore." So, a sun salutation or Surya Namaskar is a way to honor the sun with a series of movement with the breath. If you have a regular yoga practice or frequent a studio here in Saint Louis you will typically see that most classes begin with a certain series of sun salutations (there are several). I am going to include a second link below to a beautiful video of Surya Namaskar A and Surya Namaskar B done by the stunning Kino MacGregor for your viewing (and learning) pleasure. Questions on any of this, let me hear it! LOVE getting your feedback!
Last but not least…why 108? Let me tell you, there is no set reason as to why. What I can say is that there are so many significances for the number 108. Here are just a few. First, there are 108 beads on a mala. There are 108 stitches on a baseball. In geometric terms it is a natural division of circle (108=36+72=9 X 12). The distance between the Earth and Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Sun. The diameter of the Sun is 108 times the diameter of the Earth. The distance between the Earth and Moon is 108 times the diameter of the Moon. There are said to be 108 energy lines converging to form the heart chakra….. The list goes on and on and as you can see the number 108 is significant and symbolic in many ways. If you’re intrigued, look up some of the history and please share if you find anything that stands out to you. Fascinating stuff here, people.
Now, of course I have to close this post and encourage us all once more to take care of ourselves. Listen and be true to our bodies…it’s the only one we have. Please, do your research and get informed. Check out SLOCA’s website below for support and information. And one last thing, please join us next year for this wonderful event. It truly is beautiful--quite possibly one of my favorites to watch unfold. Our beautiful STL yoga community, a terrific cause and YOGA. Sweet perfection. See you next year!
Love & light always.