In 2007, my dear friends, Samantha Spitzer and Julia Einarson, and I started an annual tradition of leading a Japamala Workshop at Yogalife in Greenlake. A mala is a set of 108 beads used during chanting or meditation. A mala is used to focus one's awareness and concentration while repeating a mantra. Malas have been used by practitioners from many disciplines for thousands of years.
During the workshop, participants create a mala and use it to repeat the Gayatri Mantra 108 times. Please visit my Blog, Gayatri Mantra: The Celestial Song of Light, for more about the meaning of this beloved chant. Participants learn how to use the mala, the significance of each bead, and the meaning of 108. Also included is a discussion of the yamas and niyamas. Please visit Samantha's Blog on the meaning of the yamas and niyamas.
During the workshop, participants create a mala and use it to repeat the Gayatri Mantra 108 times. Please visit my Blog, Gayatri Mantra: The Celestial Song of Light, for more about the meaning of this beloved chant. Participants learn how to use the mala, the significance of each bead, and the meaning of 108. Also included is a discussion of the yamas and niyamas. Please visit Samantha's Blog on the meaning of the yamas and niyamas.
This year we've decided to save a tree or two and go paperless. We hope you enjoy perusing the materials online with the confidence in knowing they'll always be there when you feel like refreshing your memory. Its not too late to join us! We look forward to chanting with you....
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