The Simplest Meditation Instruction

 Be 1 with the breath, let 0 thoughts coalesce,
​tap into the infinite, 8.

108 is considered the most valuable number in numerology, metaphysics and symbolism. The quantity of 108 is compelling, but what is the energetic quality of 108?

Among Eastern theologies, there is said to be 108 emotions, 36 of the present, 36 of the past and 36 of the future. In Hinduism there are 108 names for every god. In Buddhism there are considered to be 108 paths to god, and in contrast, 108 defilements or sins. Mantras are chanted 108 times, and 108 sun salutations are performed by Yogis on solstices and equinoxes. In Sanskrit there are 54 letters, each with a masculine and feminine form, making 108 characters. 108 represents the divine trinity of time: 1 symbolizes the singularity of the present, 0 the nothingness of the past, and 8 the infinity of the future. And as a meditative tool, 108 describes a simple path to a meditative state, as our awareness moves from 1 (the present), to 0 (nothingness) to 8 (the infinite whole).

But these celebrations of 108 are just the tip of the metaphysical iceberg.

The celestial orchestration of Earth, the Sun and our Moon is based on the divine proportional ratio of 108 — something that was appreciated by the ancients long before modern astronomers did the math. For instance, the diameter of the Earth at the equator is 7926 miles while the diameter of the Sun is about 108 times that: about 865,000. The average distance between the Earth and the Sun is 108 times the Sun’s diameter: 93,020,000 miles. The average distance from the Earth to the Moon is 238,800 miles, about 108 times the Moon’s diameter: 2180 miles. Through this astronomical, divine and miraculous positioning, 108 is symbolic of celestial order and perfection.

Importantly, as a metaphysical symbol, 108 also represents the three main types of energy and movement in Yoga, meditative movement, Tai Chi and martial arts. In Chinese martial arts, acupressure, as well as Indian fighting techniques, there 108 main pressure points, and numerous forms of Tai Chi have 108 movements. In fact, one of the first yoga systems to be brought to the west, The Five Tibetan Rites of Rejuvenation, contains 108 breath coordinated movements.

108 Represents The Flow of Energy

108 symbolizes the form and flow of meditative movement, in yoga and tai chi. 1 symbolizes linear movement, 0 symbolizes circular movement, and 8 symbolizes spiraling movement. There are circumstances in which one energy or another is more suitable, but in general the spiraling energy is the most powerful. Spiral movement is a combination of the masculine straight energy and the feminine circular energy. The combination of the two creates spiraling flow.