Astronomer, mathematician, and physicist Galileo Galilei made an interesting statement. He said that the universe is written “in mathematical language”. He maintained that the mysteries of creation itself could be solved through numbers and mathematical equations. Mystics of all traditions around the world, found that numbers offered more than scientific insight—they offered a secret language for awakening, a key to our own intuition and higher aspects of our being. Yogis found the number 108 to be such a key.
The number 108 has always been a highly revered number for thousands of years, coveted by many spiritual traditions and ascribed special significance in meditation and prayer. Considered to be the most auspicious number of all, 108 also happens to be the number of stitches on a baseball.
In yoga, the number 108 refers to spiritual completion. That’s the reason why malas used for japa (silent repetition of a mantra) are composed of 108 beads – with an additional “meru” bead, which when reached, prompts the practitioner to count the mala beads in reverse order. Pranayama cycles are often repeated in 108 cycles and even sun salutations are often completed in nine rounds of the 12 postures, which when multiplied, adds up to 108. Ancient yogis believed that we can attune ourselves to the rhythms of creation by completing practices in rounds of this sacred number.
108 seems to be a mysterious number that connects the ancient world to the modern world and also connects the physical realm to the metaphysical realm. The number 108 is sacred in mathematics, geometry, astrology, numerology and in many world religions and spiritual traditions.
Let’s look at some of the reasons why 108 is considered to be a sacred number:
- It represents the unity and wholeness of existence
According to the mathematician Leonardo Fibonacci, who was born around A.D. 1170 and after whom the Fibonacci sequence is (nick)named, it is believed that the number 108 has a way of representing the wholeness of existence. The Fibonacci sequence is also related to the golden ratio. The spiral arrangement of leaves or petals on some plants follows the golden ratio. Pinecones exhibit a golden spiral, as do the seeds in a sunflower, according to “Phyllotaxis: A Systemic Study in Plant Morphogenesis” (Cambridge University Press, 1994).
The Fibonacci sequence is one of the most prominent mathematical formulas.
Each number in the sequence is the sum of the two numbers that precede it. So, the sequence goes: 0, 1, 1, 2, 3, 5, 8, 13, 21, 34, and so on. The mathematical equation describing it, is Xn+2= Xn+1 + Xn
It’s been called “nature’s secret code,” and “nature’s universal rule.” It is said to govern the dimensions of everything from the Great Pyramid at Giza to the iconic seashell called Nautilus.
(or just wait till you use more increased psychic function lol)
