A Life Celebration Yoga for Peace is the symbol of the paradigmatic shift in consciousness of the world. This year on Saturday, September 20th 2008 or Sunday, September 21st 2008, participants from around the world will move to powerful drum beats while completing an invigorating practice of 108 sun salutations, or mala in Sanskrit. Upon completion of the mala, participants will rest in svasana, a lying meditation, to form a human mandala, or peace wheel. Prominent figures in the yoga communities around the world will lead the kirtan, chanting, that signals the commencement and closure of the celebration. As a gesture of support for shared goals, proceeds and spirit from Yoga for Peace will benefit an organization dedicated to spreading peace and demonstrating compassion. Yoga Mala In India, yogis celebrate the arrival of Spring with 108 consecutive sun salutations, accompanied by devotional chanting. The mala is intended to mark transition and celebrate change. The number 108 carries varied significance in Hindu and Buddhist traditions; it is the number of beads in the mala (meditation prayer beads) and the number of Upanishads (sacred vedic texts). 108 is also the product of multiplying 9 and 12, two propitious numbers in Indian culture. Hundreds of yoga studios and health and spiritual centers around the world have hosted malas to serve social causes, including cancer research, domestic violence support organizations, and charitable funds, which promote wholeness, healing, or peace in the world . Mandala The mandala, or sacred diagram of the cosmos, is a radial geometric design created to aid meditation. It's circular form symbolizes the perfected universe and is intended to establish a feeling of peace and wholeness. Yoga for Peace is a project of New York CitiWorks, Inc