This weekend is Global Mala Manila weekend (September 25-26, 2021)!

I began writing about Global Mala almost every year since its inception in 2007 and I have physically joined some of them.

The Global Mala Project was created with the mantra of uniting the global yoga community together with service and collective action. Global Mala Yoga for Peace was founded in 2007 by Shiva Rae in the U.S. but the concept was brought to Manila by Teresa Herrera in the same year and it has since been known as the Global Mala Project. These days, we simply refer to it as Global Mala Manila.

On these days, yoga studios, yoga teachers, and yoga students all around the world come together. Yoga teachers volunteer to teach classes for free (with voluntary donations available) and all proceeds go to partner beneficiaries.

This year, the partner beneficiary of Global Mala Manila is Save the Children. Donations will support “Project ARAL (Access to Resources for Alternative Learning)”.

There will be an awesome lineup of yoga teachers and healers for this two-day seva (service). Check them out.

Global Mala Manila always begins with 108 Surya Namaskars or sun salutations. 108 is considered a sacred number. It is the number of prayer beads used in Tibet and India for prayer and meditation. Doing 108 sun salutations forms a global mala (bead) around the world of yoga practitioners praying for global peace. We need this so much in the face of this global pandemic and the wars and chaos it has brought upon the world!!!

Check out this video of Global Mala Manila.

The event is going to be online AND FREE!!! However, the organizers are hoping that those who join will think of donating any amount as this will go to Save the Children.

It will be so different this year from previous years when we could actually be physically present. The exchange of energies will not be the same. But we always make do with what life gives us and I am deeply grateful to everyone behind Global Mala Manila for making this event available online, especially at this time.

I already have my ticket. I may not be able to join all the classes but I will try to attend as many as I can. Whether you have been practicing yoga for some time now or doing it for the first time, there will always be a class that you can join.

To register and get a free ticket, go to https://www.globalmalamanila.com/

The schedule of classes will be there so register ahead of time and start marking the classes you want to join.

See you on the mat this Saturday and Sunday!