A Sun Salutation is a sequence of 12 yoga poses traditionally performed to greet the new day. Yoga Mala participants will perform 108 of them on August 10 at a fundraising event to benefit the YWCA.

The YWCA of Central Maine and Chill Yoga will team up to host a Great Falls Yoga Mala on Sunday, August 10. A Yoga Mala is an opportunity for the yoga community and their friends to get together to do 108 “Sun Salutations.” A Sun Salutation is a sequence of 12 yoga poses that is traditionally performed in the morning to greet the new day. The Yoga Mala is a fundraiser to benefit the YWCA.

Participants will complete the Sun Salutations at their own pace. Trained yoga teachers will be on hand to offer instruction, support and modifications to meet individual needs. Experienced yoga practitioners may arrive as late as 10:30 a.m. Beginners are encouraged to arrive at 8:30 a.m. to allow time for instruction. The event will take place at the YWCA at 130 East Avenue in Lewiston.

According to Nerys Bayley of Chill Yoga, a principal part of yoga is ”seva,” or selfless service. The Great Falls Yoga Mala will offer yoga novices and enthusiasts an opportunity to support the work of the YWCA through yoga. That, in turn, will benefit the community. “More than a thousand people, from infants to the elderly, are served by the daycare, summer camps, water aerobics and therapeutic swim programs offered by the YWCA,” says Executive Director Kathy During-Leighton.

Organizers hope to raise $6,000 through the event. Participants who raise $100 in pledges will receive a free ticket to the upcoming Great Falls Yoga Festival on September 13. For more information, call 795-4050 or email kleighton@ywcamaine.org. To sign up, see www.gfyfyogamala.myevent.com.