Why 108 Beads Mala Necklace?

I love the fact that it is possible to hear something new every time you talk with a yogi(ni) about the number 108. This is because there are diverse interpretations as to why there are 108 beads. I have listed below the ones that have impressed me the most:

1. Mantra meditation is recited by many in Sanskrit, the ancient script of India. There are 54 letters in Sanskrit alphabet and each letter has a feminine and masculine version, totalling 108.
2. 108 is considered as a number of the wholeness of existence and this number connects the Sun, the Moon and the Earth.
3. There are 108 stages along the journey of the human soul.
4. It is associated with the possibility of enlightenment by taking 108 breaths a day, while in deep meditation.