Mala Beads aka Prayer Beads are strands of beads that have traditionally been used in prayer and meditation. The combination of deep breathing, sacred sound and the slow steady rhythm of a japa meditation practice has inherent and synergistic calming properties. Placed between every 27 beads, the spacers break the mala up into four equal portions. Finally, gemstones have meanings which can help you choose an emotional or spiritual aspect that you want to work on through meditation, and your mala can become a focused object that you carry with you to help you in your spiritual journey.
With practice, dharana will last for two beads, three beads, then the entire mala. JC: Mala beads can be used to help keep count of your mantras during what’s called a Japa meditation cycle. Malas are also referred to as mala beads, Buddhist beads or Buddhist prayer beads.
Monks and meditators of all kinds use malas to count the number of mantras or prayers they recite. A mala is a string of 108 beads with one bead as the summit bead called a ‘sumeru’. In case you ask what is the significance of 108 beads, some believe there are 108 stages on the journey of the human soul, while others associate the possibility of enlightenment with taking only 108 breaths a day, while in deep meditation.
Japa mala necklaces can be used during meditation and also worn throughout the day as a reminder to be mindful or as a reminder for a personal mantra connected to the type of bead or stone the necklace is made from. Traditional 108-bead malas are divided into six groups of 18 beads, with a divider between each bead, while 54-bead malas have six groups of nine beads.
The conscious combination of high-grade gemstone beads with suggested mala mantras create a powerful synergetic force for healing, meditation, and well-being. Tiny Devotions’ traditional and healing mala beads are carefully crafted by local artisans, using only authentic and ethically sourced sacred materials.
Meditation practitioners of all spiritual paths use mala beads for their own personal purposes, some reasons are to count mantra, provide anchoring when meditating, as part of yoga practice, gemstone energy for balancing the chakras , as worry beads for anxiety, and many other uses.
A mall bracelet is a string of 27 beads and 1 guru bead or summit or sumeru” bead (a necklace is 108 beads with 1 guru bead) While you meditate, mala’s provide a much-needed focus point or mental anchor by helping you keep count while you repeat your mantra.
Mantras for magnetizing should be recited using malas made of saffron , lotus seed, sandalwood , or other forms of wood including elm , peach , and rosewood However, it is said the most effective is made of precious coral , which, due to a ban on harvesting, is now very rare and expensive.
The numbers 9 and 12 also have spiritual significance in many Eastern religions, with 9 times 12 equaling 108. If you wish to keep meditating, reverse the direction on your mala, doing another 108 repetitions in the other direction until you reach the guru bead once again.
A mala acts as an anchor or physical reminder of our commitment or practice and is known to physiologically trigger you into a deeper mind state the more you practice meditation while wearing it. Mala beads come alongside the breath as this tether. And every crystal has it’s own meaning, healing property and energy which is why I’m so in love with my I Love Chakra Mala as it contains such a beautiful variety of stones to help with balancing the chakras.