Ever seen those beaded yoga necklaces and wondered what they mean? To recap, the mala should have 108+1 beads strung in a traditional way with a knot between the beads, with a tassel at the end of the Guru bead. Each time you work your way around the mala, saying a mantra for each bead, you are considered to have completed 100 mantra recitations.

(If you have a wrist mala of 27 beads you will need to repeat this 3 more times.) You can continue with the practice chanting multiples of 108 mantras. Find out how to start your own simple practice with your mala beads. A decorative tassel is sometimes attached to the beads, flanked by talismans or amulets depending on one’s local tradition.

Traditionally, they have 108 beads plus one guru bead (the one that dangles off the end of the necklace), says Ashley Wray, cofounder of Mala Collective , a company that sells sustainable, fair trade malas handmade in Bali. Just wearing my mala makes me feel more grounded in who I am, and gives me a visual reminder to keep my daily intentions in check – quite the feat for just a little string of beads.

A traditional mala, as ours, has 108 beads for keeping the count during meditation. In my kids’ classes, we sometimes make Knotta Malas by tying knots in string. Practicing with mala beads can help you develop concentration, mental clarity, and good-will. Welcome to Golden Lotus Mala’s guide to mala beads a straight forward article covering nearly everything you need to know about meditation and prayer with your mala, history, usage, and caring for your sacred beads.

Placing the mala on your third finger will also allow you to efficiently cycle through the mala throughout your meditation and mantra recitations. Likewise, the malas made of tulsi wood are considered very suitable for meditation. Then continue with 36 more beads and 36 knots, which will put you exactly at ½ of the mala.

Japa mala necklaces dinastyoffreedom.com 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. The Mani Mantra is the most common Mahayana Buddhist Mantra, that is open for all to chant as a compliment to meditation practice.

If you’re having difficulty focusing during meditation, Mala beads can be really helpful and keep your mind from wandering or feeling distracted. Mala beads come alongside the breath as this tether. Malas can come in a variety of sizes, from 108 beads to as little as 21. The length of your meditation will depend on the length of your mala.

This process is repeated and when arriving at the head or guru bead, the person meditating turns the mala around and then goes back in the opposing direction. In the Hindu tradition, you can use any finger of the right hand to hold the beads, except for the first finger, which is the pointing or accusing” finger; you don’t use that one.

You may want to cleanse your mala beads from time to time. Learn the history of prayer beads and what japa mala means. Your pointer or Jupiter finger for expansion goes under the thumb on top, which moves the stones forward over the Jupiter finger one at a time. Mala beads are also worn as jewelry, as a necklace or bracelet, as they are said to bring calm and inner peace to those who wear them.

Use your mala beads to count one inhale and move to the next mala bead when you exhale. For those who don’t care to pray or recite chants, mala beads can be used to simply count each breath during meditation. I love me some mala beads and I think you’ll find that they’re super helpful for keeping your meditation practice focused (or at least more” focused)!