What Is a Mala and How Do You Use One?

As you look around our website, you may have come across our different types of Mala stones and beads in our Jewelry section and are wondering what they are and why you may want to have some of your own.

A mala is a set of beads and/or stones that are used by religions across the globe, including Hindus and Buddhists, when meditating or praying. Those in meditation use the stones for keeping count and reciting, praying, chanting, or silently repeating a mantra. The mala stones allow those who are meditating to focus on the mantra or sound they are emitting instead of counting the number of times they say the mantra or make the sound.

Meditation with malas works as follows: one mantra is repeated for each bead. The individual meditating turns the thumb clockwise around each bead as a way of “counting” how many times a mantra has been spoken.

Mantras are words – or even a series of words – people chant or speak silently in order to invoke a sense of peace and spirituality. Chanting is used in just about every religion or spiritual practice on the planet. Mantras help people’s minds stay quiet and focused on the meditation.

Within yoga, mantras often are Sanskrit words that have special properties. They can transform consciousness, help healing (spiritually, emotionally and physically) or help an individual’s goals and desires come to fruition.

Sanskrit words aren’t required for any mantra. Many people choose to pray or focus on an intention while they meditate. The choice is entirely personal.

Help Make Your Intentions Reality

Whether you choose to pray, focus on an intention or use a Sanskrit mantra, mala beads can help you focus your mind and enjoy a much better mediation session. And they also can help bring the intentions or desires you want most into your life. As a strand of semi-precious stones, they also make a beautiful necklace or bracelet.

For example, while some malas – which are comprised of 108 beads – are made of bone, wood, even seeds, many more malas are made up of semi-precious stones that are chosen for their particular ability to bring the healing energy of the stones to ourselves.

You can choose mala stones that correspond to the intention you want to bring forth.

Citrine malas, for example, are known to raise confidence, self-esteem and vitality. Citrine also is known to provide joy and attract abundance.

A moonstone mala promotes emotional healing on a very deep and personal level, while an agate mala can cleanse and stabilize one’s aura, re-balance and harmonize the body.

Looking to enhance your creativity? You may want to consider the carnelian mala, which stimulates creativity while keeping you grounded in reality. If you need strength and support, the onyx mala can help you when times are tough and you are under great physical or mental stress.

Are you on a spiritual journey? Then you may want to use the lapis lazuli mala, which can heighten your psychic abilities, relieve stress and help bring peace. Many yogis believe lapis is key to one’s spiritual attainment as it encourages self-awareness.

We understand that not everyone wants to practice meditation but still would like to enjoy the healing properties malas can provide, so our malas also may be worn as necklaces or bracelets.

We offer a vast variety of beautiful malas for everything from vitality and creativity to decision making and courage. What are you looking for? Becky Prater’s Store

Becky Prater’s Store