The Beautiful, Powerful, Mala
Whether you’re new to a spiritual practice or or have been practicing for years, there’s a good chance you’ve heard of a mala. Fun Fact: I actually bought my first mala before I even began my spiritual journey (I just love beautiful things, and there are so many beautiful malas out there!), because it was a tool that I leaned on to make me feel protected in my life.
Little did I know the power they had …
What is a mala?
A mala is a string of beads 108 beads used to guide you during meditation. The number 108 symbolizes 108 breaths or repetitions of your affirmation/mantra during your meditation so you can keep count. While the significance of 108 is open to interpretation by you, it is believed that this number signifies the breaths to enlightenment, the number of emotions we feel, or the number of stages on the soul’s journey. Feel free to read more on the significance of 108 here.
One of my personal favorites: Rose Quartz mala, “I am Love” to inspire an open heart.
The mala also includes a rudraksha bead, also known as the guru bead, which represents a student-guru relationship. During meditation, when you come across this bead, it’s to take a moment to honor this relationship. Finally, at the very end of the mala, there is a tassel, representing the coming together of all components - the beads, the string, the knots; which you could interpret as connection of all things to the divine - as one.
Malas are created from beads of varying stones, each with its own unique physical properties.These properties are meant to guide, protect, and affirm certain powers in your life. For example, rose quartz has the property of love and connection, for all types of relationships in your life. If you are feeling closed off from someone in your life, you might use a rose quartz mala to inspire an open heart for that relationship.
I began using malas in my meditation practice as a guide for several reasons:
Feeling more grounded and connected to my intention during meditation: the connection I feel to the Universe is significantly stronger when I use my mala than when I don’t.
Using a mala of a with a specific stone to connect its property to: it’s nice having a guide if you’re struggling with something in your life. A personal affirmation I’ve been working on for awhile now is to keep my heart open, so I’ve been using my rose quartz mala nearly daily to guide me on that journey.
Tool for focus - sometimes during meditation, if we aren’t fully prepared or focused, we might begin to feel antsy. This is especially normal if you are new to meditation or are typically a “go-go-go” kind of person (aka me). Using the mala gives you a guide to stay focused, and you can “count” the beads (or note where you begin and end) to make the meditation time feel less infinite.
I promise meditation will not always feel like forever, in fact it will become a practice and form of self-care you will actually crave. It’s a few minutes of peace and connection to the Universe (or Source/Spirit/God/Truth/Divine, whatever name you give it) that is refreshing, rejuvenating, and cleansing.
All of the malas I’ve purchased have been from The Mala Collective, and they are absolutely stunning and blessed after they are handmade in Bali. Let’s be honest, we could all use a little extra blessing here and there, right?
These are the malas I love to use in my practice:
Labradorite “I am Whole”: Stone of magic and synchronicity
Rose Quartz “I am Love”: Stone of love and relationships
Clear Quartz “I am Clear”: Dispels negativity, stress and anxiety, an energetic amplifier
White Jasper “I am Limitless”: Associated with new beginnings and hope, focuses on abundance, brings peace in times of stress
Burmese Jade Bracelet: Stone of prosperity and good fortune
Garnet Bracelet: Stone of vitality and sexuality (also my birthstone so I had to have it!)
To learn more about Malas, check out The Mala Collective’s awesome information page here, or click the button below to get shopping for your own personal meditation tool.
