WHAT aND WHY OF MALAS

Mala beads, or japa malas, are a string of beads that traditionally have been used in meditation. Many cultures have some form of beaded meditation aid, such as the mala, in the form of prayer beads, worry beads, and rosaries. The beads act as a tool to guide your focus. Meditation can be difficult to master at any time, and especially now in our hectic modern days; we are swarmed with thoughts running through our heads and are prone to thinking about the next appointment or task; we ruminate about the things that have troubled us during the day. With meditation you can take a moment to find a respite from the hectic and to touch on living more mindfully and spiritually. 

Malas traditionally have 108 beads that are counted. These are the beads on which a practitioner would focus their intention, or mantra, and repeat as they move their thumb and forefinger over each bead. The 108 counting beads may or may not be interspersed with other beads that serve as markers or spacers. These marker beads often have a different shape or size so that they would be recognizable as separate from the 108 beads. They can serve as a moment of pause and as a reminder to return focus to your intention and meditation.

The guru bead is traditionally the 109th bead and is usually seen set apart from the counting beads. It represents the Teacher, the Divine, or the Spirit. In practice you start at the guru bead and focus your mind on your intent and when ready start around the mala holding each bead and repeating your intent or focus. Then, once you have made your way around the mala and return to the guru bead, you would turn the mala around and go back around the strand without jumping over the guru in order to continue your meditation if you wished. 

Malas are tools to aid us in our meditation practices. They serve as reminders to be mindful during our day. Malas are beautiful representations of our intentions and spirituality. The materials chosen to construct your mala may have their own significance or healing properties. They may simply bring you joy. Therefore, traditional or not, I believe there are no hard rules in mala construction or in use. This is supported in my research on them. It is up to you to decide what your mala will look like and how you will use it because, in the end, what works is what is right. I believe that the malas we choose are as individual as our needs and ourselves. For myself, crafting malas is a form of meditation that allows me to make each piece with loving energy and intention. 

Mala Care

Your malas are handmade with care and made to last. However, they are not indestructible. They are instruments that are meant to be handled and used, often daily, so there will be some wear. Please be mindful when wearing your mala and treat it with respect and take care around car doors, small children, and animals, especially cats. I recommend that you avoid getting your mala wet as it could cause early fraying and wear of the cord. Some crystals, wood, and minerals will react with water changing their properties and appearance. So, please take your mala off when bathing or swimming. 

If your mala requires cleaning, I recommend using a soft cloth to lightly polish the beads. Spot cleaning with a damp cloth should be done only when needed and with care so as not to soak the mala and you should research your bead types before applying any moisture. Please do not use harsh chemicals on your mala. Your natural skin oils should keep your wood and seed beads in good condition. On rare occasion, a very light application of natural oil applied on your fingertips and then the beads could keep them in good condition if they seem dry.

Store your malas in a special place of your choosing, out of strong direct sunlight, by hanging them or lying flat and with the tassels in good position. I do not recommended storing malas with tassels in their travel pouches as this will cause the threads to kink and tangle. If traveling with your mala, consider wrapping the tassel before placing in a pouch to protect it. Tassels can be groomed when needed by wetting them slightly with your fingertips and stroking in a downward fashion to align the threads once again. Lay flat or hang to dry overnight, taking care that the threads are straight, and your tassel will be refreshed by morning.  

Cleansing and charging your malas is something that you can do to keep the energy of the crystals within them working for you. Cleansing and charging do two different things; cleansing removes negative and other unwanted stored up energies that your crystals will accumulate over time; charging reenergizes the crystals, like charging up a battery, so that you can continue to receive their full effects. You can use these times to also program your crystals with your intentions. My favorite methods of cleansing are smudging with sage or palo santo and with sound vibrations using a Tibetan singing bowl or gong. For charging them, I use crystal clusters and moonlight under the Full Moon. You can also use sunlight to both cleanse and charge your crystals, but I recommend this only on occasion and to not leave your pieces out for more than half an hour as sunlight can fade some stones or damage some crystals structures if overused. Please do your research and choose the method that feels right to you. 

WHAT HAPPENS if MY MALA BREAKS?

It is safe to say that every mala will break one day. They are energetic tools that are meant for use and take on more wear than other forms of jewelry. It is thought that when a mala does break, the intention or purpose that was set for it has been completed and it's time for a new mala. This is often hard for us to accept. Our malas are very personal items and we love them and form deep attachments to them. When your mala breaks, take some moments of reflection on your time and meditation with that particular mala. Congratulate yourself on entering a new karmic cycle and meditate on where you are now compared to when you first got your mala. Consider whether you are ready to take on a new intention and a new piece. We have options if your mala breaks. You may choose to honor the beads by performing a blessing ceremony and place them on an alter or scatter them in a place of honor. You may cleanse the beads and repurpose some of them in new pieces, such as a bracelet or new mala for yourself, or as a gift to someone else. If you believe you are not ready or not finished with this mala cycle and choose to restring your mala for yourself as it was first created, I recommend making at least one small change. One different bead, or a slight change in the pattern, so that it does provide you with a new shift in perspective or focus. Feel free to contact me to discuss repair or other options. In general, I will repair your mala for free if it breaks within a year of use. If you desire a new or redesigned mala made with some or all of the beads, there may be a fee. I no longer accept malas that have been acquired elsewhere for repair for energetic reason. Feel free to contact me with any questions and to discuss options.