How To Use Mala Beads To Enhance Your Meditation Practice

“More than just lovely ornamentation, Mala Beads are an effective and symbolic tool that can improve and advance your meditation technique.”

The term "mala" refers to the prayer beads used for keeping track of mantra recitations in Sanskrit. The Sanskrit word "mala" indicate a garland of flowers that was historically strung together on a single thread or loop. Crafter connects 109 beads together including the “guru” bead and brings it to the complete garland (mala), that usually used for meditation and prayer, that incorporate jewels packed with strong energies and spiritual meaning to enhance your practice. Malas Beads are used to keep count of repetitions of a mantra or a deity's name when reciting, chanting, or mentally repeating them. Prayer Beads or Mala Beads are a useful tool for keeping track of the repetitions of a mantra. Prayers or spiritual words known as mantras are frequently repeated. 

Yes, when worn as a necklace, these beads are stunning and make a statement. But what purpose do mala beads serve? And what role do mala beads have in your daily meditation routine? We simplify it for you.

How to use Mala Beads for  Meditation?

Here are some easy "how to" instructions for introducing Mala Beads to your meditation routine:

• If  this is your first time using a Mala , start by holding one out in front of you so we can examine the anatomy. The tassel serves as an endpoint, indicating that you have completed a full cycle of meditation by going all the way around the Mala. One single bead, referred to as the guru bead, is located between the tassel and necklace loop.
• Start by holding the necklace in your dominant hand with the tassel facing you.
• Begin with the bead that is directly opposite the guru bead.
• Turn each bead in your fingers one at a time as you carefully move to the next bead.
• Try to avoid using your index finger to flip the beads because it is thought to represent your ego.
• Try turning the beads with your thumb. To draw the bead toward you, use your thumb nail. Alternatively, you can turn the bead with your thumb by moving on to the next one as you do so.
• You'll see that there are hand knots between each bead; this is done to make switching between beads easier.

Top 5 Need To Know Meditative Mala Beads Benefits

   1. Reduced Stress and Improved Physical Health

 A great technique to reduce stress and boost wellbeing is through meditation. Using malas while meditating is thought to lower your heart rate and control your blood pressure. Thus, you can develop comprehensive awareness as a result. Regular yoga and meditation practice can improve your physical health by lowering your heart rate, blood pressure, and cholesterol. 

    2. Making Your Meditation Practice Stronger

 A mala bead is a device for Japa or mantra meditation tracking. It is therefore simpler for you to remember and practice your regular meditation while you are wearing a bead. Consistency is the outcome, and consistency helps you improve as a practitioner.

    3. Supports the Activation of Your Seven Chakras

 Your seven chakras can be balanced with the appropriate crystal and stone beads. You are thereby attempting to alter their level of activity. You will have more influence over all aspects of your life when your chakras are open and balanced. This covers interpersonal relations, management, spirituality, talent, creativity, and other areas.

    4. Soul-Soothing and Mindful Breathing

 While meditation, malas serve as the appropriate cues to assist you in controlling your breathing. These beads can help you improve and regulate your breath spans by helping you keep track of when to inhale and exhale. Making deep connections between your mind, body, and spirit while doing this will help you calm your mind. 

    5. It Improves Your Focus and Attention

 The mala beads will provide your mind with something to concentrate on while you are meditating. Many novices find it difficult to control their wandering thoughts when they first try to meditate. By utilizing the Mala beads frequently during your practice, you are teaching yourself how to manage your thoughts and training your mind to be alert and stay focused on the work at hand.

What Does It Mean When Mala Beads Break?

 Breaking of beads mala can be a heartbreaking thought to consider something breaking. The majority of us have experienced a break, perhaps in the form of a broken relationship or a material object that we watched in slow motion fall to the ground and break into a million pieces. We may feel disoriented and devastated after those difficult breaks.

There is lovely symbolism behind why a mala breaks.A shattered mala is supposed to represent a broken karmic cycle, which means you no longer "need" that mala. Your existing intentions are no longer serving you, thus it's a sign that you should set new ones. It is intended to impart to us the priceless knowledge of non-attachment.

Why Does a Mala Necklace Have 108 Beads?

Every mala has 108 beads. Additionally, there are several kinds of malas, such as pocket malas and mala bracelets, which can include 27 or 54 beads or any other multiple of 9, since 9 is a sacred number in yoga. Why, then, 108? In a variety of religions and cultures, 108 is considered sacred. You could read about the number 108 for days because it has so many interesting links.

According to traditional Buddhism, The number 108 is said to signify the number of human mortal wants that one must conquer in order to reach Nirvana. Mala Beads are frequently employed as a meditation aid. There are 108 beads available for this purpose, which allows you to move your fingers around the beads while chanting a mantra 100 times.

Consider your mala beads or prayer beads as a tool that can direct you toward a more in-depth meditation routine.Your mala serves as a tactile companion during the journey. But keep in mind, it's just practice. There will be both challenging and easy days. At the start of each practice, resolve not to criticize yourself when your mind wanders.

How do you Pray a Mala?

Although there are numerous ways to use the mala during meditation, from the perspective of popularity mantra repetition and breath control are the two good initiating points.

Controlling Your Breath

Simply paying attention to your breathing flow is a valid form of this meditation. You should have the freedom, you can do it anywhere in your comfort zone.

Follow the instruction to perform controlling breath meditation:

1. First, hold your mala with one hand (left or right).
2. Drape the mala across your finger, so that it can be moved easily by placing two fingers around one of the beads next to the guru bead. (Many people use their thumb and middle finger to satisfy their religious and traditional protocols).
3. Perform one shot of the breath cycle (inhale and exhale).
4. Switch your finger to the next bead after completing one full breath.
5. Continue this process until you reach the Guru bead (108 breaths).
6. If you feel or want to do the same meditation process again, continue the process in the opposite direction until you reach the Guru bead again.

Repeating a mantra

Did you know?

According to a scientific study conducted by the International Journal of Yoga (IOGY), Chanting om mantra results in psychological alertness, increase sensitivity as well as the synchronicity of certain biorhythms, and boost sensitivity to the transmission of sensory.

A mantra is a spiritually, religiously, and culturally structured phrase or sound that helps to concentrate on the meditation process. Among the countless mantras “Om” is a commonly used and powerful mantra. It is also in practice that people make their custom mantras like “I am calm, I am abandoned, I am loved, I am peaceful” but the repetition of the mantras depends upon the person's current situation.

Repeating the mantra process is similar to controlling the breathing process. Invested in the breathing cycle (inhale and exhale), repeat the mantras once at each bead. For more deep meditation chant the mantra in a loud and clear voice or you can stick to a mental repetition. 

Choosing your beads

Mala comes in a wide variety of different styles and colors that are produced from seeds, precious metals or semiprecious woods and stones. Since you are promoting meditation through mala it is crucial to choose beads that make you comfortable. Meanwhile, there is no right and wrong choice. The primary things over here are your comfort.

Malas come in a range of styles and colors. The beads themselves can be made from seeds, precious or semiprecious stones, wood, or other materials.

When you are seeking a specific mala, you can ask the following set of questions to yourself:

• Does it comfortable and sensational to touch?
• Does the beauty of mala attract you?
• Does the mala meaningful to you?

If all answers are “yes” in your domain, it’s fine to have the mala.

What is Mala Mantra?

As mentioned earlier, Mala Mantra is a phrase that makes your consciousness alert and focused. If you are looking for the best mantra for success or else intention. Here is our go-to most recommended mantras along with their meaning:

• Om Namah Shivaya: Mantra for awakening of spiritual consciousness.
• Om Mani Padme Hum: Mantra for self-purification.
• Om Tare Tuttare Ture Soha: Mantra for declaring self-enlightenment and abundance.
• Sat Chit Ananda: Mantra for authenticity, authority, truth, and bliss.

What wrist is appropriate to wear a Mala on?

Although it is practical to be mala on both wrists (left or right), the traditional values primarily focus on the right hand wearing a mala. In-depth there is no specific set of rules in any tradition of the appropriate rules of mala in a wrist.

Can you sleep with mala beads?

After a certain time period, your mala starts to absorb your energies and becomes darker as well. Another contributing factor to your mala getting darker is because of the dirt and dust. In order to minimize such problems, you should have to take special care of your mala. Mala cleaning process varies in its structure of how and what materials are used to make mala. 

While some mala contains the properties that help to prevent insomnia, it is okay to have such mala but in other cases, it is okay to put off your mala while sleeping. 

What does the tassel on a mala mean?

A mala tassel is a finishing feature of silk or cotton threads lightly connected to each other that contains functional purpose as well as spiritual significance. It symbolizes the connection to the spirit.