Have you ever walked into a yoga class and spotted a fellow yogi sporting a gorgeous strand of meditation beads? Those are called mala beads and they have been used for ages in both yoga and meditation. Mala beads are more than just a yoga fashion statement; each bead has the potential to harness the infinite energy that can be manifested in yoga. Read on to learn more.
What are Mala Beads
Mala beads originated in India over 2500 years ago. The word ‘mala’ is Sanskrit for ‘meditation garland’. Just as there are many styles of meditation today, there were a multitude of meditation techniques that were used in ancient India. One type of meditation was called Japa meditation. In Japa meditation, a meditator would recite or chant a mantra, either audibly or quietly. Japa meditation originated in the Vedic tradition of India, which shaped the practice of several Eastern religions. In Hinduism, Buddhism, and Sikhism, a mantra is something that is repeated a specific number of times. A mantra can be a sound or syllable that is repeated, such as Om, or it can be a calling out or honoring of a specific deity. While mantras and mala meditation were originally created in the context of religion, they can also be used by meditators who have no affiliation with any Eastern religions. In fact, the concept behind mala meditation is so universal, it can be found in many other religions. For example, mala beads are comparable to rosary beads, which are used in Roman Catholicism. In both practices, a practitioner uses the beads to keep track of how many times that person repeats a prayer or mantra.
Meditation has always been recognized as being ‘difficult’, even for devout meditation practitioners of ancient India. Mala, or Japa, beads were created so that a practitioner could focus on the meaning of a mantra while they were repeating it, rather than keeping track of how many times the mantra was repeated. By using the beads to focus solely on the meaning of the mantra and the experience of repeating the mantra, it allowed the practitioner to become fully absorbed in the practice. This type of single orientation is what mantra meditation is all about. Mala beads typically contain 108 beads plus a sumeru, or guru, bead (more about that later). If a pair of mala beads contains less than 108 beads, they usually include a number of beads that add up to a divisor of 108. The number 108 is an auspicious number in Eastern traditions and is believed to hold sacred meaning. There are many theories, ranging from mathematical theories to the study of Vedic anatomy, that explain why 108 is so sacred. Mala bead meditation can also be helpful for meditators who wish to engage in secular, rather than a religious based, meditation. For example, certain sounds or words can be therapeutic when they are used in secular mantra meditation. By using mala beads, a meditator can repeat such calming sounds without having to keep track of how many times the sounds are repeated.
How to Use Mala Beads
Stemming from the Hindu tradition, a mala is typically held in the right hand, though some traditions call for the use of the left hand in mala meditation. As a practitioner, you would use the sumeru, or guru bead, as a reference point of where to begin. The guru bead is typically bigger than the other beads, so it’s easier to locate. Generally, you would move in a clockwise direction, so you would start your practice with the bead immediately to the right of the guru bead. In most traditions, the thumb and middle finger are used to move from bead to bead. It is believed that the pointer finger represents the ego, so that finger is usually avoided when moving down the mala. After grabbing the bead just to the right of the guru bead, you would use your thumb and middle finger to move from bead to bead down the mala until you reached the other end of the guru bead. This is considered a single round of chanting in traditional mala meditation. Once you have completed a round, you could either stop or keep going. If you chose to keep meditating, you would reverse your movement down the string of beads. With each round, the direction of counting or chanting is reversed.
Benefits of Using Mala Beads
Meditation can be both arduous yet incredibly beneficial. Sometimes, it can be difficult for a person to choose a meditation style that suits their needs. There is a lot of misconception about what meditation is and how to properly do it. One universal characteristic of meditation that is found in nearly all practices is this idea of self-transcendence. Self-transcendence involves an orienting of one’s attention away from the ‘self’ and toward something more expansive and connected. Sometimes the ‘self’ is referred to as the ego. If you’ve ever experienced yourself feeling competitive in a yoga class, you know exactly how the ego can surface. You may have also noticed that a surfacing of the ego can disrupt your flow and take away from your meditative experience. In today’s modern world where we are always on the go, it’s so easy for the ego to take the driver’s seat and turn our attention inward. Even when we attempt to practice mindfulness, the tricky little ego can maneuver its way into the spotlight. Concentrated focus that is inward toward the self has the potential to lead to rumination and depression. Meditating with mala beads allows a practitioner to easily focus on something external, which keeps self-oriented focus at bay. What’s more, the fact that mala beads encourage tactile engagement, there is a greater likelihood that the therapeutic benefits of meditation will permeate one’s psyche. In fact, research in the field of neuroscience has indicated that tactile engagement with an object is correlated with increased attention. What this means is that, when you are repeating a mantra while touching the mala beads, your brain has a better chance of internalizing the meaning of the mantra. As we’ve stated previously, a mantra doesn’t need to be based on a particular religion. A meditator should choose a mantra based on whatever phrase, sound, or word resonates with that person.
Mala Beads and Yoga
We are all super busy and it can be difficult to find time to slow down and allow for an integration of the mind, body, and spirit. It can be even more challenging to give your brain a good dose of daily meditation. Yoga allows you to do all of that in a single session. When you add mala beads to the mix, it’s a double win! If you have ever set an intention in a yoga class, you may have noticed that your intention resurfaced throughout the day after you left class. If you bring mala beads to your yoga classes, you can infuse each bead with your intention. Then, each time you reach for your beads, your brain will automatically recall the intention you set. Since wearing mala beads happens to be in vogue at the moment, you can wear your yoga infused beads close to your heart at all times, whether you are in the office or sweating it out in a vigorous yoga class. You can spice up your strand of mala beads (both literally and metaphorically) by including some gemstones. It is believed that various gemstones bear different energetic properties based on history and legends. Say, for example, you are in serious need of some self-love, you may opt for a mala comprised of beautiful rose quartz beads. Many people choose to make their own mala beads because it allows them to completely personalize their malas. The more personal your mala is, the more it will resonate with your soul. The process of making a mala can also be therapeutic in and of itself and it gives you time to infuse your mala with your own individualized wishes and prayers. Each time you grab your mala, you’ll remember how you wanted to feel and who you wanted to be when you made it. The coolness of the beads against your skin may have a cleansing effect that reaches all the way into your soul. With your own mala beads, you can take your elevated yoga practice with you off the mat and keep it with you, close to your heart, always.