What is a Mala?
Traditional hand-knotted Malas have been around for centuries; commonly used in Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism, Buddhism and Shinto for the spiritual meditation practice known in Sanskrit as japa.
Each part of the Mala has significant meaning and each Mala is created with love and positive intention.
108 Beads
Each Mala contains 108 beads, a multiple of 9 as the number 9 is a sacred number in yoga and 108 shows up many times in different religious and spiritual practices. 108 often signifying (1) something (0) nothing and (8) everything or infinity.
Guru Bead
Malas have one other bead not included in the 108, the 'Guru' bead. In Sanskrit 'guru' translates to 'bringer of light' and is meant to represent the relationship between student and teacher and is often held at the beginning of meditation to set intention and then at the end again to solidify your practice.
Knots
Traditional Malas are hand-knotted between each bead for easier movement through meditation and as a form of meditation during the knotting process. A knot between each bead makes your Mala stronger and prevents stones from rubbing together causing damage or becoming lost if the strand ever breaks.
Tassel
Malas are finished with a handmade cotton, nylon or silk tassel, bringing all the strands together at the end to represent oneness, connectedness and enlightenment.
Counter Beads
These are a personal preference, some prefer to have charms or spacer beads on their Malas at different intervals to help when counting mantras. Often spacers are placed at 9, 18, 27 or 54 stones to mark progress or halfway points in your practice.
From the design of the piece to the actual knotting process each Mala takes anywhere from 2-5 hours to complete.
I hope this helped you better understand the work and attention that goes into the creation of each Mala.
Much love,
Allison K
Comments