What are Meditation Beads or “Mala”?
Mala are strands of beads used to count prayers or mantras. Almost every culture and religion has some form of this, from the Catholic Rosary, to Eastern Orthodox knotted rosaries, to Muslim Subha, to Hindu and Buddhist Mala – even good old “worry beads” and “love beads”. Each culture and religion uses a different number of beads to match their particular religious practices. Some even group the beads into particular patterns to match a pattern of changing prayers, like the decades on the Catholic Rosary.
For Serene Beads meditation work, I’ve chosen the Buddhist mala for several reasons. First, there is no pattern…it is a simple, uncomplicated string of beads with a larger bead called the “guru” bead to let you feel the beginning / end of the circle. Each bead usually has a knot or tiny bead in between the main beads to give you room to put your fingers as you move along from one bead to the next.
Another reason is the length. In my experience, 108 is long enough for relaxation, but not so long as to be tedius or over-challenging to a beginner. I personally like the symbolism of the numbers. One, for the one-ness of things, zero to represent the circles and cycles of life, and eight, which is the same as the symbol for infinity, only viewed from from a different direction. Eight is also thought to be a lucky number in some Asian cultures.
For the purposes of this meditation, you can choose any beads you like. A mala is included with private tutorials to give you something to work with during the tutorial itself. If you prefer the book, or self-study version (or just want to use something besides a mala)…any string of beads will do, even a favorite necklace. One caution…if you are going to use the beads regularly, find something durable so it won’t fall apart as you use it. Uniform size of all the beads is helpful: it makes them easier to use and is less distracting.
The mala I make and sell here use excellent quality materials. The glass beads are Czech druk or crackle beads with the color IN the glass, not just coated on. The color won’t rub off with repeated use. These beads can give the color and appearance of gemstones at a fraction of the cost.
Glass is made of silica sands, so it carries energy in a way very similar to natural gemstone. Glass is found in nature near volcanos and where lightning strikes sand, so glass IS a natural product sometimes. I do not recommend acrylic or plastic beads as they carry energy very poorly if at all. Pearls are not durable enough for mala use. Wood beads are also an excellent cost effective choice.
Gemstone mala are available through custom orders.
Custom mala include free shipping and free design consultation. Custom mala are $10 plus cost of materials.
Artist Design mala: $15 w/ FREE shipping
Wood bead mala: included with private tutorial or $8 w/ FREE shipping.
All mala receive a FREE Reiki blessing prior to shipment to give your mala a clean, uplifting energy feel before you begin your meditation practice. A great “head start” for those new to meditation.
Please CONTACT me to order.
All mala are handcrafted so please allow for some variation. All mala are as-is with no refunds or exchanges please. Payment due at time of order. You will be invoiced via PayPal for YOUR security. You never give your credit card information to a stranger! I am a PayPal Identity Verified Vendor for your added security. Pay by check via mail available for extra $1 handling fee. Ask for details when ordering.
click HERE to see photos of mala
click HERE for details about artist-designed mala