Tell me about mala beads..?

1 symbolizes oneness, 0 symbolizes nothingness and 8 represents infinity. When combined as 108, they unify all existence collectively. So beautiful.

Malas have historically been used as a tool for Japa Meditation, (”japa” meaning “to recite”) in which one uses each bead of the mala to guide a repetition of a mantra or intention. How do you choose a mantra? History would have you choose a sanskrit word...but I don’t know many modern hippies that speak fluent sanskrit! Personally, I believe in infusing your mala with an english word or phrase that resonates viscerally in your soul. Choose something you’re calling into your life, something you’re manifesting or something you believe in. “Love”, “I am light”, “I live a life of abunant, joyful prosperity.” Whatever you choose...believe it. Feel it deeply. Live it. Breathe it.

Hold your mala in your right hand, guru or tassel laying in your palm. Start one bead above the guru, holding the bead between your thumb and middle or ring finger (the index finger is associate with ituals for the deceased - and you, are very much alive!) Close your eyes, breathe, get centred. Gently glide each bead through your fingers, repeating your mantra before moving on to the next one. When you reach the guru bead, your meditation is complete. Not feeling settled yet? Turn your mala around and go back the way you came to repeat your mantra 108 more times. The guru is representive of our spiritual teachers, those that guide and inspire us, and as such it is considered symbolically disrespectful to “cross” the guru” during meditation - this is why we reverse, rather than simply continue.

Your mala is a sacred tool, designed to connect you with your own divinity and higher purpose - treat it with respect. Store it gently, wear it proudly, use it with intention, and cleanse it with a sage smudge stick, sunshine and/or the light of the full moon to clear accumulated negative or stagnant energies. Avoid excessive heat and moisture, as they can deteriorate stringing materials with repeated exposure.