A Mala necklace is much more than a beautiful piece of jewelry. Malas are a powerful mind tool when used with mantra and can enhance your meditation experience and daily life.
Japa Mala practice can enhance your daily practice by:
- Giving attention to your intention
- Focusing your awareness and concentration
- Overcoming a busy mind with the slow rhythmic movements through the mala beads and attention to your mantra
- Replacing negative thoughts and vibrations in the body/mind with the positive new energy of your mantra
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Japa means to rotate, and japa mala meditation involves using your fingers to rotate a mala bead whilst anchoring your mind on a mantra, prayer, or the full cycle of your breath.
Here are our tips for setting up your japa mala practice
- Find a comfortable, quiet space in your home or out in nature. Somewhere you will not be disturbed.
- Set the mood by lighting candles or incense. Cleanse your space and set the mood with your ritual pack.
- Get comfortable on your meditation set, taking your mala from its pouch.
- Hold the mala in your right hand with your thumb and middle fingers. Avoid using your index finger, which is associated with the ego. The middle finger represents Saturn, the planet of meditation, and the thumb represents your true self.
- Hold the mala either on your knee (keeping the mala from touching the floor) or at the height of your heart.
- Starting with the guru bead facing you, hold the bead on top, rolling and infusing your mantra into the bead, either out loud or silently, before moving to the next. Always drawing the guru bead towards your heart.
- Keep going until you reach the guru bead, not crossing over or touching it. Either pause here at 108 rounds or flip the mala 180 degrees, turning back the other way for another cycle of 108 rounds.
The power of your mala comes from your intention and sincerity when using it in your japa practice. With sincere use, concentrated awareness, and dedication to practice, your mala becomes a portable sacred practice and represents your intention.
Once finished with your practice, you can place the beads back in their bag and on your alter for safekeeping, or you can place them under your clothing with the mala and guru bead close to your heart during the day.
Note: Make sure you choose a mantra that holds significance to you. Many Sanskrit mantras invoke the energies of the deities, or you can choose a peace mantra, prayer, or personal intention (Sankalpa).
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ANGELA KNIGHT
Calm Buddhi Ma
Yoga, Meditation and Yoga Nidra Teacher