How To Use Mala Beads For Yoga And Meditation

Mala beads are quote popular as a meditation accessory. In general, it is a strand composed of 108 beads and a head called as the “guru”. A handy aid in mantra meditation, it helps you in keeping track of your counts of mantras. If your meditation span is a shorter one, then you can pick the ones with 27 beads too. Just ensure that you are picking up a mala, the sum of the number of beads equating to 9. 108 beads are the ideal choice due to the following reason:

1 stands for your inner self or the higher truth
0 for your completeness,
8 for infinity

Before we start looking into how you can use mala beads for yoga and meditation, let us take a look at some other facts related to the malas.

How To Use Mala Beads For Yoga And Meditation

Choose A Type And Style That Suits You

These meditation accessories comprises of round beads, with each bead having a diameter of maximum 10 mm. The structure and shape of these beads are so natural that they just glide through the fingers.

You get different types of malas. Here are the two most popular one.

1. Traditional malas containing Bodhi seeds, woods, lotus seeds, or Rudrakhsha beads

2. Healing malas comprising various crystals and gemstones radiating different energies and colors

If you are using the strand for a generic meditation, then you can opt for the traditional variant. For a powerful meditation practice or for healing and chakra meditation, gemstones and crystals are more appropriate. Let us say, if you want to heal your Manipura chakra or Solar Plexus, then a mala made up of apatite or yellow turquoise would be apposite as they reflect the color associated with the chakra. Including gemstone therapy as you mediate is known to bestow you with better benefits.

There are malas that come with 108 beads, tassel, and a guru while others have markers after 21 beads. While the 108 beaded strand can be used as a long necklace, the shorter ones can adorn your wrist. You can even wrap them in a wrapped in a special clean cloth and keep it with you.

How To Choose The Right Mala Bead For Your Meditation

Here are few tips to pick the right mala bead.

  1. Your intuition is the best guide when it comes to picking the right mala for you. A mala that appeals to your senses is the right pick for you.
  2. Align your intention with your intuition.
  3. Pick a color that matches your intention. If your aim to weight loss with meditation, then you can choose a yellow gemstone mala, as it awakens and stimulates Solar Plexus, enabling weight loss.
  4. Choose a dealer who is preparing the beads using a proper reference guide.

Using Mala Beads For Meditation

Talk a walk through these steps to learn how you can use mala beads while meditation:

The Steps

  1. Sit down in a comfortable position of your choice, keeping the spine erect, neck, head, and shoulders relaxed.
  2. Place your right palm on your right knee.
  3. Hold the mala with your right hand.
  4. Leave out the Guru and get started.
  5. Hold the bead between your thumb and index fingers.
  6. Chant the mantra once and then slowly move on to the next bead, using thumb to grab the following bead. Just ensure that you are moving the bead only after the mantra recitation is completed.
  7. Keep moving till you come back to the Guru.
  8. Make a special prayer here.
  9. Now start chanting in the reverse direction.
  10. Keep repeating the process till you complete your meditation.

The next time you want to meditate deeper, try using the mala beads. It will improve your level of concentration, thereby fetching you better benefits.