How to Use Your Mala
The beauty of a mala is obvious. Wearing it as a necklace or stringing it around your wrist can feel so good. There is something special that happens when you adorn yourself with one. It's as if your chemistry is transformed and you feel empowered and protected. It's a magically uplifting experience.
However, the original intent of these garlands was to aid humans in more effectively connecting with the Divine during meditation. They are sacred tools to keep us on track, tuned in, turned on.
Here is a common technique to help you make the most of your experience.
- Hold your mala in your left hand.
- Drape the beads between your ring and middle finger.
- Start at the guru bead with the tassel on the inside of your hand.
- Choose a "mantra" (a word or phrase) to use, such as "Om", "I am love", or "I am peaceful".
- Close your eyes and drop into meditation, use your thumb to gently pull one bead at a time towards you.
- Say your mantra in your mind silently. If you find your mind wandering, just come back to the feel of the mala in your hand and resume reciting your mantra.
- Move slowly until you reach the guru bead or have been carried off into the ether.
- When you reach the guru bead, turn the mala around in your hand without passing over it and repeat the process until you are complete.
- When you are complete, feel how your energy has shifted or what came up for you emotionally or mentally.
- Invite yourself to journal or reflect on your experience.
While there are clear and long held instructions and rules on how to use them, remember that your intuition is wise. If you feel compelled to diverge into your own expression, then please honor your own inner calling.
Remember that meditation is a practice. It's different each time. Sometimes it's effortless. Sometimes it's a challenge. More importantly, it's an opportunity. It gives us time and space to intimately realize our Higher Self and how the purest facet of our being is intertwined into something greater.