A Special Mala

Yesterday I gathered some supplies and made my first mala. A complete novice at jewelry making, the folks at A World of Beads in Hyde Park were very helpful in showing me how to finish off the strand and how to attach the stone to the end. I've never even owned a mala before but since this is a devotional item I thought it would mean more to make it myself and include something significant to me as part of it.

So what is a mala you might be asking? A mala is similar to a rosary only it comes from Eastern practice rather than Catholicism. Some even call it a Buddhist rosary. The bead count is some number divisible my 9 or a full strand of 108, which is how I made mine. One uses the mala in japa meditation, which is the repetition of a mantra. There are many books and online sources to learn more about malas and how they're used.

Malas are most often seen with a tassel at the end but I decided to make mine with a special stone at the end. At my yoga teacher training, we were all asked to bring something to place on a group altar. One of my fellow students brought 13 stones from the beach near her home to represent the 12 students and our teacher. She had pre-drilled the stones and left them on the altar during our training. At the end, we each chose a stone to bring home with us.

Teacher training was a milestone in my life and I hold the relationships that were formed there very close to my heart. So whenever I wear this mala or practice with it, I hope to find some piece of the tranquility and transformation I experienced there. Our little sangha continues to amaze me with how serendipitously we continue to flow through each others lives.

Om Shanti,

Pilar