How Mala Beads Can Change Your Life
If you haven’t heard of mala beads before, you might be wondering what they are. Mala beads are a form of prayer beads that originated in Tibetan Buddhism and actually inspired the rosary.
They were originally given to the working class who couldn’t afford to be in a monastery meditating all day. Today, though most of us cannot afford to live a monastic life of contemplation, a mala still serves the same practical purpose of helping direct the mind to positive states of consciousness.
You may be wondering if mala beads are religious. The short answer is: they don’t have to be. Today we will break down the benefits of using mala beads and the simple ways you can use them during your yoga or meditative practice.
What is a Mala?
Let’s start at the beginning.
Malas are necklaces made of 108 beads with an added stopper bead and a tassel. The beads are either wood, seeds, or different crystals.
Malas are used as sacred power objects as well as for using mantras to create new thought patterns.
A power object is essentially an organic material that can hold an energetic charge to help you get into the desired state. Power objects can be blessed with your intention, or some people choose to ask a spiritual figure to bring positive energy to the beads.
How Do Mala Beads Work?
Now you’re probably scratching your head, wondering what a spiritual power object can do for your real-life problems, right? Well, do you like love, job opportunities, happy emotions, and maybe want to open that infamous Third Eye? Mala beads can help you with all that and more.
Malas are intention amplifiers: tools to help you craft your life.
Your thoughts are powerful and will be generating your reality whether you are or are not using them.
Most of your thoughts are subconscious, and that is where the mala beads really help you harness your own power. Thoughts are a wavelength that travels faster than light and sound and is based on the law of attraction, and we are constantly attracting to us what our own vibrational state happens to be.
The patterns in our subconscious mind become normalized in what we call brain patterns, which are neural patterns or habitual perspectives that we perceive reality with.
By repeating a mantra or affirmation while using mala beads, we can:
- Address our deepest fears
- Reroute our self-esteem
- Build trust that we can accomplish our dreams
- Improve our ability to communicate
- Develop healthy self-love
- Find healthy habits to replace unhealthy ones
They can be purchased for less than $20 depending on the material, and they could very well open the mystical door of esoteric wisdom just as attending a mystery school can.
When you experience the power of intention, it’s a more powerful teacher than reading a theory about the true nature of the universe. It can open you to realize, you really are in the driver’s seat in life, and you can direct your energy because everything is vibrating.
Read this next: How to Activate Positive Emotions with Aromatherapy
Using Mala Beads in Your Daily Life
Step One
Choosing a mantra or intention is the first step.
What do you want to create more of in your life? It might be financial abundance, romance, spiritual connection, positive friendships, a new job, a positive attitude, healing from a breakup, etc.
Step Two
Create an affirmation that basically states you’ve gotten the desired result. Alternatively, you can choose a mantra such as the compassion mantra “om mani Padme hum,” which brings a sense of peace which is certainly a valuable state to practice cultivating.
The repetition in this simple process will put you in a meditative state where it’s easier to direct the subconscious. Using a mantra normalizes a new reality for you.
Step Three
Next, state the mantra once for each bead at least once a day. Pass the beads through your middle finger and thumb.
Over time, you start to believe the mantra as you retrain your energy pattern to align with this vibration. You’ll start to see the changes in your life and see why so many cultures have used some form of meditation beads for so long.
Using Crystals & Aromatherapy
You can add to your practice by getting certain crystal healing from the beads. See what you are drawn to or look for crystals with additional properties to get you to the desired frequency.
Some people also combine essential oils with lava stone mala beads. The crevices in the lava beads hold the essential oils for long periods of time. Other wooden beads already have a scent that can help induce a calm state.
Sandalwood is a popular one.
Mala & Meditation Are a Perfect Match
Mala beads or meditation beads are used equally in various religions and by non-religious people. The power of the mind is scientific, and you do not need to subscribe to a religious system to use mala beads. Use them as your own form of spirituality and carry them with you to remind you of the energy you’re cultivating.
Some people may choose to wear their mala to remind them to be kind or to be calm. Each person will have their own personal connection to the beads, and some people may use them for energetic protection.
Empaths often use protective crystal beads such as black tourmaline, which bring balance to your life no matter what you’re dealing with. Alternatively, for someone who has too many ideas and might feel scattered, they could wear a crystal that helps them focus and reminds them to slow down, such as blue quartz.
Mala beads make a lovely gift to yourself or someone because they are infused with intention that will always be alive in the person who wears them. Keeping that love alive is a beautiful way to connect with positive energy.
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