Welcome to my second blog here at Sola Bazaar.

What exactly are Japas, Malas, Rudraksha and Guru beads?

In this blog post, I will try to help you understand what possibilities you have with a Mala Necklace.

Japamala or Mala is a string of prayer beads used in Hinduism, Jainism, Sikhism and Buddhism for the spiritual practice known in Sanskrit as “Japa”. The main body of a mala has 108 beads with a 109^th bead which is situated above the tassel known as the Guru bead. Malas are used for keeping count while reciting, chanting or mentally repeating a mantra. So, Mala comes with a lot of history, but lately, it has become more fashionable to wear as Jewelry and comes in many different varieties. In the Sola Bazaar store, you will find Necklaces inspired by the style of the Mala as well as necklaces with 108 beads, which can be used for practices, but also simply as a piece of Jewelry.

Here at Sola Bazaar, we use a specific bead for the Necklaces which is named Rudraksha and originally has been used in India, Indonesia, and Nepal as beads for organic jewelry and Malas. The bead is originally a seed that comes from a tree found in China and South and Southeast Asia, parts of Australia and Guam and Hawaii.

Rudraksha beads are known to come with a lot of benefits like:

1. They act as a protective guard that safeguards its wearer from negative energies,
2. They provide stability and good support by creating a protective covering all around you.
3. It makes its wearer agile and extremely alert and active.

Here are the instructions I like to follow when meditating with my Mala Necklace:

1. Start with the necklace in your dominant hand, tassel facing towards you
2. Start with the bead to the right of the guru bead
3. Begin pulling each bead individually towards you, then moving on slowly to the next bead
4. When pulling the beads towards you, try not to use the index finger as that is believed to represent the ego
5. Inhale on each bead, saying your mantra and then exhale
6. Do this until you’ve come full circle to the guru bead again.
7. The guru bead signifies a moment to pause and sit in reflection. Here you can thank and honor your guru, your mantra and yourself for taking the time to sit in stillness.

One thing is guaranteed- your mind will wander. When it does, simply return to your beads and mantra. 

I hope this has brought you some helpful insight into the world of Mala.

See you on the next blog post where we will talk about why there are 108 beads on a Mala Necklace