Mala beads, also known as japa mala or mala, have been used for centuries as a prayer or meditation tool in many traditions, including Hinduism and Buddhism.

A mala is a string of 108 beads with an additional guru bead, which is larger than the other beads, and sometimes a tassel. The beads are often made of seeds, wood, such as sandalwood or rosewood, or gemstones. Malas are used for keeping count while reciting, chanting, or mentally repeating a mantra or the name or names of a deity.

To use your mala as a meditation tool, simply hold the strand in your right hand, starting at the guru bead, with your middle finger and thumb. Choose a mantra or prayer, and speak it either aloud or to yourself, and move the beads through your fingers, repeating the mantra with every bead. Once you reach the guru bead, you can either end your meditation there, or continue on by turning around and going the other direction.
 
Abalone, Ceramic beads, Colored wooden beads

Hand knotted with Gold Moon Phase Pendant with Gold Starburst Charm on silk thread.


Abalone is seen as a symbol of water, bringing calmness and tranquility and protecting against life’s unsettling intensities. Abalone is also known to wash away unpleasantness and protect from darkness.