what is a mala necklace and how do you use it?
You may have noticed your teacher wearing a necklace-like decoration with a tassel on the end, sometimes around their neck, or wrapped around their wrist. Called a mala (pronounced: mall-ah), why is it yogis wear it and what do they use it for?
Malas, or mala beads, are a meditation device used by Hindus, Buddhists, yogis, and other eastern schools of philosophy - not unlike the prayer beads of the rosary used by some denominations of Christianity. Their purpose is to guide the user through japa (pronounced: jah-puh), the meditative practice of repeating a mantra. The user guides the number of repetitions by repeating their mantra for each bead they pass over.
Hindu and yoga malas typically consist of 108 beads, though the number varies amidst other traditions. 108 is considered an auspicious number for many reasons, though one of our favourite reasons is that 1 represents the path, 0 the cyclical nature of life, and 8 the infinity loop.
Malas are made from...