What is Japa Mala?
At Japa Mala Beads, each Mala is handmade with love in energy of recollection and gratitude. Their mala beads are purified and blessed before shipping them off to you. Japa is a simple mantra meditation technique, effective and accessible to all that consist to repeat a mantra with a Mala. A Mala is a rosary with 109 beads. The 109th bead is used to indicate the beginning and the end. We recite a Mantra chosen for 108 beads but do not recite any Mantra for Meeru. Mount Meeru, a mythical and sacred mountain that would be the summit of the Universe. There are several reasons why there are 108 beads on a Mala. Here is one, the 1 of the 108 represents the Unity, the 0 the empty and the 8 the Infinite. mala beads are a beautiful and inspiring tool that allows us to keep track of our Mantra repetitions and promotes concentration as we need to use our sense of touch to focus on the movement of our fingers. Some schools of thought suggest holding the Mala in the left hand between the middle finger and the ring finger and advancing the beads with the thumb and others suggest holding the Mala in the right hand. For my part, I hold it in the right hand and I hold a Mudra with the left.
Why meditate?
Meditation, contrary to what we may think, is not aimed at relaxation, but rather at the transformation of the mind in order to attain better self-knowledge and inner peace. By freeing us from disturbing thoughts through the practice of meditation, we create a space in our mind where the pure Consciousness that already exists in us can manifest itself and where our true nature can be revealed. It is then that in the consciousness of this nature made of infinite Love, the feeling of peace, relaxation and joy can be felt throughout our being. To preserve the benefits of meditation, we must be disciplined and train a little bit every day.
The use of malas is not subject to religious practice and you can benefit from it even if your practice of meditation is quite secular. You can use it as a simple counter, like a rosary, to objectively mark the duration of each session. If you use mantras, each repetition can be associated with a bead, and you’ll have a simple way to go beyond impressions to stick to specific facts.
