Malas Are More Than Jewelry - They Are Sacred Tools
Many years ago for Christmas my brother gave me a DIY Mala necklace kit he got off of Etsy. It came with 108 beads, a guru bead, thread and the tutorial on how to put it all together. I loved it. What a brilliant idea. I immediately became fascinated by the gemstones - the ones included in the kit were matte with a very earthy and natural feel to them. It came with an electric blue cord, which seemed like an odd color combo with the natural jasper stones but still cool nonetheless. At the time I didn't know a whole lot about what a mala was other than they were often made with seeds, wood and/or gemstones and were sometimes coined as "spiritual jewelry". It wasn't until later that I learned these pieces were so much more than just beautiful jewelry.
Malas are sacred tools.
For over 3,000 years malas have been used for meditation and prayer. They are traditionally made with 108 beads, plus one larger bead called a guru bead. With a mala placed in your hands, you move from bead to bead repeating a mantra or intention while focusing on your breathing. They hold our intentions, our deepest desires, our hopes and dreams. Through repetition, our mind is more focused, our hearts are wide open and the feeling of being both grounded and expansive is present.
I'm the mother of a four year old and the more conversations I have with friends and fellow moms, the more I realize we're all struggling with similar things - stress, overwhelm, exhaustion, and never feeling like there's enough hours in the day to actually put a dent in the on going to do list. We give in to the rushing, the multitasking, and then jump right ahead to the next thing on the list. These are the moments when grounding, mindfulness and deep breathing is needed most. We need a reminder to slow down, pause and just meet ourselves wherever we are.
Honestly, it's why I feel so drawn to and connected to malas - they are invitations to slow down, take pause amidst the chaos and offer grounding when life feels overwhelming.
It seems that people are often drawn to malas during certain seasons of life. During big transitions, deep healing, emotional growth, or just that feeling of being disconnected from yourself and not really knowing why. There’s something really comforting about having a physical object that holds intention, a reminder. Your intention. Something you can reach for when life gets to be a bit too much.
Every time I start the process of making a new mala, I make sure my energy is centered. I move slowly and intentionally. Each knot between the gemstones is sealed with intention, offering healing and support along your journey, while every mala is infused with Reiki to energetically cleanse the stones and elevate their frequency.
Intention matters. And we can feel that.
And the beautiful thing is, your mala becomes more meaningful over time. It starts to hold your prayers, your rituals, your quiet mornings, your hard days and your moments of grounding. Maybe you wear it during meditation, maybe you simply touch it throughout the day or maybe you're like me and wear it all day long.
To me, that’s what makes a mala sacred. Not because it’s trendy or spiritual-looking, but because it becomes personal. It becomes part of your practice, your healing, your remembering... it becomes a ritual. A quiet tool that helps guide you back to yourself again and again.
I think we all need more things like that.
Interested in creating your own spiritual tool? I'm hosting a workshop called Sacred Thread at the end of the month and would love for you to join! Click HERE!
xo Erin