Sandalwood Japa Mala

What is a Meditation Japamala?

A Japamala is a string of 108 beads with one bead as the top bead called 'sumeru'.

It is a tool used to keep the mind on meditation practice. Japamalas are usually made of different materials, such as tulsi wood (basil), sandalwood, rudraksh seeds, or crystal. Each type of material has certain properties that subtly affect the practitioner's subconscious mind.

Why use Japamala?

Meditation can be a quite complicated practice because the mind is like a mischievous child. By its very nature, the mind tends to wander during meditation practice. If one's energy is low at the time of meditation, it can result in falling asleep. If the energy is too high, fantasy and distraction become barriers. In such moments, the mala provides the much-needed anchor.

The japamala beads are moved to the rhythm of the breath and mantra, so that both sleep and excessive mental distraction are avoided by this action on the beads.

To use: A personal Japamala is a wonderful accessory for meditation, which when used regularly with a personal mantra, absorbs the vibrations of the practice. It becomes a close friend or a comfortable garment!

How to use?

The mala is traditionally held in the right hand and used in two ways:

In one method, the mala hangs between the thumb and the ring finger (third). The middle finger (second) is used to rotate the mala one bead towards oneself with each repetition of the mantra.

In the other method, the mala hangs from the middle finger and the thumb is used to rotate the mala as explained: one bead at a time. Either way, the index finger is never used to touch the mala.

The practice begins at the summit bead (sumeru) and continues around the loop until the summit is reached again. The summit bead is never crossed over. So, if you plan to do more than 1 round, you turn the mala to proceed again in the opposite direction.

Each time a Japamala is taken, it automatically conditions the mind to the meditative state. The mala you use for meditation should not be displayed and is best kept privately in the special pouch for your Japamala.