Malas: The Loop Of Prayer Beads

Make yourself so happy so that when others look at you they become happy too.Yogi Bhajan

A mala is a loop of prayer beads commonly used in Eastern religions for counting recitations of sacred sound or incantation and I have been making them for some time now. Much more than just beautiful adornment, a mala is also a powerful and symbolic tool to enhance and deepen the meditation practice. Every gemstone is said to have different properties, energies, and meaning and as you engage their energy with your prayers, your hopes, and dreams, ultimately the mala becomes what the wearer wants it to be. 

BiBi Ji - Iced (matte) Rose Quartz and Sandalwood on Pink Fuchsia thread

Traditionally, a mala consists of 108 beads strung on silk thread, often with counter beads at 27 bead intervals to aid the mantra counting process. At the beginning (or the end) of the loop there is a larger bead, called a Guru bead from which a tassel hangs. Shorter wrist malas with 54, 27 or even 18 beads are also common, these numbers being divisions of 108.

There are many different interpretations behind the significance of the number 108, which has long been considered a sacred number in Hinduism and other Eastern religions. The theory that resonates most with me is the number 1 stands for God, the universe, or your own highest truth; 0 stands for emptiness and humility in spiritual practice; and 8 stands for infinity and timelessness.

Handmade Mala - Iced (matte) Rose Quartz and Sandalwood on pink fuchsia thread

Traditionally, a mala consists of 108 beads strung on silk thread, often with counter beads at 27 bead intervals to aid the mantra counting process. At the beginning (or the end) of the loop there is a larger bead, called a Guru bead from which a tassel hangs. Shorter wrist malas with 54, 27 or even 18 beads are also common, these numbers being divisions of 108.

There are many different interpretations behind the significance of the number 108, which has long been considered a sacred number in Hinduism and other Eastern religions. The theory that resonates most with me is the number 1 stands for God, the universe, or your own highest truth; 0 stands for emptiness and humility in spiritual practice; and 8 stands for infinity and timelessness.

Thamsanqa Kundalini Yoga

Thamsanqa  is a given name, from the Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu word meaning ‘blessing(s)‘fortune’ or ‘luck’.

Traditionally, a mala consists of 108 beads strung on silk thread, often with counter beads at 27 bead intervals to aid the mantra counting process. At the beginning (or the end) of the loop there is a larger bead, called a Guru bead from which a tassel hangs. Shorter wrist malas with 54, 27 or even 18 beads are also common, these numbers being divisions of 108.

There are many different interpretations behind the significance of the number 108, which has long been considered a sacred number in Hinduism and other Eastern religions. The theory that resonates most with me is the number 1 stands for God, the universe, or your own highest truth; 0 stands for emptiness and humility in spiritual practice; and 8 stands for infinity and timelessness.

The gemstone beads used for the beautiful malas pictured below were specifically chosen for each individual recipient and energetically infused with a personal mantra during the creative process. Each knotted Mala 📿 is made intuitively, with love ❤️ and light ☀️ and I choose the colours and the stones that I think are best suited to the individual recipient by entering into a spiritual connection with that person.

All the profit from my Malas 📿 goes towards empowering township Yogis in South Africa to do the L1 teacher training. What a gift!

If anyone would like to help support the cause by ordering a personal Mala for themselves, or perhaps as a gift to someone, please feel free to message me 💫

Click on the images below to enlarge!

When I create these malas, I play a particular mantra softly on repeat and chant the sacred sounds repetitively, knotting the mantra slowly into the necklace. This is a particularly meditative process where my focus is also firmly projected towards the person for whom I am making the mala. Once the mala is finished, I place it respectfully into the box I have chosen for it and let it rest a few days. After my daily Sadhana, on the day that I send the mala to it’s recipient, I remove it from the box once more and chant the chosen mantra into every bead again, 108 times. Fully laden with cosmic energy, the mala is then carefully packed and blessed and sent off to the intended recipient by registered mail.

Contact me if you’d like to have a beautiful mala made for yourself or for a special person in your life!

All gemstone beads are finest quality, guaranteed 100% natural and sourced from Texas, USA.

Contact me if you’d like to have a beautiful mala made for yourself or for a special person in your life!
All gemstone beads are finest quality, guaranteed 100% natural and sourced from Texas, USA.

Creation is ready to serve you, if you just be you.Yogi Bhajan
Thamsanqa Kundalini Yoga Elephants

Thamsanqa  is a given name, from the Xhosa, Ndebele and Zulu word meaning ‘blessing(s)‘fortune’ or ‘luck’.