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Find Your Soulmate Mala! Everything You Need to Know About Choosing and Using Malas

A mala is a long strand of 108 beads traditionally used to aid your meditation practice. Often, malas are combined with a mantra that you repeat during your meditation – both mantra and mala are meant as tools to help your mind stay focused. Instead of focusing on the number of times you repeat your mantra, you can use your mala to keep count so that you can focus your mantra’s meaning.
 
Malas – in the form of bracelet and necklace – have become super popular. You see yogis wearing them on and off the mat. There are a million different types of malas to choose from – from type of mala beads to the style (length, color, energetic properties, etc) of necklace or bracelet.

If you’re new to the mala game, keep reading for insight into the meaning behind particular malas and how to choose the type of mala for your specific needs.
 

How to Choose the Right Mala for You

You can find malas made of seeds, wood, bones and gemstones. The possibilities are nearly endless. To choose your mala, try using your intuition and thinking about what you would like to achieve. Then find a mala that helps you reach those intentions.
 
A good rule of thumb for choosing a gemstone mala is to match your intentions with your body’s chakras as follows:

  • Root Chakra (Base of the spine)
    The first chakra is your sense of grounding, security, intuition and survival. You can choose stones in the red and black family such as hematite, black obsidian, bloodstone, onyx, red zincite, smoky quartz, tiger’s eye, garnet and red jasper. Balancing your Root Chakra can bring about peace and energy and relieve stress and anxiety.
  •  

  • Sacral Chakra (Below the navel)
    The second chakra focuses on your creativity, desires and sexuality. Stones for this chakra are in the orange family, and include carnelian, orange zincite, orange jasper and fire opal. Balancing your Sacral Chakra can bring about health and desire, help overcome anger and develop self control.
  •  

  • Solar Plexus (Below your breastbone)
    The third chakra is your body’s power and protection. This chakra’s stones are yellow, including citrine, yellow jasper, yellow sapphire, amber, topaz and calcite. Balancing your Solar Plexus can enhance your focus, decision-making abilities, spiritual growth, happiness and stability.
  •  

  • Heart Chakra (Center of your chest)
    The fourth chakra is associated with love, compassion and emotional balance. Stones to open up your heart chakra are typically pink or green, and include rose quartz, green aventurine, tourmaline, malachite, emerald, moonstone and jade. Balancing your Heart Chakra can enhance your compassion and ability to love yourself and others more freely.
  •  

  • Throat Chakra (Center of your neck)
    The fifth chakra is your communication center. This chakra is associated with the color blue, and stones to balance this chakra include turquoise, kyanite, blue calcite, blue lace agate and aquamarine. Balancing your Throat Chakra can instill confidence, and encourage peaceful self-expression and open communication.
  •  

  • Third Eye Chakra (Center of your forehead)
    The sixth chakra is your intuition and spiritual awareness. Associated with the color indigo or dark blue, stones for this chakra include lapis luzi, sugilite, lapis luzi and sodalite. Balancing your Third Eye can enhance your visual consciousness, clarity and insight.
  •  

  • Crown Chakra (Top of your head)
    The seventh and highest chakra is your consciousness, enlightenment, patience and highest self-awareness.  This chakra is associated with the color violet or golden white and includes amethyst, white topaz, howlite, clear quartz and white calcite. Balancing your Crown Chakra can encourage free thought, transcendence and physical and emotional balance.

 
Looking to balance your chakras? Align Your Chakras By Practicing These Yoga Poses
 

 

How to Use a Mala

Hindu traditions say to hold the mala in your right hand with the thumb flicking one bead to the next while the mala is draped across your middle finger. Traditions in northeast India dictate that the best practice is to drape the mala on the ring finger of the right hand, and move the beads with the middle finger and thumb.
 
Either way you choose, begin your practice by sitting in a quiet, comfortable space. It is best to sit with your legs crossed to keep your mind and body engaged, but you can lie down if sitting up is not possible or uncomfortable. 
 
Breathe in deeply and focus your attention on your chosen mantra or affirmation. Once you are calm and focused, start with that bead to the left of the larger center bead – the guru bead – and turn your finger clockwise around each bead and then push that bead away and move onto the next bead.
 
Once you arrive at the guru bead, you can stop your practice, or you can turn the mala around and repeat the process in the other direction.
 

How to Choose a Mantra For Your Mala Meditation

A mantra is defined as a word or phrase that is repeated often or that expresses someone’s basic beliefs. You choose a mantra during your meditation practice to enter the silence of your mind and achieve deeper awareness.
 
The repetition of the mantra can allow you to escape your thoughts and feelings that fill your mind each day, allowing you to disconnect your mind and thoughts from your physical body. One of the most commonly used mantra is “Om” (pronounced as aum), which represents your universal consciousness.

Looking for some inspiration for your mantra meditation? Check out 3 Sanskrit Mantras to Boost Your Meditation Practice
 

 
Another option is to follow a guided meditation that has music and mantras for you to recite. Deepak Chopra’s Chopra Center for Wellness website offers free guided meditations with specific intentions. You can also find thousands of free videos and audio recordings available online or on YouTube.
 

Find Your Soulmate Mala and Meditate On!

Practice your mala meditation daily, weekly, monthly or whenever you feel that your body and mind are in need of clarity, peace and an escape from the hustle and bustle of the busy world.
 

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Krysta Shannon

Krysta is a staff writer and product review guru at YouAligned. She believes in the powers of healing crystals and essential oils, and never leaves home without them. Krysta is a true Jersey girl (in the best sort of way) who embraces a non-toxic and all-natural lifestyle.

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