The Story of the Mala:
The word Mala is a sanskrit word for “Garland of Unconditional Love”. Originally the mala was created to help new Buddhist monks recite their meditations. Over the years, the mala is still used for prayer and meditation but it has also become a symbol for intention and manifestation - especially when made from crystals or gemstones. Malas are made from a certain number of beads that range from 18, 54, and 108 (numbers that are divisible by 9). Malas carry the energy of the number 9 which symbolizes the completion of a cycle. When used for prayer or meditation, a person should start at the guru bead and say the same prayer or mantra for each bead until they arrive back at the guru bead - the cycle is then complete. Each knot represents the space between each prayer or mantra which the Buddha called “the waiting space”. The waiting space represents the time it takes for the Universe to respond to our prayer or mantra. It is believed that when a mala “breaks” or “falls off” the waiting space is over and the intention has been manifested. Therefore, malas are most powerful when the wearer does so with intention, love, and knowledge of the mala’s strong energy and purpose.