I sell
malas and
mala bracelets in my
shop and I often get asked the questions, "What is a mala?" and "How do I use a mala?" Full malas remind me of the rosaries that I use as part of my Catholic faith. For each bead, a prayer is said. A mala is a set of 108 beads. Each bead stands for a mantra, a word, or a prayer. Repeating prayers on a rosary can be very meditative. The repetition of mantras on the beads of a mala is a form of meditation as well.
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| Full 108 mala with jasper gemstone and rudraksha bead |
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| Mens' mala bracelet with earth jasper and wood |
It is traditional of Tibetan Buddhism to recite mantras 108 times. Many malas
have 108 beads, or are also made smaller but are divided into 108 to come up
with 27 and 54 bead malas. The mens' mala bracelet above contains 27 beads.
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| Mala gift box with scroll |
Each mala from
Moondog Treasures comes in a gift box with an explanation of a mala rolled into a tiny scroll.
To see my mala collections, click on the following links:
Every year during the month of September,
Moondog donates 54% of all sales of
mala bracelets to charity. She does this in
honor of the Global Mala, an incredible annual yoga event that was set into
motion in 2007 by
Shiva Rea to raise awareness and funds for
causes that affect our planet. See
www.globalmala.org or
www.yogamonth.org
for more information.
I'm the creator behind this blog and
Moondog Treasures: yoga jewelry
for women and men, mala bracelets, Sanskrit mantra necklaces, and wire-wrapped
beaded crosses. I use this blog to share what I do and to feature other talented
Etsy artists whose work I admire. Contact me at
moondogtreasures@live.com.
Coming soon: What do the different gemstones represent on a mala? Why the number 108?
