The West’s yoga classes typically include a strong asana practice (physical poses). Yoga’s impact is a combination of pranayama (breathwork), mantra/chanting and asana. To get started with these other yoga practices, a tool called a Mala can be utilized.
What Are Malas?
Malas are comparable to prayer beads found in Catholicism and Islam. Mala, consisting of 108 beads, is used to count the repetitions of your mantra during meditation. Our yoga cushions bolsters are eventual for regular yoga practice. Bolsters can help to open up the heart in healthful poses.
Mantras can be described as sound vibrations that are made with the voice to produce a particular effect. “Man-” means mind, and “-tra” means to tune. Mantra, in other words, means “to tune your mind”. Chanting is a sound that vibrates through our bodies and influences the energy around us. The universal sound Om, for example, is used regularly in chanting circles to purify an area of approximately 2 km around the centre.
How Do I Use Mala
You can use mala in a large variety of ways during your meditation, breath control and mantra repetition have the two best starting points.
Breath Control
Meditation can simply be as simple as paying attention to your breath. You can also do it anywhere. Take a few deep, slow breaths to clear your head. Next, think or feel grateful.
Repeating Mantras
A mantra can be a phrase, a word, or a sound that you use to focus your attention during meditation. There are many other mantras, including “Om.
Meditation to Become Immobile to Uncertainty
You can use malas with any mantra to achieve a particular effect. The following meditation uses the mantra “Sat Nam” from the Kundalini Yoga lineage. Sat Nam means Truth is My Name. This is the Yoga Sutra “Satya”, which means to transmit truth.
Being connected to our truth, wisdom, and purpose gives us certainty. Able to act from a place of faith if we are connected to our inner knowing. So that no matter what comes our way — we see the bigger picture. It is possible to shift from the negative vibrations of fear, uncertainty, and focus back on what really matters.
- Sit in a comfortable seated position
- Practice long deep breathing for 3 minutes
- Tune In:
- Place your palms together at the centre of your chest
- Chant “Om” three times
- Begin Meditation
- Place your left hand on your knee, palm facing up. For gyan mudra, bring thumb and index fingers together.
- Hold the mala in your right hand. As you chant “Sat Nam”, count each bead with your thumb.
- Close
- Close with a long Sat, short Nam. To seal the sacred energy, place your forehead and palms on the ground.
Conclusion
Your mantra work and intention are stored in your mala. Wearing your mala will help you to surround yourself and grid your body with that vibration. Remember, a mala can be more than just a fashion accessory. As Yogis, when we wear our malas out in public, it becomes a symbol (and reminder) of our practice, discipline, and devotion.
