What does 108 beads mean?

It's a traditional number in meditation practice, considered meaningful across several old traditions. You don't need to hold any particular belief about it. In practice, it simply gives you 108 slow, counted breaths in one round.

Do I have to be religious to use a mala?

Not at all. A mala is a simple focus tool. You can use it with any phrase, a breath, or nothing at all, and plenty of people just wear one because they like it.

How do I use a mala for meditation?

Start at the bead beside the guru bead and move one bead at a time with your thumb, one breath or quiet word per bead, until you come back around. Turn it around rather than crossing the guru bead if you want to keep going.

Can I wear a mala as a necklace or a bracelet?

Yes. Worn long it sits as a necklace, and wrapped a few times it becomes a bracelet. Ours is made to be worn either way.

Are the stone meanings medical claims?

No. They come from meditation and gemstone tradition, offered for intention and enjoyment, and are not medical advice or treatment.

What Is a Mala, and How Do You Use One?

A mala is a string of beads used to keep count while you quiet the mind. People have used them for a very long time, across many traditions, as a simple way to stay with a breath or a phrase without having to think about counting. It's also just a beautiful thing to wear, which is where a lot of people start.

What a mala is

A traditional mala has 108 beads, plus one larger bead at the centre called the guru bead, often finished with a tassel. The 108 is an old and meaningful number in meditation practice. You don't need to attach any particular belief to it. The beads are simply there to give your fingers something to do while your attention settles.

How to use one

The practice is gentler than it sounds.

Hold the mala in one hand, letting it drape over your fingers, and start at the bead next to the guru bead.
With each breath, or each quiet repetition of a word or phrase you like, move to the next bead with your thumb.
Carry on around the loop until you reach the guru bead again. That's one round, a hundred and eight slow breaths.
Rather than crossing over the guru bead, turn the mala around and go back the other way if you'd like to continue.

A few minutes is plenty. The point isn't to finish, it's to give yourself something steady to return to.

The beads aren't magic. They're just a quiet place for your hands while your mind slows down.

You don't have to meditate

Plenty of people never use a mala to count anything. They wear it long as a necklace, or wrapped a few times as a bracelet, and like knowing what it's for. That's a perfectly good reason to have one.

Choosing a mala

Our rudraksha and lava mala pairs two materials with a long, calm history. Rudraksha seeds have been used in meditation for centuries and are traditionally associated with a quiet, focused mind, while black lava is worn for grounding. If you're drawn to a particular stone instead, our guide to choosing gemstone jewellery can help you narrow it down.

A gentle note on meaning

The associations we mention come from meditation and gemstone tradition, shared for intention and enjoyment. They aren't medical advice. Our guide to gemstone meanings goes stone by stone if you'd like to read more.

Handmade rudraksha and lava mala by Leila's

From the jewellery shop

A mala, made by hand

Strung one bead at a time in Markham, finished with a guru bead and silk tassel. Made to be used, or simply worn.

Explore the jewellery →

However you come to it, a mala asks very little of you. Hold it, breathe, move one bead at a time. Some days that's a practice, and some days it's just a lovely thing around your neck. Both are fine.

What is a mala, and how do you use one?