HOW TO : Cleanse Your Mala
Just as the gemstones of your mala carry healing energy, they can also absorb energy. It’s important to energetically “cleanse” your mala regularly to ensure any negative energy is removed; after all, our minds can wander to worries and stressors when we meditate. Cleansing your mala will help to “reset” it so all those energies melt away.
To energetically cleanse your mala:
- “Smudging” is the ancient practice of burning sage, certain woods, or herbs to clear negative energy from a space, person, or thing. It is one of the best ways to cleanse your mala.
- Begin by lighting your bundle of sage, palo santo stick, or other cleansing herbs and slowly waft the smoke through the air. Then, taking care to ensure there is no active flame on your smudge stick or bundle, hold your mala in the smoke and let the smoke envelop it for a minute or two.
- You can say a prayer of release as the smoke cleanses your mala, such as, “I release negative energy from my mala and from myself. I welcome positive energy, and ask that it infuse this mala and help to open my heart. ”
Once your mala is cleansed, you can continue wearing it or using it as a meaningful part of your meditation practice. You can also “charge” your mala by leaving it in moonlight for several hours. (Sunlight also helps to charge your mala, but can fade certain gemstones.) Charging your mala will help the healing gemstones function at their highest energetic level. After your mala is charged, go ahead and re-set your intention. Then, enjoy your mala in the way that is most meaningful to you.
What happens if my mala breaks?
Occasionally, your mala may break apart. While this may feel like a bad sign, it has traditionally been viewed as a sign of spiritual growth and good fortune: Wherever you were in your life when you set your intention, you have now moved beyond it. Your mala breaking is believed to be a physical manifestation of that growth. Consider this an opportunity for gratitude, and a time to discover a new mala for your journey.