If the stresses of your everyday life have compounded into a ball of anxiety, consider using meditation to alleviate those adverse effects. Mala beads, or prayer beads, can help reduce anxiety and stress by guiding your meditation. The word “mala” means “meditation garland” in Sanskrit.

Learn more about how mala beads work and how you can use them to manage feelings of anxiety.

The Anatomy of Mala Beads

When you look at the mala beads available from Satya Jewelry, you’ll notice that they are traditionally comprised of 108 beads and a tassel or pendant. Vedic cosmology holds the number 108 sacred, as it represents the creation and wholeness of existence. The tassel or pendant on each string of mala beads marks both the end and the beginning of the mala.

Meditating With a Mala

A string of mala beads is a powerful piece of spiritual jewelry that you can use as a guide while you meditate. Here’s how:

1. Sit comfortably in your meditation space.
2. Hold the mala in one hand and let the beads drape easily across your hand.
3. With two fingers, hold onto the bead directly next to the tassel.
4. With each bead, repeat a mantra of your choosing or complete one deep breath (inhale and exhale).
5. Move on to the next bead and repeat until you have completed all 108 beads.

Benefits of Mala Meditation

Meditating with mala beads encourages your mind to focus on one small thing—a mantra or a breath—at a time. When you’ve created a habit out of meditating every day with your mala beads, you’ll start to notice physical and mental health benefits, including:

• Decreased blood pressure
• Healthier sleep patterns
• Lower levels of anxiety
• Improved responses to stress

Daily meditation with a string of mala beads can impart noticeable changes in your brain chemistry and how your body feels over time. Mala meditation could be your solution if your nerves have been on edge lately.

How can mala beads reduce stress and anxiety? By holding them in your hand as you meditate and focusing on one bead at a time, you encourage your brain to slow down. Approach your stress one bead, mantra, or breath at a time, and soon you’ll notice it’s melted away!