THE ART OF THE MALA
HOW TO USE YOUR MALA
Your mala can become a daily ritual for returning to an intention you've chosen for yourself.
Traditionally used to count mantras, its 108 beads give you something tangible to move through as you repeat a word, phrase, sound, prayer, or affirmation.
The practice begins before you ever touch the first bead.
It begins with knowing what you want to call into your life.
BEGIN WITH YOUR INTENTION
CHOOSE WHAT YOU WANT TO RETURN TO
Choose something you're calling in for yourself or another.
Write it down. Tuck it away. Let it go with love.
Before you do, take a moment to see it clearly.
Imagine what it would feel like if what you're calling in were already present. See yourself living it. Feel the qualities of that experience now.
Rather than holding tightly to when or how it will happen, begin the practice from a place of trust.
Then choose a mantra—a word, phrase, or sound that helps you return to that vision.
“I am aligned.”
“Peace begins in me.”
“I trust the unfolding.”
Each time you return to your mantra, return to the feeling of your intention already being present.
THE DAILY PRACTICE
108 BEADS. ONE BEAD AT A TIME.
Find the guru bead—the larger or distinctive bead where the strand comes together.
Begin with the bead beside it.
Hold that bead between your fingers and repeat your mantra once. Then move to the next bead.
Continue around the mala, repeating your mantra once on each of the 108 beads.
As you move through the beads, return to the vision and feeling you created when you set your intention. Let the repetition bring you back whenever your mind wanders.
When you reach the guru bead again, pause.
Take a breath and notice where you are.
If it feels meaningful to you, you may close by chanting Om—a sacred sound associated with the totality of existence and consciousness: past, present, future, and that which transcends them.
You might use this moment to offer gratitude, sit in stillness, or simply acknowledge the practice you’ve just completed.
You don’t need to force anything. The practice is in returning to your intention, again and again.
Commit to this practice with your mala and mantra for 40 days.
RETURN EACH DAY
Commit to working with your mala and mantra each day for 40 days.
Return to the vision you created when you set your intention.
See it. Feel it. Allow yourself to experience what it would be like if what you're calling in were already present.
Some days that feeling may come easily. Other days you may need to consciously return to it.
That's part of the practice.
Each day, come back to your mantra, your intention, and the feeling of already living what you envisioned.
CARRY IT WITH YOU
Your mala doesn't have to stay where you meditate.
Wear it or keep it somewhere you can reach for it throughout your day.
When you notice it—or find yourself touching the beads—let it bring you back to your intention.
Pause. Remember what you're calling in. Reconnect with the feeling of it already being present.
Your mala becomes a tangible reminder of the vision you're practicing each day.
LET THE PRACTICE CHANGE YOU
As you return to your intention each day, pay attention to what begins to shift.
You may notice changes in what you think about, what you pay attention to, the choices you make, or how you respond to what happens around you.
You may also begin to recognize opportunities, connections, or possibilities you hadn't noticed before.
Let yourself be curious about what changes over the 40 days.
Your practice isn't only about what you're calling in. It's also about who you become as you continue to align with it.
Not sure what intention you want to work with? Use this simple practice to move beneath the surface and get clearer about what you truly want.
DAY 40
RELEASE WITH TRUST
After 40 days, return to the intention you wrote at the beginning of your practice.
Read it again.
Notice what has shifted—what you see differently, what you feel differently, and what may have changed within you or around you.
Then release the intention with trust.
You may choose to safely burn the paper as a symbolic act of completion, or simply tuck it away and let it go.
Either way, the intention is the same: release your attachment to exactly how or when your vision unfolds.
You've spent 40 days seeing it, feeling it, and returning to it.
Now let it go as though the practice is complete. Trust what you've cultivated, and carry it forward into your life.