Malas: From Ancient Roots to Modern Day Mindfulness

A few years ago, I launched our HUM Insight Mala—a tool for transformation, designed to support your intentions and raise your vibration. Next week, I’ll introduce you to a brand new collection of beautiful malas made locally by a truly mindful friend who is also a mala expert.

If you’re unfamiliar with malas or simply curious to understand them more deeply, this is a gentle place to begin.

There is something quietly powerful about a mala. At first glance, it may simply appear to be a string of beads, but for many, it becomes much more—a companion in meditation, a reminder of intention, and a beautiful object to return to again and again.  A mala is a traditional tool with ancient monastic roots, still relevant today as a support for mindfulness beyond religion and as wearable anchors for intention.

What does a modern mala look like?


Typically, it’s a string of 108 beads made from semi-precious stones, wood, or seeds, with a larger guru bead and a tassel finishing the design.

Where did this all begin? Let’s journey back to the ancient roots.

“Mala” is Sanskrit for garland or string of beads. Malas originated in India around the 8th century BCE, when Hindu seers and sadhus first used strings of rudraksha seeds (“tears of Shiva”) for japa meditation—repetitive mantra chanting.  The mala was used to focus the mind and keep count of repetitions.  

Early Buddhists adopted malas around the 5th century BCE as practical tools for meditation and mindfulness. A legend from the 4th-5th century CE Mu Huanzi Jing describes the Buddha instructing a troubled king to string 108 soapberry seeds into a circular mala, repeating the Three Refuges (Namo Buddha, Namo Dharma, Namo Sangha) to steady his mind against worldly distractions.

Why 108?


This sacred number evokes wholeness across Eastern traditions, with different interpretations: for example, 108 defilements to purify in Buddhism, 108 divine names of deities in Hinduism. Each full cycle becomes a complete journey of inner cleansing.
Learn more about 108’s fascinating significance across cultures, from Buddhism to baseball, and even to the universe HERE.

Symbolism


As Buddhism spread across Asia, the 108-bead design became standard. The guru bead(also called meru), present in early depictions from the 4th-6th centuries CE, marks the beginning and end of the recitation cycles (without being counted as the 109th bead). It honours a spiritual teacher, divine guide or the higher self and creates space for reflection.

The tassel, a traditional element, symbolizes the lotus—roots rising through mud to bloom in enlightenment.

How can we use a mala in modern life?

Anybody can use a mala for daily meditation practice. Use it to focus your mind as you count mantras or breaths, over and over, 108 times. Here’s how:

1. Set your intention for the practice—this makes it more powerful.
   
2. Hold your mala in your dominant hand, resting over your middle finger. Use thumb and middle finger to hold the first bead to the left of the guru bead—never the index finger, which represents ego.
   
3. Choose a mantra ("Om Mani Padme Hum," "So Hum," or simply "Om") or an affirmation that reflects your intention. Recite it once per bead, silently or aloud. No mantra? Count your breaths instead, one breath per bead.
   
4. Move forward with your thumb, pulling each bead toward you, clockwise around the circle. Feel the texture ground you.
   
5. Pause at the guru bead after 108 repetitions—don't count it or cross over. Reflect, bow mentally to your inner teacher, then turn the mala around to repeat the cycle of 108 repetitions if you wish.
   
6. Finish mindfully, holding the mala at your heart.

   

Wear your mala daily as a reminder of your intention. The more you wear it, the more the stones absorb your beautiful energy and bond with the power of your intentions.