This guide covers everything about meditation malas and yoga bead necklaces and bracelets, including: best malas to buy, how to use and make, and more.

Here’s what we’re going to look at in this guide:

• How To Use Them
• What are meditation malas / yoga beads?
• Benefits of malas
• Why there are 108 beads on a mala
• The meaning and benefits of different gemstones used in malas
• How to make malas the DIY way
• How to use malas for meditation
• Best to buy
• How to cleanse a mala 

What Are Meditation Malas and Yoga Beads? 

Meditation malas / yoga beads are necklaces and bracelets used for meditation.  

These traditional Buddhist meditation bead necklaces are so much more than just jewelry. They are one of the essential tools used in meditation.

 Different types of meditation malas have special healing properties based on the particular material of the beads, tassel and the thread.

The general benefit of wearing malas, however, is that they help us to count breaths or mantras used in meditation. 

In the 8th Century BCE, monks started to use “monk beads” to help counting the breaths during meditation. Because they count breaths in cycles of 108, they created the Buddhist “108 bead malas” one cycle around the necklace representing one cycle of breaths. 

Since, then, they have risen in popularity, and now, millions of people buy Buddhist prayer bead necklaces to help with meditation practice.  

How Meditation Malas And Yoga Beads Are Made 

Meditation malas (called Japa in Sanskrit [1]),  are meditation prayer bead necklaces and bracelets made of gemstones. They come in various sizes, from wrist malas (18 or 27 beads) to full length malas, which are 108 beads long.

The beads go by many names. Tibetan malas are traditionally called “moon and stars”. And some retailers call them “lotus root”, “lotus seed” and “linden nut”. And in yoga we call them “yoga beads”. 

These meditation malas are used to count the breath when meditating, or when reciting mantras.

Meditation prayer beads are made of various gemstones, each of which has different spiritual properties (see below).

The last bead is called a guru bead. This is a sacred bead that is used to represent the connection between student and teacher, and to express gratitude and appreciation.

And there is also the tassel. A big part of the meditation beads’ meaning is based on the tassel. The way in which the different pieces of the string come together to form the tassel is said to represent oneness, like each person on Earth coming together to create one collective unconscious.

Those are the basic parts of a meditation prayer bead necklace and bracelet. But there’s more you need to know if you want to buy malas or make malas at home via DIY. So let’s look a little deeper.

Why There Are 108 Meditation Prayer Beads

There is a specific reason why there are 108 meditation prayer beads on a mala.   

1: stands for God

0: stands for nothingness

8: stands for eternity

108 is an auspicious number. It’s the same reason why we often do 108 sun salutations in yoga.

• There are 108 Mukya Shivaganas
• There are 108 energy lines that converge to form the heart chakra.
• There are 108 earthly desires
• There are 108 Upanishads (sacred texts)
• In astrology if you multiply the 12 houses by the 9 planets you get 108
• The sun is 108 x the diameter of the Earth. And 108x that diameter = the distance between the sun and Earth

The Different Types Of Mala Beads

Whether you want to buy malas, or you want to know how to make malas at home, you have to understand the different types of mala beads.  Here are their meanings and benefits:

Amazonite: for calm, alleviating fear and anxiety

Amethyst: for peace, stability and calm

Black Onyx: for alignment and connection

Carnelian: for abundance, prosperity and ambition

Calcedony: for stability, harmony and dreams

Citrine: for happiness, strength and though

Clear Quartz: for energy, creativity and clarity

Calmatian Jasper: for determination, strength and friendship

Garnet: for energy, charkras and balance

Green Aventurine: for new beginnings and prosperity

Howlite: for calm and third eye (ajna chakra)

Lapis Luzuli: for wisdom, intuition and third eye chakra

Moonstone: for intuition, dreams and energy

Obsidian: for protection and grounding

Ocean jasper: for relaxation, self love and calmness

Pearl: for purity, innocence and imagination

Prehnite: for energy and spirit

Pyrite: for fire energy and vitality

Red jasper: for grounding, balance and healing

Rhodonite: for Yin, Yaang and love

Rose Quartz: for love harmony and heart chakra

Rosewood: for proteciton and spirituality

Rudraksha seeds: for healing and guidance

Sandalwood: for calm and desire

Smokey Quatz: for grounding and stabilizing

Turqoise: for truth, grounding and proetction

White jade: for potential, goals and success

The Best Meditation Malas To Buy Online In 2020 

1. MeruBeads Premium Mala Beads Necklace Mala Necklace

GET IT ON AMAZON… >>

• Good: sustainable produce, great customer service, beautiful mala
• Bad: tassel feels a little loose

I’d take the word “Premium” with a pinch of salt here given that some meditation mala necklaces cost hundreds of dollars. However, for a relatively cheap mala bead necklace. It is one of the best 108 mala beads for sale on Amazon.

It’s made of Lapis Lazuli and Rudraksha beads The former stimulates the intellect while the latter enhances relaxation and inner peace.

One of the nice touches of this one is that it is produced sustainably and no trees are lost in production.

The mala comes packaged in a cute little cotton carry bag.

2. Mala Lapis Lazuli  

GET IT ON AMAZON…>>

• Good: Very high quality
• Bad: A little expensive

This is one of the best malas on Amazon. It is a little expensive, but high quality and a reasonable price compared to some other manufacturers (I have one that cost $350). 

It is a genuine Lapis Lazuli mala. The meaning of Lapis Lazuli is all about intellect. It goes by the name of “Philosopher’s Stone”. No. Nothing to do with Harry Potter. It’s called that because it represents the wisdom of the higher mind. This meditation prayer beads mala creates a spiritual representation of one’s life. It is a beautiful blue color and is very finely made. One of the best meditation prayer beads to buy.

3. Bali Bali Mala Beads Necklace [Rhodonite / Benefit = emotional healing]

GET IT ON AMAZON…>>

• Pros: Great price, charmingly packaged, high quality
• Cons: Heavy

Rhodonite is the stone of compassion and is known for creating emotional balance, which is precisely what this Buddhist bead necklace does. It is full of positive energy for the heart, which will help with relationship problems.

This is a 108 mala bead necklace for sale online through Amazon. It can be worn on the neck or wrist and it certainly is attractive enough to be worn as decorative jewelry too.  The tassel is soft but sturdy and the quality is sure to last if you treat it right. The only slight setback about this meditation mala necklace is that it is quite heavy.

Buddha Beads Bracelet By COAI

• Get it on Amazon

This Buddha beads bracelet comes in various choices of stone. The meaning of the Buddha head bracelet is that it reminds us of the supreme power of the universe and reminds us to follow Dharma, the wisdom of the Buddha. 

This meditation mala bracelet is elegantly designed and looks beautiful. It has a wonderful balance between masculine and feminine, making it ideal for both men and women. It has small beads, which will look better on a smaller wrist. The colours are deep and the beads look glorious. For a relatively cheap wrist mala, this is a bargain.

How To Make Meditation Beads Necklaces Or Braceles

Perhaps you prefet not to buy a mala but instead to make a meditation beads bracelet for yourself. This is a wonderfully relaxing activity, and you end up with a beautiful mala. Cheap. Personal. Handmade by you. It’s perfect! 

Plus, it can feel more special to make prayer bead bracelets / necklaces instead of buying them because you were involved in the creation process.  

Although it can take several hours to learn how to make meditation beads, it is worth it. Not only is it a very enjoyable passtime, you also get something unique and personal to you.  

To make prayer beads you will of course need to buy the beads. (There will probably be a local Zen store or yoga store near you where you can buy mala beads. You can also buy mala beads online).  I recommend choosing stones that are made of a material that matters to use. I personally chose coral because I love the water. 

So, go ahead and buy mala beads. Go home. Put on some lovely meditation music. And get out all the items you will need to make your meditation mala.  

Then set to it. Gradually. This is a time when you should feel a deep state of Zen within you. Making a mala necklace / bracelet is a patient and relaxing activity.  It’s actually more about the making process more than it is the actual mala you end up with. 

Make the mala bracelet / necklace slowly, and really enjoy the experience. You’re going to find this a wonderfully relaxing activity that will boost your happiness and make you feel a deep sense of self love.

This is a beautiful process and it makes for an excellent gift.

Veronica Krestow has a brilliant video tutorial on how to make your own mala beads and bracelets.   

How To Use Meditation Beads For Meditation

So now you have a meditation mala, here’s how to use meditation beads / malas for meditation: [I’ve written a more in-depth guide to how to use them here.]

1. Hold your yoga beads / meditation mala in your right hand.
2. Count by moving your thumb onto the guru bead and go one to the right. Count either each in-breath or each repetition of a mantra of Japa.
3. Gently pull the prayer bead towards you
4. Move on to the next prayer bead
5. The mountain bead or guru bead (the large bead) is used to mark the beginning and ending of the meditation period
6. If you are using a wrist mala (which has 27 beads) repeat 4 full cycles to do a full mala (27 x 4 = 108)
7. After you have meditated with your Buddhist prayer beads mala for around a month (meditating once a day) your mala will be empowered with energy. You can then wear that mala necklace or bracelet to feel the energy.

Using Meditation Beads

The basics 

Above we have covered everything about malas. Now it’s time to look at how to use meditation beads for meditation. 

First thing to do is to remember the parts of the mala, because thie is important to using the mala to meditate. 

Meditation beads contain 108 beads, which are strung together with a piece of thread, and a singular bead called a “guru bead” which is significantly larger than the others. This guru bead is very important because it is the marker that you use to mark the end of the necklace and the end of your meditation session.

As well as the guru bead you may notice that your meditation prayer beads necklace also contains other large beads, usually spaced on every 27th bead, which is every one quarter of the complete mala. Necklaces may have these beads placed halfway through, at the 54th bead instead.  These are “spacers”. When you get to the spacers” you should take a moment to check-in with yourself, to refocus your mind in case you’re getting distracted. 

So, what is the point in these prayer beads and how do you do meditation with beads?

Wearing Meditation Beads

There is a right way how to wear meditation beads, and a wrong way. If you want to use your necklace or bracelet for healing, all you have to do is put it around your neck or wrist and you’re ready to get going on your yoga practice. Simple. 

If you want to get the most out of them you can wear multiple malas at the same time. This looks beautiful because you get different textures and colours to compliment your style, plus you get the multi-dimensional benefits of the meditation malas for healing.

Even though wearing meditation prayer beads is simple, there are a couple of points you should know about it.

How To Wear Meditation Beads

For starters, you shouldn’t let your mala beads touch the ground because this will interfere with the energy resonance. If you do accidentally drop it you will want to cleanse it in salt water. (You can read about how to cleanse mala beads below).

You might not want to let other people touch your mala beads because they can transmit their own energy to them that way. Whether you choose to follow these rules when wearing mala beads will depend on your own beliefs. So if you don’t believe it matters then, hey, no sweat.

There are rules for wearing mala bracelets too. Most yogis believe they should be worn on the right wrist, although I personally do not follow this and instead wear them on the left (it’s a matter of personal belief, after all).  I honestly don’t think wearing mala beads on the left hand is a problem. Do you?

So, there are a few rules for wearing meditation beads but you can choose whether or not to go along with them.

What matters more is how to meditate with mala beads.

How To Meditate With Mala Bads

Holding The Beads 

1. Firstly, never let your prayer beads touch the ground. This is said to deplete the healing energy from the mala. If you do accidentally drop your mala on the ground, you should cleanse the mala beads before wearing them again.
2. Do not let other people touch your mala beads because this can pass negative energy into the beads. If people do touch them, cleanse your prayer beads right away.
3. The best way to wear wrist malas is to wear them on your right wrist.

So that is how to wear mala beads. Now let’s look at how to use prayer beads in meditation.

Meditation with mala beads

Now let’s look at how to do a meditation with malas beads. 

By learning how to use prayer beads for meditation you will be more able to focus when you meditate. The process of rolling the beads in your fingers is a gentle motion that helps to calm the mind and focus your attention.

Take a look at your meditation mala.

Notice that you have a tassel, which you will reach once you go all the way around your mala, which is usually 108 beads, unless you have a mala beads bracelet in which case there will be 27 beads. Then you’re got a big bead that is called the “guru” bead. And there are 108 beads on the necklace. These are all the important parts of your prayer beads necklace.

To use beads in meditation, hold them 

When you hold your prayer beads in meditation you will want to hold them in your dominant hand with the tassel pointing towards you. You then start with the big bead, the “guru” bead in your right hand.  We move the mala when meditating by moving it on each breath or on each recitation of a mantra. Move the beads using your thumb instead of your index finger because the index finger represents the ego. Keep meditating until you reach the guru bead.

You will also want to coordinate your breathing with the mala when meditating. To do this move the mala bead as you breathe in and you might like to count the breath too. The same thing applies when you use a mantra. For instance, if I’m meditating on “Om” I will breathe in, move the mala bead one across, recite “Om”, breathe out, and then breathe in again and move to the next bead.

One good thing to do when meditating with beads is to make sure you move the beads in a calm way. If you try to rush your meditation you will notice that you hold the beads too tight and move them in a violent way. Go gently with them. Feel the smoothness of the beads and let that smoothness relax your mind. That’s the best way to use prayer beads for meditation.

One of the most popular ways of using malas for meditation is when doing mantra recitation.

When we are doing mantra meditation we are meditating on sacred sounds such as  “Om”.

Some mantras, such as Om, are short and easy to count. Other mantras are very long, such as the Gayatri mantra. Keeping count of these is hard unless you have the proper equipment, i.e. your mala.

Not only do prayer beads help you to keep count, they also help you to relax and focus on meditation.

When using prayer beads for meditation we count in groups of 108, with one full mantra being 108 recitations (many types of mantra meditation also require us to chant specifically 108 times, so one full mala).

Here is an example of how to use prayer beads for meditation

1. Place the mala at the top of the yoga mat.
2. Set your intentions. For instance, tell yourself that you are meditating to create inner peace or to send out love (the specific mala you use should match your intent)
3. Sit comfortably
4. Take hold of the mala in one hand and let it drop gently.
5. Touch the guru bead with the other hand
6. Each time you breathe in and out, move to a new bead of the mala
7. Keep going until you reach the guru bead (the end bead).
8. To take this further, choose a mantra to recite, such as OM. Recite the mantra once for each bead on the mala.
9. Keep going until you reach the guru bead.
10. Express thanks for the meditation and take a moment to contemplate.

How To Hold Meditation Beads And Move Them

There is a specific way to hold Buddhist prayer beads and how to move them between your fingers. Like so:

1. Hold the prayer beads in your dominant hand with the tassel of the mala facing towards you
2. The first bead (the one you begin on) is the one to the right of the guru bead
3. Gracefully turn the beads in your fingers (without using your index finger, which is the finger of the ego) as you make your way to the next bead. Preferably turn the beads with your thumb.
4.  You should hold the mala and the beads in a controlled but gentle way.
5. Feel the union between your breath and the movement of the prayer beads.
6. You will eventually come full circle and will find yourself on the guru bead. This is a time to pause and to reflect. Sit still and express gratitude for your meditation session.

Adding Dorje And Bells To Your Meditation Beads

When you buy meditation beads you might also like to buy Dorje and Bells. These are used for extended meditation sessions. 

There are some types of mantra recitations that require you to recite the mantra very many times, sometimes into the tens of thousands.

Mantras like these can be difficult to keep track of. That’s why it can be beneficial to use a dorje and bell [1], which are basically an accessory used with Tibetan malas.

These are two short strings that contain ten small beads. These are then attached to your main mala. One of the ends of these pieces of string has the bell attached to it, and the other end has the dorje.

How To Meditate With A Mala, Dorje And Bell

You use the dorje to count complete cycles of the mala when meditating. This way you know precisely how many recitations you have done, because you have the full-mantra count (shown by the dorje) plus the bead of the mala that you are currently on.

Once you have moved the dorje up ten beads you then have the bell counter. This counts 1000 recitations.

Between the mala, the dorje and the bell you can count up to 10,000 mantra recitations.

 How To Cleanse Mala Beads 

It is important to know how to cleanse mala beads because sometimes they will become impure, such as when you drop them or when someone else touches them. 

Traditionally there is no prescribed time for cleansing mala beads. It is all about getting in touch with your intuition. If you feel that you should be cleansing your mala beads, you probably should. There will be an observable energy in your being that tells you when it is time.

The longer you wear your mala necklace / mala bracelet the more the energy of those Buddhist prayer beads will be affected by the frequencies of other people.

Feel your mala beads. Ask yourself: are they creating the right energy? If not, it’s time to cleanse your mala beads.

Steps for cleansing.

1. Sit outside and place your mala beads in the light of the sun or moon. The energy of the light will help to remove negative energy from the mala. It is a purifying process.
2. Place your mala on the ground and burn dried white sage near it so that the smoke rolls over the mala.
3. While the mala is being cleansed chant OM for 108 recitations.
4. Wash the mala with seat-salt-water. For best result, wash it in the ocean.
5. You may like to cleanse your meditation crystals at the same time. [take a look at my guide to the best meditation crystals for more on this]

And that is pretty much everything you need to know about Buddhist prayer beads / malas.

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