Creative Thursdays: How to Mala Part 1

A mala is a great way to focus our meditation practice and set intentions in our lives. Why not make your own mala to make your practice more personal? In a two-part post, we will be exploring how to craft your very own mala necklace.

1. Gather your supplies for this week
Pair of scissors
Note card or journal
Pen
String (1-3 ft depending on the size of your beads) - hemp and silk are great for stringing; alternatively elastic cord can be used to make a mala bracelet



2. Pick out your beads
For a full mala necklace pick out 108 beads, plus 1 guru bead that is slightly larger than the rest of the beads. Be creative in your bead choices - there is no rule stating that you must you a certain material. Play with colors, textures, and sizes of beads that speak to you.




3. Hang your string
Before hanging anything, make sure that your string fits through the beads you have chosen. Hanging your string stretches the fibers in the string and prevents extra spaces from forming in your finished piece. Tie the string at one end onto something heavy (a pair of scissors, a shoe, etc) and hang the entire string on a hook or over a door. Stretch for 24 hours or more.



4. Set your intentions
Before embarking to string our necklace next week, take some time over the next few days to think about what you want your mala to stand for. What values, thoughts, actions, goals, and feeling would you want to be reminded of when you see and touch your mala? Take some time to write these out.



Good luck!
Christy, events designer