Let's start by saying that I'm not an arts and crafts person. I would like to think of myself as creative and inventive but more on the practical side as opposed to aesthetically. Despite it not being my forté, I definitely felt inspired to test my creativity and make my own mala. Here's how everything came together. And when I say everything, I really mean way more that just the mala. So much came to life during this journey and there's so much for me to appreciate.
I already had one mala, which was given to me by one of my students. She picked it up during her teacher training course in India. It's a classic mala made out of orange volcanic rock. It took a while to make it a part of my practice. When I first started yoga, my focus was purely physical. I didn't get into meditation until after I had completed my teacher's training. Later on, I found the mala helped focus my attention, but using it while meditating never really became a part of my daily routine.
Being a yogi, I naturally find myself surrounded by people talking about crystals and the healing properties of gems and so on. I don't know how much of that I believe in, but I'm certainly not ignoring it. I've always had an agate stone, which was given to me by my mom so many years ago, and is my birth stone according to my astrological sign, Gemini. Even today, I'm not sure if this curiosity is natural or nurtured by my mom. I suspected she might be behind it, as she does have a few random stones lying around the house (mainly, a worry stone, which you rub with your thumb to help relieve anxiety, and a simple onyx stone, which she brought from a trip to Mexico where she could have gotten anything else made out of onyx). I wouldn't call her attitude towards stones an obsession and never pushy in any way, but it was certainly strong enough to spark some of my curiosity as stones and gems have always been on the back of my mind. I'm certainly very comfortable thinking of stones as healing and I think that's a result of my mom having introduced them into my life and of my yoga journey having exposed me to alternative wellness practices.
So, whether nurture or nature, here I was. With one mala, which I hardly ever used, some random knowledge of stones or gems, which I wouldn't call appreciation just yet, and very little desire for any arts and crafts projects. So, how did I end up making my own mala? Well, the action part of it started with an ad on Instagram. First, I have to admit that having seen so many of my fellow yogis with their beautiful malas has always made me want one. However, the prices for malas can be, what I thought at the time, unreasonable. The main reason I never bought myself a mala was why spend so much money on something I already have and don't appreciate? Then that Instagram ad popped up as if it read my mind: malas starting at $18.99! I was so overwhelmed I went on their website and with my limited at the time understanding and appreciation I selected 7 or 8 malas to put in my shopping cart. All were mostly based on how pretty I thought they were and some were a little more 'special' as I thought the gem descriptions really reflected who I am and what I wanted.
Believe it or not what followed was an agonizing few days trying to narrow my selection down to just a single mala to purchase for myself and use. I did a deeper dive about the gems, which ones were good for me, for my astrological sign, for my desires, and for my personality. Then I got into ethically sourced gems and how they're made. I started looking at the prices of individual gems, such as a string of moonstone beads. And more importantly, I read an article about the difference between plastic beads and real non- precious gems and so on. Right about there is when I finally admitted to myself that the price of the malas I had selected surely reflected their quality. Duh. So the cheap malas were out, as beautiful, as colorful, and as shiny as they looked, I had no appreciation for them anymore.
The cost for purchasing the materials needed to make your own mala and the cost of an average mala (not the cheap knock off on insta) is more or less the same. But there were other factors that helped me make the decision. Having read so much about the healing properties of various gems, I decided that the mala I wanted had to reflect me in this very moment. Although I would want it in my life forever, even though I know it won't always serve me the same way. There was a specific combination of gems I was looking for and since I couldn't find the exact mala I wanted and I had already read so much about making malas, it kind of became obvious that if that's what I wanted and I couldn't find it online, then I should make it myself.
Looking back, I almost think it was a test that I unconsciously put myself through to make sure it's what I really wanted. As I already mentioned, I'm not an arts and craft person and a project like that should have turned me off. But it didn't. Next thing you know, I was looking at beads online and what their shipping time was like. While waiting for some of my beads to arrive, I started researching more in-depth on how to make malas. I realized I was already working on this little project, looking forward to the actual process of sitting down to string the beads, and most importantly to incorporate my mala in my daily practice. I had a chart and a sketch of what beads go in what order and how it should look when completed.
Having finished what I consider the fun part, that's the investigative research part where I get to satisfy my curiosity with random, sometimes useless, knowledge, I thought maybe this is where it ends. I don't always follow through after that part. But my beads arrived, the plan was in my head, on paper and digital, I even had the music I would listen to while making my mala selected! The video of how I made it was a last minute idea that I don't regret.
The gems I had in front of me were: Black pearls from a necklace passed on to me by my mother and her mother. The pearl is the gem for the month of June and symbolizes good luck. The black pearl in particular stands for prosperity and that's what I wanted to call for especially with the end of 2019 and the beginning of the new year. The black pearl also brings out images of dark ocean depths that are equal parts scary and calming for me. Only recently did I start wearing pearls myself. It wasn't until my mom bought me a pearl ring for my 30th that I got my first pearl. (See what she did there?) White moss agate, which is a grounding stone for Geminis. White moss makes me think of ancient forests growing tall trees with big crowns and deep roots. It makes me feel connected to something bigger. The tiger eye was not initially planned. It's also a Gemini gem and it's meant to protect against evil eyes. I don't think that necessarily means other's influence, I interpret it as not letting myself be influenced by others who might not have the best intentions towards me or those who have bad vibes in general. I interpret the three types of beads together as moving forward and staying true to myself while not letting others get me down. This is my intention for the new year and this new decade.
Selenite promotes mental clarity to help me orient myself and navigate through challenges with understanding. The selenite heart in particular reminds me of a little selenite heart pendant necklace which I had for about a minute when I was a kid and lost while climbing trees. I never forgot about it or really got over losing it. Funny enough, I was warned about taking it off before playing so I don't lose it, and when I did lose it I didn't get in any trouble for it. I've lost my keys, watches, and other small trinkets as a kid and gotten in so much trouble for them. But the one that always stuck with me was the silver necklace with the selenite heart pendant. That's why it needed to be exactly that, a selenite heart for my mala's guru bead.
Of course the cord, which is what the tassle is made out of, is a soft pink, my favorite colour, without the shade being too obnoxious or loud. And there are a couple of tiny little crystal beads just to add a little flavor without overpowering the gems. 108 beads with one guru bead. The number 108 symbolizes a few things but in yoga specifically it stands for spiritual completion.
It took a few times and about five or six meters of cord before I knew what I was doing. This mala, from start to finish, took two and a half hours, which I then compressed into a five minute video. The knots were easy once I got used to them. I've slowed down the video in the beginning to show how I did them using the little curved pliers.
The end result is beautiful. The mala came out perfectly symmetrical until it loosened up after a few uses and now one side is longer than the other. If I had to do it all over again, it probably would turn out tighter, but I'd also use a different cord. I was a little worried the colours wouldn't combine well, but they turned out beautiful, especially with the transition. Interestingly enough the colour match Rios, my cat, a little bit of black, a little bit of white, and some brown. When I was done, I lit up some sage and cleansed the finished mala in the smoke. Now, I use it daily in my practice. I don't wear it when I move. It stays covered under my blanket where my little demon cat can't get to it. And I count the beads while doing my breathing exercises.
I have very strong and vivid memories of my great grandparents' rosary made of large amber beads. My grandfather used to tell me how his own father would count the beads while waiting for the cattle to return from pasture. Having been a very active child, I specifically remember that making an impression on me because at the time I couldn't picture anyone just sitting still and playing with a rosary. Fast forward a couple of decades and I think I'm starting to get it now. In yoga, we call it meditating. And meditating was something that, even as a yogi, took me awhile to get into and incorporate into my daily practice. I found the mala as a useful tool. It kept my hands busy and my brain counting so I could let go of everything else. The picture that comes to mind often is that of my grandfather sitting on the bench outside of his house. Maybe he was watching the sunset while waiting for the cattle to return. I wouldn't know, as I was too busy at the time to appreciate the moment. But it's with me now.