Blog: tiktam on LiveVideo.com

Gender: Male
Status: Taken
Age: 57
Sign: Capricorn
Country:

India

Email Blog to a Friend

	Today	Week	Total
Posts	0	0	15
Comments	1	1	20
Views	20	111	3,093
Thumbs Up	2	2	35

Blog Archive

2008

July

May

April

BENEFITS of MEDITATIONS !!
WHAT IS MEDITATIONS ! MEDITATIONS FO...
JAPAmalaBEADS_Using Mala Beads (Rosa...

March

TUESDAY, APRIL 8, 2008 (8:18 AM)

Return to tiktam's blog

JAPAmalaBEADS_Using Mala Beads (Rosary) For Meditation!

(I'm feeling awake)

JAPAmalaBEADS_Using Mala Beads (Rosary) For Meditation!

Using a Mala

A Mala is a string of beads used to count mantras (Sanskrit prayers) in sets of 108 repetitions.

A mantra is a word or series of words chanted aloud or silently to invoke spiritual qualities. Chanting is used as a spiritual tool in virtually every cultural and religious tradition. In the yogic tradition a mantra is a Sanskrit word that has special powers to transform consciousness, promote healing or fulfill desires.

Aum (Om).

In yoga, the ultimate mantra is a simple Aum (also spelled Om). It symbolizes Divine creation and the One-ness of the Universe. It is a sacred syllable that represents the primordial sound by which the Universe vibrates. As everything in the Universe is made of energy and that energy is always moving, there is a vibrational hum to that movement which is Aum. When chanting Aum, we are connecting our Self with ALL THAT IS.

The practice of chanting a mantra is used as a form of meditation. Sitting in a comfortable position, with the eyes closed, the mantra is repeated silently or aloud. The mind is focused on the mantra, the thoughts are let go of and the breath is slow and deep.

How to Use?

The mala is traditionally held in the right hand and used in two ways -
In one method, the mala is hanging between the thumb and the ring (third) finger. The middle (second) finger is used to rotate the mala by one bead towards oneself with each repetition of the mantra.

In the other method, the mala is hanging on the middle finger, with the thumb used to rotate the mala just as explained - one bead at a time.

Either way, the index finger is never used to touch the mala.

Hold your mala in your right hand and use your thumb to “count” each mantra by touching the bead during the recitation and then lightly pushing the bead away on completion and moving to the next bead. The index finger is extended and should not touch the mala. The large meru (mountain) bead should not be counted or touched by the thumb and is used as a starting and ending point of the recitation. If you have a wrist mala of 27 beads you will need to repeat this 3 more times. Continue by pulling the beads and going backwards until you again end at the meru and continue until you have done 108 repetitions, or multiples of 108.

To empower the mala and the mantra used, japa (mantra meditation) should be practiced each day for 40 continuous days. When the mala becomes empowered it can be worn or lightly placed on oneself or others to transmit the energy of the mantra as well as the energetic qualities of the mala. When you use a new mantra with a mala, this energy becomes replaced, so it is recommended to use a new mala with each mantra if possible.

When not in use, store your mala in a special, clean and preferably sacred space. The best place to store a mala is on a personal alter or statue of a deity.
Choosing a Mantra

A mantra is either given to you by a teacher or chosen by yourself. When selecting a mantra, be clear on what your intention is, and use your intuition over your intellect. You may want to try out each mantra for a few repetitions to see how it feels to you and choose the one that feels like it fits best for you.

Category: Life

155 Views | 0 Thumbs Up | 0 Comments

Add Comment | Email

Comments & Responses

Post Comment

There are no comments yet.
Click Post Comments to add a comment!