The GYPSY SOUL S GUIDE TO MALAS & MANTRAS JESS CARLSON - JESSCARLSON.COM

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1 The GYPSY SOUL S GUIDE TO MALAS & MANTRAS JESS CARLSON - JESSCARLSON.COM

2 I N T R O D U C T I O N Welcome, Gypsy Soul! One of the most popular and loved blog posts that I ve done over the years is a post called Everything You Need to Know About Malas. I had written it in the fall of 2012 after I d become obsessed with using mala beads over the previous six months or so. I d used mala beads before this. I had a small collection of simple stands of mala beads in common materials like sandalwood, rudraksha, and Bodhi seeds. But in early 2012 I discovered a company called Tiny Devotions who I just fell in love with. Tiny Devotions makes fashion malas; these are mala beads designed to be worn like jewelry while also being used as a spiritual tool. Their offerings range from simple malas with common materials to exclusive, exotic, highend malas that can be worn with to yoga or your dressiest of outfits for a night on the town. Tiny Devotions quickly had me {and my credit card} smitten with the beauty and magick of these kinds of malas. She was born to be free, let her run wild in her own way and you will never lose her. N I K K I R O W E

3 I ended up writing the blog post because I would get a lot of questions from people about the malas I would wear. I wore one every day, and often still do, but at the time, while I was still very involved in the Witchcraft and Pagan community, mala beads weren t a tool you often saw used, hence all the questions. I love using mala beads because they are truly a magickal tool that can help you create amazing results manifesting your desires while also being a tool you can take with you anywhere. By only wearing it you re reminded of the work you re doing, and if you want to use it, you can easily use it anywhere. And if you re a gypsy soul wandering the world and looking to travel light but still have tools to make your magick, you HAVE to have mala beads! In this guide I ll share the basics of working with mala beads, along with a little history and backgroun aboutt them, but I m also going to talk about creating a meditation and manifesting practice with mala beads and how to use mantras with your beads. Pretty, powerful, and portable. They re essential for the wandering gypsy soul. xoxo, jess

4 W H A T I S A M A L A? Mala beads, or simply malas, are a set of beads, seeds, or stones used for prayer, meditation, and mantra practice. Malas serve as a tactile reminder during meditation and chanting as well as a daily reminder of an intention or energy that someone is trying to manifest in their life. Malas are most commonly associated with Buddhist and Hindu traditions and used in a meditation practice known as Japa Meditation or Japa Practice. Today you ll find many people wear malas around their neck or wrists to connec with the energy of a particular prayer or mantra that they want to attract into their lives. Let s break down some of these words MALA Sanskrit for garland. JAPA Sanskrit for muttering or repetition. MALA BEADS a string of 27, 54, or 108 beads used for meditation or intention setting JAPA PRACTICE the meditative practice of reciting mantras or affirmations, often with the use of mala beads JAPA MALA prayer beads used for mantra and prayer practice When seeking guidance don t ever listen to the tiny-hearted. Be kind to them, heap them with blessings, cajole them, but do not follow their advice C L A R I S S A P I N K O L A E S T É S

5 In many Eastern traditions chanting and prayer are done in certain numbers. By running the beads through your fingers as you chant you re able to keep track of how many times you have chanted a mantra or said a prayer. When we repeat a phrase over and over something important happens in our minds and souls. The energy that is created through the vibration of repeating that thing time and time again starts to seep into our subconscious. It changes our energy and the vibration we radiate out into the world. In turn, that changes the way we see things and things that show up in our lives. It attracts a different kind of energy and helps us to manifest what we truly desire. This is why we need to be so careful about the words and phrases we use in our lives day in and day out. Words have energy and power beyond our understanding sometimes! Malas are wonderful for helping to tame the monkey mind during meditation. By having the beads to keep your hands and your active mind busy you can draw your inner focus to the words you re saying and the intention you re working on with less distraction. Working with a mala also helps us to remember to breathe during meditation and chanting. It helps us to keep pace. For each bead, you repeat your mantra or phrase and then do a deep inhale and exhale before moving on to the next bead. Even if you aren t chanting as part of your meditation you can simply clear your head, let go of stress, and focus your mind by using the mala. Use the beads to track your breath by inhaling with one bead and exhaling as you move to the next and so on.

6 The most traditional of all mala sizes is 108 beads, though you can find smaller malas made of 27 or 56 beads. There is a significance to the number 108, but the actual meaning varies depending on the tradition or source you look at. In Buddhism alone there are multiple meanings behind the number. 108 is the number of questions that the Bodhisattva Mahamati asks the Buddha in the Lankavatara Sutra. It s also seen as the number of temptations must be overcome to reach Nirvana. And in some forms of Buddhism, it is believed to be the number of feelings one can have, pleasant or painful, in the past, present, and future. Other interpretations include the belief that there are 108 lines of energy extending out from the heart chakra; there are 108 names for the Goddess in Hinduism; it is the number of the 12 astrological houses multiplied by the 9 planets; the distance between the Sun and the Earth is approximately 108 times the diameter of the Sun, while the distance beweent the Moon and the Earth is 108 times the diameter of the Moon. 108 is also seen as a lucky number of in many Eastern traditions which are generally the reason that, regardless of specific spiritual path, you ll find 108 used for Japa Practice. The 109th Bead The 109th bead is called the Guru Stone or Meru Bead {meru meaning mountain }. Originally this was used as a thank you stone, where you would pause in your prayer work to give thanks to your teacher or guru. Today it s often used as a way to solidify an intention or to send blessings and thank you s to all the friends, family, and teachers in one s life, especially those that have been helpful on your spiritual journey.

7 B E A D S, S E E D S, A N D S T O N E S Malas are made of just about any material you can imagine from wooden beads to tree or flower seeds to gemstone beads. Here are some of the most popular materials used for creating malas. Rudraksha Rudra means Lord Shiva and Aksha means teardrops, making Rudraksha Tears of Lord Shiva. It is said that Lord Shiva went into a deep trance meditation for the well-being of all living creatures of the earth and when he finished and opened his eye tears fell to the earth. These tears were in the form of seeds which grew to trees, later being called the Rudraksha tree. The seeds used for mala beads are the dry seed capsules of this tree. This makes rudraksha malas sacred to Shiva but also helps in healing the heart center and balancing the chakras, promoting inner peace, as well as granting knowledge, power, and enlightenment. This is one of the most popular and traditional materials used for making mala beads. Sandalwood an aromatic wood that is very calming and soothing, helps to promote humility and the ability to focus the mind for meditation. Sandalwood beads are not cheap and are becoming harder and harder to source. Be cautious of sandalwood malas that are sold cheaply; many times these are not true sandalwood beads and are simply another type of wood that has been treated with sandalwood oil or perfume to give it the sandalwood scent.

8 Rosewood actually red sandalwood, these are sacred to Lord Ganesh and are used for work to remove obstacles, protect from negativity, and healing work that involved the blood and circulation; carries a very warm and protective energy. Lotus Seeds used for work involving spiritual growth and the ability to rise above obstacles, especially while on the path to spiritual enlightenment. Bodhi Seeds seeds from the Bodhi tree; these represent the Buddha s enlightenment which was attained while sitting under a Bodhi tree; represents a spiritual promise, dedication, and faith. Gemstones like selecting crystals or gemstones for any kind of work, use the color and properties of the specific stone to help in picking out the best one for your intention. Many malas that you ll see made today, like the fashion malas, use a gemstone for the Guru Stone, chosen with specific intentions. For instance, a piece of lapis lazuli might be selected for its psychic energy or an amethyst for protection. That mala would likely be used for meditating or chanting around that intention. Sometimes you ll find malas that use a small charm or amulet made to represent a specific deity like the Buddha, Ganesh, or the Bodhisattva. Often these malas are intended to be used either to honor these specific figures or to draw on the energy and intentions they are usually associated with.

9 P I C K I N G T H E R I G H T M A L A Looking around for a mala that s right for you can be dizzying. Which materials should you pick from? Do you need one or are you going to need a bunch? Can you reuse a mala over and over? What about if you need a mala for more than one intention at a time? I m a big fan of focus and clarity. While you could work with five different intentions and five different specific malas for each all at the same time, you re going to spread your energy pretty thin. Picking one intention to focus on and using one mala with that intention is the best way to go. Then, when you re done with that intention, you can move on to something else. This is especially important if you are working to manifest something specific. For instance, you re looking to manifest a job, and you re trying to get your energy right for the big interview coming up. Have one mala that you re going to use for this purpose and focus just on this intention until you ve either manifested the job, or it s resolved itself some other way {like, sadly, not getting the job}. In other words, don t work on manifesting a job, manifesting a new love, and getting a new car all at the same time. You could end up with an interview at a car dealership where you meet the love of your life, but they re already married! It s easy for energetic wires to get crossed when you re trying to manifest too much at once.

10 When it comes to how many malas you need, that depends on you and the materials you choose. You can use the same mala over and over for different intentions, or you can use different malas that are unique to your intention. It s up to you. If you choose to use the same mala over and over for different intentions, you ll want to cleanse it before reusing. We ll talk about that in a little bit. When you re ready to pick out a mala, remember that the purpose of your mala is to both be a tool for creating and raising energy while also being a reminder of the work you re doing. The materials it is made up of is important but so is making sure you personally find it beautiful. I also love considering the chakras. These little energy centers run throughout our body, but the seven primary centers that stack along our spine can be an excellent guide for picking a mala. Root Chakra - {red, brown, black} grounding, safety, protection, security Sacral Chakra - {orange} creativity, sexuality, pleasure, joy Solar Plexus - {yellow, amber} success, self-esteem, personal empowerment, confidence Heart Chakra - {pink, green} love, compassion, peace, hope, harmony, acceptance Throat Chakra - {blue} expression, trust, loyalty, organization, decisiveness Third Eye - {purple, violet} intuition, psychic power, imagination, spiritual clarity Crown Chakra - {white, opal, indigo} enlightenment, higher consciousness, oneness, spiritual awareness

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12 Here are some questions to ask yourself while choosing a mala: Do the materials it s made of resonate with my intention? Does the color resonate with the chakra connected to my intention? Does the shape of the Guru Stone reflect an energy that I resonate with? Use your intuition if you aren t sure. If you re picking out a mala in person, be sure to hold it and take a moment to feel the energy of it. You can ask the mala Are you the right one for {your intention}? Go with your gut here, even if logically the specific materials may not be right. If you feel that YES, this is my mala, then that s the one! Steps to Setting Amazing Intentions When you re working picking your mala, it s a good idea to have your intentions clear. Here is a short process that you can use to make sure your intentions are clear and in full alignment with your ultimate goal. What is one goal I m really working toward right now? What is blocking me from achieving this goal? What do I feel is missing right now in my daily life? What is keeping me from living at my highest vibration? What do I need to make me truly happy right now? What is really working in my life right now that I would like more of? How do I want to feel on a daily basis? Use these questions to get clear about where you are right now. Write your answers down taking the time to get really thoughtful about it. You may find that as you look at your answers that a specific theme or feeling resonates throughout. This will help you find the best intention to work with or energy to magnify or attract in your life right now.

13 J A P A M E D I T A T I O N Japa Meditation Practice specifically involves the repeating of a mantra while using the mala. Pick a mantra that resonates with your intention and set a time frame that you re going to work with this mantra for. One common time frame is 40 days since it s believed that this is the length of time needed to make a deep, inner change to our mindset. Every day, twice a day, use your mala to do one round of Japa with your mantra. After the 40th day, your mala will be empowered with this mantra and its intention. You can then set this mala aside for just this mantra and intention, or you can cleanse it, releasing the mantra and its energy, and use it for something else. Personally, I like leaving them empowered. Chances are you ll need that mantra and that energy again. But then this is also why I have a collection of nearly 50 different malas now! The beads should be held in the right hand because the left hand is seen as impure in some traditions {you could also think of things like left-hand path as being a possible factor in deciding which hand to use}. The beads are held and worked through the thumb and the middle finger. The index finger is extended and never touches the mala beads. The index finger is related to the ego, something which ideally is kept out of prayer, meditation, and devotional work. To move through the beads, the thumb lightly pulls each bead through or over the middle finger with each prayer, affirmation, or mantra that is recited. When you get to the Guru Stone, stop and hold the beads in your hand, taking a deep breath and sending out a prayer of thanks to the people involved in your journey. If you wish to do a second round of chanting do not cross the Guru Stone. This is considered a rude gesture because it s like walking over your guru. Rather than moving over the Guru Stone to the next bead on the mala, you turn the mala around so the Guru Stone is behind your thumb and middle finger, the same way it was when you first started.

14 M A N T R A S F O R Y O U R M A L A I love working with mantras, and they indeed go hand in hand with mala beads. Mantra is a Sanskrit word that means mind instrument { man meaning mind and tra meaning vehicle; instrument }. A mantra is a word, phrase, or sound that transports our mind to a specific place. Ultimately that place is a place of spiritual empowerment. Mantras are vibrational tools for sound healing. The vibration that is created by saying the mantras causes changes in the vibration and energy in your own aura which helps create that healing space. A few doctors who have studied how mantras work on the body and mind have suggested that by repeating different mantras has the tongue stimulating acupressure points in the mouth which add to their healing power. Some of the other ways that mantras are thought to help us include releasing the hormone melatonin, causing the left and right sides of the brain to synchronize, oxygenating the brain, reducing heart + blood pressure rates, and creating calm brain activity. Here s the thing about mantras - they aren t affirmations. Affirmations work on a psychological level to help retrain your brain and your thoughts. Mantras work on a much deeper spiritual and vibrational level. Mantras aren t prayers either. Prayers have us in a position where we re asking for something like we re asking for healing or asking that we become

15 healed where mantras energetically create space for healing to happen. They re more proactive. So when you work with a mantra you re not asking for help from anyone, and you re not trying to convince yourself of something. You re actually doing the healing and doing the work by adjusting your own vibration with sound. There are all kinds of mantras. My favorites are often the Hindu mantras for certain Hindu Gods, though I also love some of the Buddhist mantras. There are also single syllable chants called bija mantras, which are seed mantras. There are bijas for each of the chakras that you can work with for healing and to align those energy centers. There is, of course, the most well-known mantra of all - OM {Aum}. It s the primordial sound of God, one that is best said out loud so you can hear and feel the vibration of the Divine through your body. When you re chanting a mantra, you don t want your mind to wander. You want to be entirely focused on just the mantra and the meaning behind the mantra. Pick a mantra that you understand. Many mantras are in other languages since many come from Eastern traditions. If you aren t sure how to pronounce the words or what they mean to be sure to Google the phrase and search for it on YouTube to hear it before you start working with it. If you decide to work with a mantra that honors a deity or spiritual figure like Ganesh, Shiva, Lakshmi or Buddha have an image of that deity on your meditation altar and softly focus on it while you do your chanting. Here are some mantras you can try working with. Again, search for them on YouTube to hear how they are said or sung. Om Shanti Om - Peace for all. Om Namaha Shivaya - I honor the Divinity within me. Om Gum Ganapatayei Namah - I bow to Ganesh, who can remove all obstacles. I pray for blessing and protection. Om Hreem Sri Lakshmi Bhyo Namaha - Goddess Lakshmi reside in me and bestow thy abundance on all aspects of my existence. Aham Brahmasmi - I am Divine or I am the Universe Aham Prema - I am Divine Love.

16 Start with big dreams and make life worth living. S T E P H E N R I C H A R D S M A N I F E S T I N G W I T H Y O U R M A L A Another way to work with your mala is to use it for more modern manifesting. You can do this with simple affirmations as part of an overall manifesting process. Pick an affirmation that works with your intention.affirmations should always be I am statements or things that are in the present tense. Don t use things like I will or I hope. Your statements should be positive and affirming that the thing you desire is already in your personal universe; all we re doing now is drawing it closer to you. The I am and positive present tense statements always take away any fear, hesitation, or worry about not being able to actually have what you want. When you re working on manifesting your goals, there s more to it than just chanting an affirmation a few times a day. Here is simple but powerful step by step process for working with your mala to manifest anything! Carry your mala with you or wear it every day if possible while manifesting. Work with only one mala during your manifesting work and choose a mala that has materials in alignment with your intention if possible. The more

17 you work with your mala while you re manifesting the more energy it gathers and more it will help you stay in alignment with your goal simply by having it with you as a reminder. Step 1: Name It Get very clear and very precise about what you want and be willing to stand up and name it to claim it! One thing that so many people do is dance around what it is they really want, often accepting weak substitutes for the real thing. Why? Fear! They worry about their worthiness to have what they really want; some people even fear actually seeing their dreams become reality. If you re going to put in the time and energy and do the work, do the work for exactly what you want and not a version of it. Also, work toward the end goals rather than a means to an end. For instance, if you re working to manifest $1,000 to buy a car, work for the car, not the money. The car could find its way to you in a different way that doesn t involve you having to come up with the money to pay for it. Using your mala, you can name the thing you want with each bead, taking a moment to pause and breathe in the name of the thing you re after between each bead. Step 2: See It Visualize having the thing you want, but again be specific. This is the difference between I want a boat and I want a yacht. Boat can mean a rowboat or a sailboat when a yacht is something else entirely. What does it look like for you being on that yacht? How does it feel to board the yacht and have lunch on the deck while hanging out with your friends and family? You can use pictures, create vision boards, or do anything that creates a visual connection with you in your mind that allows you to see yourself in that situation and really feel what it would be like to have what you re manifesting. With your mala, you can say an affirmation or the name of the thing you re manifesting, for instance saying I m on my yacht and with each bead seeing yourself on your yacht, feeling the ocean air on your face, etc.

18 Step 3: Release It There comes a point in our manifesting journey where we need to let our vision go, allow the energy to do the work it needs to do in the world, and trust it will find it s way back to us. This isn t giving up or not caring anymore, but simply trusting that everything is going to find its way back to you, but it can only do that and work on attracting the thing you want if you let it go out and find it! I see this as sending an energetic letter to the Universe. It says Dear Universe, I want this so send more of it. Please, and Thank You! But if you don t SEND the letter the Universe doesn t ever get to read it and thus never knows what to send your way. Your energy has to be signed, sealed, and delivered at some point. At this stage of your manifesting, you can use your mala each day to do a round of gratitude chanting by simply saying Thank You with each bead. Step 4: Live It This is the live as if phase. It s the part of manifesting where you go out and live in the world as though the thing that you are manifesting is yours like it s already happened. Feel the way someone would feel if they had the thing you re working for. Let s say you re trying to manifest a thriving business as a yoga teacher. What would that yoga teacher do when they got up in the morning? What would they eat for breakfast? How would they dress? What would they do in their free time? How would they interact with people? If you want to be a successful yoga teacher, start LIVING as a successful yoga teacher! With your mala, you can come back to using a phrase or mantra that reinforces that original intention you had at the beginning, however now we place it in present and even past tense as though you have already manifested the goal and are now living with it as part of your world.

19 Step 5: Receive It The final step of manifesting is receiving your goal. This can come in bits and pieces, or it can all come at once. Each time you manifest a piece of goal you need to acknowledge it and be thankful for it. This way the Universe knows that your vibration is one of receptivity and gratitude for what you re getting. For instance, if you re manifesting money you might get a $20 discount on something you re buying. That s money manifested! It might not seem like it at first because it wasn t new money you re receiving, but it s money you d otherwise not have. Acknowledge that money as manifested and be thankful. Then set that $20 aside toward whatever it is that you re manifesting money for. At this point, you can use your mala to reinforce your intentions but also to say thank you. Alternate as needed between working with mantras and affirmations to align yourself with the feeling of having what you desire and saying thank you while giving gratitude for the pieces that you see fully manifest. Whatever you hold in your mind on a consistent basis is exactly what you will experience in your life. A N T H O N Y R O B B I N S

20 C A R I N G F O R Y O U R M A L A As you use your mala, it will start to hold energy, your energy and the energy of your intention. You ll need to energetically care for your mala from time to time by cleaning it, especially if you use it for more than one intention or if you have a habit of wearing it or carrying it with you. When should you cleanse your mala? You feel the energy is off or it doesn t feel right anymore You have been working with a mantra or affirmation and you wish to start using a new one with the same mala Someone else has been using, holding, or wearing your mala You were wearing your mala when something traumatic or negative happened to you How should you cleanse your mala? Place it in direct sunlight or full moonlight for a few hours Use a singing bowl or tingshas over your mala to create a sound/vibration bath Burn sage, either loose leaves or a sage wand, or palo santo wood, letting the smoke wrap around your mala Place your mala in a bowl of rice overnight Lay your mala out on a slab of selenite for a few hours Burn a white candle purified and blessed for cleansing with your mala at the base of the candle, allowing the candle to burn all the way down Lightly wipe your beads with blessed moon water, holy water, or Florida Water {this is only recommended for rudraksha and gemstone malas}

21 When you re not using or wearing your mala keep it on your altar, meditation space, or other sacred space. You can also store your mala in a cloth bag or wooden box. If you have more than one mala, especially if they look the same, you ll want to take care with how you store them so you don t forget what they re for. For instance if you have specific intentions or mantras attached to specific malas. Be sure to include a small note with them in their storage pouches so you remember which mala is for what, especially if they are similar, like if you have more than one plain rudraksha mala but you use them for different things. If you ever feel you ve come to a point where a mala just doesn t serve you anymore you can always cleanse it and then gift it to a friend. You can also undo the mala and use the beads to string together a new mala for yourself when you re ready with a new Guru Stone. In the end, remember that your mala is there to be used as a tool for meditation, healing, and manifesting. It is a portable temple, designed to bring your to your peaceful and grateful center so that you can live in alignment with your intentions and driven by sacred purpose. Use your mala with love and it will serve you well.

22 About Jess I m Jess, an intuitive reader and spiritual life guide here to help you demystify the new age and magical world so you can create awesome spiritual practices to help you gain more time, more confidence, and more connection to your life purpose. As a Priestess, Shamanic Practitioner and life long witch, exploring the world of mysticism is my passion and making it practical is my job. But I have to be honest. I m not living in an ashram, meditating 5 times a day, drinking green smoothies and spending a lot of time worrying about how I m breathing. I see myself as a spiritual girl embracing the material world and having a good time in the process. I love pop culture, electronic music, shopping for designer handbags, and hanging out at the beach. Oh, and I swear. A lot. I m more the type to pop open a bottle of Dom for a tarot reading instead of brewing some green tea. J E S S C A R L S O N. C O M