What is a Mala?
The word 'Mala' comes from Sanskrit and means 'garland'. A Mala is a string of beads thats is used in meditation to recite mantra or prayers. It is a tool to help the mind to stay focussed. Traditionally a Mala contains 108 beads plus a Guru bead. The Guru bead functions as a starting and ending point for counting 108 repetitions of your mantra or affirmation.

Why 108 beads?
There are many reasons why 108 is such a magical number and used as such in many different traditions.  Here are a few reasons why 108 is magical:
• It has been said there there are 108 energy lines connecting to the heart, with one of them believed to be the path to self realisation.
• The average distance of the Sun and the Moon to Earth is 108 times their respective diameters.
• The Sanskrit alphabet contains 54 letters. Each letter has a feminine and masculine version - totalling 108
• Mathematicians from the Vedic tradition came to view 108 as the number representing the wholeness of existence.
• According to yogic tradition, there are 108 sacred sites throughout India. There are 108 Upanishads
(a collection of Indian religious and philosophical texts).
• In Buddhism, it is believed that the road to nirvana is laden with exactly 108 temptations. So, every Buddhist has to overcome 108 earthly temptations to achieve nirvana.

The Anatomy of a Mala
Each Mala is made of a few important parts.
Below a little explanation on each part of the Mala and its spiritual significant meaning.

The Guru Bead
The Guru bead is the 109th bead and refers to the Guru, or the teacher. The Guru bead symbolises the connection between the teacher and the practitioner or student who has received the teachings of the Guru and the reciting mantra.
The Guru bead also connects the 108 Mala beads (counting beads), to the tassel, signalling the end of one full cycle in the tradition of Japa meditation.
And least but not last, the Guru bead symbolises our connection to the Divine.

The String & The Knots
The string is literally what holds the Mala together and symbolises the Universal Self. The strings is knotted to maintain a consistent space between each of the beads. Each knot represents the link between all beings and the Divine, reminding us that we are all connected and supported.

The Tassel 
The tassel is what brings it all together, the cluster of strings.
The strands continually move and flow, reminding us that we are not separate but connected to the Divine and each other - oneness and unity, travelling together on this journey called life. The tassel also symbolises the thousand petals of Sahasrara, the Crown Chakra, transcending the energy created from meditation.