DIY Meditation Beads
Mediation is an essential practice to me. That being said it seems there is never anytime for it. With two little ones roaming the house and a little one on the way, the day is pretty much booked up. But every year I set the goal and 2026 is no different. In an attempt to set the ball rolling this year I am making my own meditation beads.
Meditation beads, rosary, or malas are often used in meditative and spiritual practices related to Buddhism, Hinduism and Christianity. They serve as an anchor when engaging in deep breathing, chanting, prayers or mantras to focus the mind and deepen concentration through the connection of touch and sound. The material is traditionally wood, seed or stone, however, which ever element you decide to use, including glass or plastic are completely acceptable. The object is secondary to the purpose which is to allow the practitioner to remain present and focused upon the intention of their meditation. I will be focusing on the tradition of the mala in the piece I will be making, however there are many styles and systems that you can utilize in creating your own meditation aid.
The mala aids in
focus and grounding by utilizing the tactile sensation of moving the beads through your fingers to quiet the mental chatter
mantra counting as each bead marks one repetition of a mantra, prayer or even simply a quiet breath. The circle has completed one round when the “guru” bead.
There are two traditional types of mala. The full mala consisting of 108 beads, plus a larger guru bead. Or alternatively a wrist mala which is often 21 beads and worn as a bracelet.
When using the mala you would ideally begin in a seated comfortable position allowing your breath to flow in and out easily. You have the mala draped in your hand with the thumb and middle finger holding on to a single bead.
Beginning at the guru bead you repeat your mantra, prayer or deep breath, then release the bead moving on to the next in line. I find myself spinning the beads as I meditate on the mantra which can make it easier to move between beads. This is a feat that sounds easy, but sometime if the beads are particularly small or large it can be difficult to move between them without having a little practice.
Move along the length of the mala repeating the mantra with every bead until you reach the guru bead again. Once you have, you can rotate the mala and proceed in the opposite direction.
Materials are very straight forward:
108 beads of a comfortable size made from whatever material speaks to you and will amplify your intention. When I purchased my beads, from the big craft store here, the selection was very limited and I felt pressured to get wood beads as that is what you see most often. However, when I spotted these bright shining blue beauties I knew that they were the ones. Thought not of a traditional material- I feel the suit my intentions in their own way.
The cord that you use will need to be fairly durable, especially if there is a chance your mala can end up in the hands of little ones (this being the fate of my last mala). I have had some before that were even slightly elastic. This time I have gone with a cotton chord that can hopefully survive this household.
The creation of the mala itself is a meditative act all on its own. You will want to cut plenty of chord as 108 beads take up more space than you would imagine and in some styles of mala you may even include a know between each bead.
As you string your beads try to keep the intention of meditation and focus in your mind as you count them out. Each bead on the string will be there to calm your mind and focus your breath as you work with your mala throughout the year.
When the 108 beads are strung you will run both ends of your chord through the guru bead creating an end to the loop. With the remaining chords you can add more details or tassels as you see fit.
