Mala Beads by Laaila

My grandmother had given my mother some beads of Jade and Tiger's Eye some years ago. Eventually she gave them to me.

I never really knew what to do with them.

Then it dawned on me recently, to make a Mala.

Jade is a wonderful balancing stone. It is considered to be a lucky stone that offers good health, wealth, and love. Jade can help you realise your full potential and attain purposeful goals. Jade also helps lift stuffed-down emotional issues and bring them to light for resolution

Tiger's Eye is a stone of protection and was traditionally carried as a talisman against ill wishes and curses. It is both a grounding and uplifting crystal and can encourage feelings of self-worth and confidence in our own abilities. It can promote a positive attitude, assist us in accomplishing our goals and help us to recognise our own talents and abilities.

I chose a pattern of 5's and am not sure if this has any meaning.

To make your own Mala, get some beading wire, 108 beads, and one bead as the lead or summit bead (here I found and added the red piece - which is actually red Coral).

Coral symbolises life and blood force energy

Most Malas I've seen also have a tassel. I made one out of copper strands.

A Mala is used during meditation practise. Each bead represents a Mantra, or personal saying. A yogi once told me that Mala beads work as a sort of energy bank. As your meditation practise deepens,throughout your lifetime, the beads begin to retain and emit energy.

Apparently, this is not a peice of jewlery.

A beading store is a must-stop for supplies. I went to Bead It in the awesome Mount Royal area of Montreal, Quebec. The owner's father was amazingly helpful. Plus he had on dark sunglasses, knew alot about stones, and was wearing lots of fun, artesan, jewlery.