top of page
Yogshala, l'école de yoga, home
How to Use a Mala: A Beginner's Guide to 108 Beads

How to Use a Mala: A Beginner's Guide to 108 Beads

Sahil Thakur
4 days ago
4 min read

To use a mala, hold it in one hand, begin at the bead next to the large "guru" bead, say your mantra once for each bead as you move from bead to bead, and stop when you reach the guru bead again. That's one round of 108. Here's the whole thing, step by step.

An invented scene

An invented scene. Imagine your first mala just arrived in a little cloth bag. It looks a bit mysterious. It's simpler than it looks.

Think of a mala as a string of tiny stepping stones. Each bead is one step: one breath, one repetition, one moment of coming back. You don't need to be good at it. You just need to move to the next bead.

Here's what to know.

Key takeaways

  • A mala (also called japamala) is a loop of beads used to count mantra repetitions. Scholars of the Japanese Buddhist version note that the Japanese word for it literally means "telling beads", beads for counting chants (Tanabe, University of Tübingen).

  • A full mala usually has 108 beads plus one larger "guru" or "meru" bead that marks the start and end of a round.

  • There isn't one single explanation for 108. Different traditions give different reasons.

  • Smaller malas (54 or 27 beads) are common, and you can count rounds on them.

  • It's a quiet counting tool. It isn't a charm or a guarantee of anything.

What is a mala?

Japa is the repetition of a mantra or divine name. Britannica describes mantra recitation, often with prayer beads, in Hindu practice, and the Tübingen paper above covers the Buddhist rosary. A mala is the string of beads that helps you count. The word mala means "garland" in Sanskrit, and the beads are traditionally made of seeds, wood, stone or other natural materials (research paper on prayer beads).

Britannica notes that many Hindu mantras are recited 108 times, often with the help of prayer beads, and that a simple recitation might be just three times (Britannica).

Why 108?

There isn't one agreed answer. Here are some common explanations:

  • In one Buddhist explanation, 108 comes from multiplying six senses by three kinds of feeling (pleasant, unpleasant, neutral), then by two conditions (pure and impure), then by three times (past, present, future), pointing to the "delusions" or passions we work with (Tricycle).

  • Other accounts link 108 to 108 meditations or to 108 deities in the Diamond Realm of Japanese Buddhism (University of Tübingen paper on Japanese Buddhist rosaries).

  • Hindu traditions give various symbolic explanations (see the research paper above; explanations vary).

My own way of holding this: 108 is a traditional number that gives your practice a shape. Whether you can say why it's 108 doesn't change what the beads are for.

The guru bead

The one larger bead is called the guru bead or meru bead. It marks the start and end of a round and usually isn't counted. It sits outside the 108 and is usually larger than the others; in Japanese Buddhist rosaries it is called the "mother bead" (Tanabe). In Hindu use it's sometimes linked to Mount Meru; in Buddhist use it can represent the teacher or the Buddha (research paper).

How to use your mala, step by step

  1. Sit comfortably. Spine tall, shoulders soft.

  2. Choose a mantra. A short one works best, like So Hum or Om (see our post on beginner mantras).

  3. Hold the mala in one hand. Many traditions use the right hand and rest the beads over the middle finger, moving them with the thumb. Many teachers also say to avoid using the index finger. Customs differ, so do what's comfortable (customs vary).

  4. Start next to the guru bead. Say your mantra once. Move to the next bead.

  5. Continue bead by bead, one repetition per bead, aloud, whispered or silently.

  6. Stop at the guru bead. That's one round. Many teachers say not to pass over it. If you want to keep going, turn the mala around and go back the other way (this is a common custom, not a rule).

  7. Close with a few quiet breaths.

If 108 feels like a lot, one round takes roughly ten to fifteen minutes, depending on the mantra and your pace. A half or a quarter round is perfectly good.

A small poem for your beads

Counting (an original poem)

One bead for the morning, one for the rain, one for the thought that has come back again. I don't count the days. I don't count the cost. I count what I'm holding, and nothing is lost.

Caring for your mala

Keep it somewhere clean and dry. Some people keep it in a small cloth pouch. In many traditions, a mala is treated with a bit of respect, not dropped on the floor and not worn as a casual accessory. How you treat it is up to you, but it helps to know that.

A gentle note: who should be careful

Malas are very gentle. If you have a nut or seed allergy, check what your beads are made of. If you find counting stressful, skip the count and just hold the beads. And please don't use a mala as a replacement for medical or mental-health care.

FAQ

Is a mala only for Hindus or Buddhists?

Prayer beads appear in many traditions. Using one for mindful counting is welcome, as long as you approach it respectfully.

Do I have to say a mantra aloud?

No. Aloud, whispered or silent are all traditional.

What's a wrist mala?

A smaller version with fewer beads, often a fraction of 108 such as 54 or 27. The Tübingen paper notes Buddhist rosaries with 54 or 27 beads, each with its own traditional meaning, and Tricycle's author describes making 54- and 27-bead versions himself.

What if I lose count?

Just continue to the next bead. The practice is coming back, not getting it perfect.

Come practice with us

If you'd like to try a mala in a quiet group setting, message us at breathe@theyogshala.org or call 514-575-0009. And if you want to go deeper into mantra, our Yogshala 200-hour Hatha Teacher Training runs January 5 to April 18, 2027, in person in Montréal-Ouest and online. Message us about the January training. Certification is issued by Yogshala. Details here.

With warmth,

Sahil

Sources

Recent Posts

See All

Comments

bottom of page