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When we started Japa Mala Beads in 2004 there was only a couple of other companies making and importing mala beads so choosing a mala was a fairly easy task. Nowadays there are a huge number of different materials and designs for mala beads—even with our own company we have expanded from 5 malas to over 160 mala designs! Because of all of these options we have put together this extensive guide of the 8 best methods and tips to help you choose the best mala for you.
There are many factors to consider on your journey to selecting the perfect mala for you to use and wear. We have numbered these tips for you to proceed through them to find your perfect mala, but you certainly do not have to do all of these steps. We do highly recommend that at the very least you do the first and last tips. Being clear on your intention and following and trusting your intuition are the two most potent ways for choosing mala beads.
Mala beads are made from sacred woods and seeds and mystical gemstones which all carry specific subtle energies. These healing and energetic properties will affect your body and mind while wearing and using mala beads, so it is important to align these energies with your intentions for your japa meditation as well as your spiritual and life goals. Before starting to shop for a new mala take some time to reflect on what your intention is for using and wearing mala beads. If you are not clear on what your larger spiritual and life goals are, then also take some contemplation time to make a list of these goals.
Once you are clear on your intentions and goals then you can choose mala beads based on the main categories of intentions below. You will notice that there are still lots of choices in each intention section so continue to refine your choice by using some or all of the proceeding steps.
Phycologists that have studied the effect of color and light on our emotional and mental states have found some common patterns but have also seen that colors affect each person differently. According to chakra therapy, our attraction and reaction to certain colors may be linked to our unique mental and emotional imbalances. Both color and chakra therapy believe that wearing and using specific color in your environment can have healing properties. Therefore, you should consider the traditional energetic effects of the colors of beads in your mala when choosing a new one or wearing or using one in your collection.
The look and design of mala beads vary quite a lot—from a simple unadorned strand of wood or seed beads to malas made with beautiful gemstones that are accented with complementing crystals, metal spacer beads, and hand-crafted tassels. Surrounding yourself with beautiful, sacred and spiritually uplifting objects can be a powerful way to create happiness, hope, and inspiration in your daily life. As you shop for mala beads pay close attention to what designs you feel attracted to and drawn towards. Reflect on what exactly is creating this attraction (color, shape, design, style, etc.) to hone in on what elements to focus on.
The tradition of tantra yoga describes seven main subtle energy centers in the body located along the spine. Each chakra is associated with a set of organs and systems which correspond with the areas in our body where a lot of energy flows. When this energy becomes blocked or excessive it can present as physical, mental and emotional issues. Gemstones and crystals have been used to help balance, enhance and unblock the seven chakra energy centers and you can find these same stones used in mala beads. As you read through this list of the primary chakra properties note anything that resonates with your intentions, challenges, and personality.
Check out our ultimate mala bead finder to filter all of our mala beads by gemstone, intention, chakra, price, color and mala style!
Find Your Perfect Mala
Throughout human history, different gemstones and crystals have been assigned to different astrological signs and birth months based on associating the energetic properties of gemstones with the personality qualities of the zodiac. Astrological gemstones, also known as Astral stones, can be different than modern birthstone associations but are based on similar principles.
For Zodiac gemstones, the theory is that each sun sign is linked to one or more gemstones that enable the wearer to evoke hidden powers and enhance positive personality traits.
Birthstones are one or more gemstones that have been selected for each of the 12 months of the year. Originally the list of birthstones was limited to one per month but this list has been revised several times in order to allow more options. Many people believe that wearing one’s birthstone brings good luck and is a charm or talisman that carries protective powers. Unfortunately, several birthstones are not readily available in the proper size to make mala beads from.
Another important consideration on how to choose a japa mala is how you intend to wear and use it. We have found that mala bracelets can be a bit easier to use with japa meditation (mantra chanting) as you do not have to manage the long hang of 108 beads. If you are doing a large number of repetitions of 108 mantras then using wrist malas can create a challenge of keeping track of multiple mantra rounds, thus a full mala works best for long meditations. Some people prefer the feel and look of bracelets and necklaces differently, so it is important to note your personal wearing preference when choosing between a bracelet mala or a necklace mala.
The standard sizes of beads used in malas are 6mm and 8mm. You will find a few malas made with larger beads of 10mm and 12mm but these can be difficult to wear and practice japa mediation with. The size of your fingers and the agility of your hands will be a determining factor to the best size of bead to use for japa meditation. The bead size, along with additional spacer and marker beads, will also determine the overall length and circumference of a mala. For a wrist or bracelet mala, you want the mala’s circumference to be about 1/2 inch larger than the size of your wrist. For a full 108 bead mala the length is a personal preference of where the guru bead feels best resting on your chest. While we do not recommend wrapping a necklace mala around one’s wrist, the mala’s size will also be important if you want to wear it wrapped.
Accessing and using your intuition can be a powerful way to choose your mala. Your intuition is sometimes called the sixth sense and is often described as a gut feeling, hunch or sense of inner-knowing. Tapping into your intuition can be very helpful If you feel stuck deciding between two or three different malas. Everyone has their own technique for accessing their intuition but a good place to start is by closing your eyes, breathing deeply and shifting your focus away from your thoughts to what you are feeling in your body.
If you are really confused and none of the above tips and methods help you to choose a mala necklace or bracelet feel free to reach out to us for advice and suggestions. We would love to help you find the perfect mala to deepen your meditation and promote peace and well-being in you!
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Do you ever sit down to start beading a new jewelry project or bead pattern and then struggle to decide on what bead color combinations to choose? I know I have! If you’re like me, it’s easy to feel overwhelmed when surrounded by so many luscious bead colors without knowing which ones to choose.
Bead patterns are so fun to buy – but we all know patterns take some time to follow. Choosing a beading color combination can be a commitment we live with for the next days or weeks! Do you want to LOVE your chosen bead color combination and feel confident your bead colors will look good together?
If so, I’ll share some of the tips and tricks I use when choosing bead color combinations. Let’s get started!
Do you have a colorful cabochon or focal bead already selected for your design? Then you’re halfway there with choosing a bead color palette for your beading project!
If the colors in your cabochon or focal bead work well together and are pleasing to the eye, use that centerpiece as a roadmap for choosing your bead colors.
In the statement necklace shown above, I based the color palette off of the colors in the handmade peacock feather glass cabochon – shades of blue from aquamarine and teal to turquoise and navy, and shades of green. I simply pulled every green and blue bead tube from my stash and placed them on an empty bead tray. Then I compared each tube to the center cabochon and created a “keep” pile for beads that matched back to the cabochon (and worked well with each other).
The rest I put away for another time. As I worked on beading the necklace, I drew from my keep pile whenever I needed a new color. I used lots of different blues and greens that were very similar in color to create harmony in the final piece.
If I don’t have a focal bead to base my bead color combination off of, I visit one of my favorite color palette websites for some beading inspiration.
Whoever invented these color palette websites is a sheer genius! They feature carefully pulled together colors pulled from gorgeous stock photography images of flowers, sunsets, fruit bowls, and other vignettes.
One of my favorites is Design Seeds. This amazing FREE website features gorgeous photography and sophisticated color palettes pulled from the images. Here is an example of what you’ll find on Design Seeds:
Photo property of Design Seeds.The site is searchable by Color, or by Collection. For example, the photo above displayed in a search for greenish blue from their Search By Color feature.
Click here to Search By Color on Design Seeds.
The main color you select is displayed in a variety of palettes you can get inspired by! The above palette is obviously all shades of the same teal, but there are so many different color palettes to explore – dramatic ones, light colored ones, vibrant ones, dreamy ones, and more.
Search by Collection lets you browse color schemes that organized by season, or type, like animals or nature.
Click here to Search By Collection on Design Seeds.
A quick search on a color palette website like Design Seeds will give your color selection a jumpstart!
Once you find a color palette that speaks to you, you can quickly pull beads from your stash that match the swatches, and get started!
I love, love love Design Seeds and I think you will, too. (If you do, please consider donating to the site from the link on their home page.)
Sometimes you don’t know what bead color combination you want to use, but you know you want to design a beaded necklace that is inspired by a certain theme. It could be a trip to the beach, or your favorite flower.
Wouldn’t it be great if you could use your own image as color palette inspiration for your bead color combination?
Well, you can! One of my favorite programs that does just that is Adobe Color – and it’s FREE!
Click here to try out the FREE Adobe Color palette creator! It’s so cool!
From the link above, select Extract From An Image from the top left of the screen and then choose the photo on your computer that you’d like to use as inspiration. I chose this photo from a summer trip to the beach:
Adobe Color CC will automatically choose pinpoints of color from the image, and display them in a color palette below the image! So cool! Here’s a example:
You can change the “mood” of the color palette. The above photo is their “Muted” palette, but a quick click on the dropdown menu will show you Colorful, Bright, and Dark palettes, just to name a few.
You can also select a “Custom” mood, and drag the little pinpoint circles to any area on the photo to customize the palette.
Adobe Color CC allows you to save your color palette, too. I hope you’ll try it out and show me the beading creations you’ve made with colors selected from your own photos as inspiration!
Pinterest is chock full of amazing beaded jewelry and bead embroidery images. Visit Pinterest when you need some color choice inspiration and you won’t be disappointed!
I work on my Pinterest beading boards regularly to be sure I have lots of inspiring content when I need it. It’s also something fun to do when you aren’t able to bead, like in line at the bank or the parent pick up line after school.
One idea is to start a series of Pinterest boards that are organized by bead color, which can be very helpful when looking for bead color combination inspiration. Here’s an example of what a Bead Color Story Board can look like:
You can see my Bead Color Story boards here.
Remember, you don’t have to limit your color story inspiration boards to just beads or beaded jewelry. You can create boards with any photos or items that have colors that appeal to you. Fashion, textile, and travel photos are good places to gather a lot of colorful pins. Get creative with your pinning so you’ll have lots of color inspiration to draw from when you need it.
We can look beyond beaded jewelry for bead color combo inspiration. Look around at the things you already love, whether it is a a colorful printed top, a bedspread, or an accent rug for bead color choice inspiration.
Once you find a colorful print or pattern you find appealing, you know those bead colors will look great together in a necklace or bracelet pattern.
Use the proportions in the inspiration item to have the same pleasing color balance in your beaded item. For example, using the navy pillow in the above photo, your main bead color would be dark blue, followed by smaller amounts of white and yellow, with pops of orange and/or green.
Final Tips
I hope these tips help when you are inspired to bead but can’t decide on a color scheme! What tips and tricks have you used to choose colors for a recent bead project? Let me know in the comment below!
Until next time… and happy creating!
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