Simply Breathtaking
As many of you know, I have a deep
passion for collecting prayer beads. I have prayer beads from a
variety of cultures and religions within my connection: including
Buddhist malas, Christianity rosaries, and Pagan prayer beads. Yet
this is the first pocket mala to ever grace my collection. Pocket
malas are smaller versions of the standard 108 count malas used for
meditation and devotional practices. The standard number of 108
counter beads is divided by 4 giving us 27 counters beads - allowing
you to take your mala with you anywhere! This pocket mala was lovely
hand-crafted by Jason Walz of Custom Mala Shop
and features many aspect that are exclusive - If you truly want a
one-of-a-kind mala Custom Mala shop is the place to go.
Custom Mala Shop's Exclusive
Features:
Bead Re-drilling:
Each of the beads are individually re-drilled using a specialized
process of submerging the bead in water as it is drilled. The
craftsmanship of the drill work is exquisite and smooth, which helps
the cord to last longer and protects it from becoming damaged through
use.
Three Cord Design:
Unlike most malas I have purchased, this mala is designed to
withstand the riggers of daily meditative use. It features three
strands of 1.5mm cord, which is much thicker and stronger than
standard .8mm cord making this mala far more durable. Each of the
beads of this mala were re-drilled so that they could be stung onto
the three cords. When comparing the cords of this mala to the cords
of malas in my collection, I quickly found that there is no
comparison - this mala feels far more durable than any of the others.
This mala features three cords in pink, light blue, and light purple.
Adjustable Knot Design:
This mala features a very unique knotting design that allows
you to adjust the space between the beads. Personally I love this
feature because it allows me to choose how much spacing between the
beads I would like. To the best of my knowledge this is an exclusive
design only found at Custom Mala Shop.
High Quality Beads:
The quality of the Howlite and Lapis Lazuli beads is very
impressive. They have such a wonderful lustrous and glow about them.
These beads are not only beautiful they are a pleasure to hold.
Below are the measurements of the beads
- 25 x 10mm White Howlite main beads
- 2 x 8mm Deep Blue Lapis main beads
- 2 x 12mm Deep Blue Lapis marker beads
- 1 x 12mm Deep Blue Lapis guru bead
3-D Sterling Silver Pendent:
Attached to this mala is a gorgeous sterling silver seated Buddha
pendant. Unlike most pendents you will find attached to malas else
where this pendent is 3-dimensional with beautiful craftsmanship.
Whats makes Custom Mala Shop truly unique is that you can custom
design your own mala anyway you want. Each mala at Custom Mala Shop
is made to order and can be custom designed. If you are looking for
something that isn't listed on the main website contact the artist
with your special requests. If you can dream it, he can make it!
Including malas made from such exotic materials as wooly mammoth
ivory - a form of fossil ivory that is over 10,000 years old!
Artist Bio:
"My name is Jason Walz and I am the proprietor of the
Custom Mala Shop. I consider myself a non-denominational Dharma
Practitioner who follows no single teacher or lineage. I originally
became interested in Dharma Practice through the Martial Arts and
Taoism. While practicing martial arts I became much more interested
in the "why" of the arts rather than the physical process
(although really they are one and the same). So, I first started to
investigate Taoism. That in turn led me to investigate Buddhism and
the Buddha's teachings. The Four Noble Truths and the Eight Fold Path
resonated with me immediately. I had always been interested in
religion in general (I have a BA in anthropology) but the Buddha's
teachings seemed to transcend the rote scholarly approach to
religion. They offered to me a way to approach life that simply "made
sense".
Now, several years later, I no longer practice
the martial arts but I focus a great deal of my time not only
contemplating the Buddha's teachings but also hopefully living them
partially through my effort of practicing Right Livelihood. Right
Livelihood is of course the 5th step in the Eight Fold Path. It is
through Right Livelihood that one attempts to earn a living while not
harming others; while not acting selfishly; while contributing to the
lessening of the suffering of others. I hope that the Malas I make
help to accomplish this. Making Malas also allows me to express
myself artistically. Although really it is the customer who comes up
with the majority of the creativity involved I do get to play at
"artist" as I put together the customer's creation. I get
great satisfaction and peace from doing something as simple as
watching a diamond tipped drill bit slowly sink into a lapis bead. I
find it relaxing to sit and drop bead after bead onto a strand of
cord and listen to the "clack-clack-clack".
A little more biographically speaking I am a single
dad of two stunningly wonderful kids. I also have two Rhodesian
Ridgebacks that help me make Malas by sleeping on the sofa all day
(or under my feet!). I live in sunny Mesa Arizona and ride my
mountain bike on the local trails daily. I recently (as of June 2011)
left my regular 9-5 job in favor of making Malas full-time. The
Custom Mala Shop is now my main source of income although I am still
doing as little database management on a consulting basis." ~ Jason Walz
About Malas:
History
- Buddhist prayer beads,
traditionally called malas, first developed as a religious tool on
the Indian continent. "The use of beads in prayer appears to
have originated with Hindu religious practices in India, possibly
around the 8th century," writes the Museum of Anthropology at
the University of Missouri. Since the 8th century the
practice of using a mala during meditating as been seen in Buddhism,
Hindus and among those from any walk of life who enjoy meditation.
Identification
- Standard Buddhists mala normally consist of 108 beads, but
the number may vary in different sects of Buddhism. Each bead is a
symbol of impurities and flaws that an individual must overcome.
108 beads is said to represent the following formula:
6 x 3 x
2 x3 = 108
6 senses of a human being: sight, sound, smell, taste,
touch, thought
3 times: past, present, future
2 conditions of
heart, mind or intention: pure or impure
3 disturbing emotional
states or "kleshia": like, dislike, indifference
Significance in Buddhism
- The Buddha himself is believed
to have instructed his followers to utilize the use of malas. There
is a Sutra (Buddhist Text) in which a King asks to the Buddha for a
simple practice to help ease his suffering from various
difficulties. Buddha responded by telling him to string 108 seeds
and recite the three part refuge prayer upon them.
Origin
- The word mala, also referred to as japa mala, is
derived from the Indian Sanskrit phrase for garland. The English
word rosary, the western term for prayer beads, owes it's etymology
to Roman miscommunication. "When Roman explorers came into
India and encountered the mala, they heard japa mala, and japa for
the Romans meant 'rose,'' according to ReligionFacts.com. The word
"rosary" eventually evolved from that translation as
Romans carried the prayer bead concept back to the western world.
About Gemstone Properties:
When purchasing a mala for meditation
it is always a good idea to look into the spiritual symbolism and
metaphysical properties of the materials from which the mala is made.
This mala holds many symbolic aspects that make it unique.
Howlite Beads:
Meditating with Howlite is thought to
help reduce anxiety, tension and stress. Howlite is believed to hold
many other metaphysical properties such as: helping to facilitate
awareness, encouraging emotional expression and assisting in the
elimination of pain, stress and rage. Howlite is believed to be a
stone of attunement, helping one to access her higher spiritual
consciousness. For this reason Howlite is thought to strengthen
positive character traits, removing selfishness, rude behavior, and
greed. It is also thought to help with connecting to the Divine and
to slowly remove the veils that block truth.
Geological:
Stone
Type/Family: Member of the Silicates and Carbonates Class
Crystal
System: Monoclinic
Chemical Composition: Ca2B5SiO9(OH)5 Calcium
Boro-silicate Hydroxide
Hardness: 2.5-3.5
Metaphysical:
Primary
Chakra: ALL
Astrological sign(s): Gemini, Virgo
Fun Fact:
Howlite is named after Henry How of Nova Scotia when he first
described it in 1868.
Lapis Lazuli Beads:
Meditating
with Lapis Lazuli is thought to bring inner peace, assist with
openness, strengthen inner power, help one to express love, expand
intuitive skills, and bring purification. In ancient times Lapis
Lazuli was thought to strengthen the mind and body, allowing one's
inner power to manifest. It was also thought to purify one's thoughts
and bring inner peace. Symbolically Lapis Lazuli
represents the power of the spoken word and is thought to help foster
verbal expression, and clear problems caused by fear of speaking in
public. Lapis Lazuli is said to encourage clear, truthful expression
when sharing information with others. The
ancient Egyptians used Lapis Lazuli as a symbol of Truth.
Practitioners of crystal healing say that Lapis Lazuli
is a good stone to expand intuitive skills while remaining objective
and open to reasoned analysis. It is also thought that this gemstone
shields against negative emotions.
Geological:
Stone
Type/Family: A member of the Feldspathoid Family, Silicates Class.
Lapis Lazuli, or Lapis for short, is mostly Lazurite with inclusions
of Pyrite, Calcite and other minerals.
Crystal System:
Isometric
Chemical Composition: (Na,Ca)8(Al,Si)12O24S2FeS
CaCO3Al2O3, Sodium Calcium aluminumosilicate
Hardness:
5.5-6.5
Metaphysical:
Primary Chakra: Throat, Third
Eye, Crown
Astrological sign(s): Sagittarius
Fun Fact: Lapis Lazuli is said to
have been in existence since the birth of time, and was used by
ancient Hebrews on ceremonial robes. Lapis Lazuli is one of the
original stones in the breastplate of the High Priest.
Sterling Silver Medallion:
Silver is a metal associated with
intuition, love, inner peace and protection. Symbolically silver
relates to the moon and is often associated with the yin or feminine
energies. For this reason it is thought to help over come
aggressiveness by bringing peace into one's awareness. It is also
said that silver acts as a "mirror to the soul", allowing
one to see deep within the herself with absolutely no
judgment.
Geological:
Stone
Type/Family: A member of the Gold Group, Elements Class
Crystal
System: Isometric
Chemical Composition: Ag, Elemental
silver
Hardness: 2.5-3
Metaphysical:
Primary
Chakra: ALL
Astrological sign(s): Cancer, Aquarius
Vibration:
Number 4
Fun Fact: Silver is used in
jewelry, tableware, coins, scientific equipment and in photographic
processes.
Color Symbolizism - Light
Pink Cord:
Pink is the color of universal love. It is a
quiet soothing color that is thought to provide feelings of caring,
tenderness, self-worth and love, acceptance.
Color Symbolizism - Light
Blue Cord:
Blue is the color of harmony. It is the most
smoothing color and is thought to have a calming affect.
Symbolically light blue is the color of inspiration, sincerity,
peace, and spirituality.
Color Symbolizism - Light
Purple Cord:
Purple is the color of good judgment. It is
thought to encourage peace of mind and aid mediation. Symbolically it
is the color of spiritual fulfillment, magic, mystery and royalty.
The
Benefits of Meditation:
Science has
proven that practicing meditation on a regular bases has many health
benefits. Studies show that with as little 10 to 15 minutes of daily
meditation we can improve our physical and emotional health, while at
the same time strengthening our minds. Considering the benefits,
devoting a few minutes of your day to meditation is time well spent.
Below are the benefits.
- Stabilizes the autonomous nervous
system.
- Increases concentration, self-esteem, spontaneity,
creativity, and depth of awareness. Studies also show that mediators
have warmer interpersonal relationships, less anxiety, increased
self-esteem and self-confidence, increased problem-solving ability
and greater creativity.
- Reduces anxiety attacks by lowering the
levels of blood lactate.
- It reduces the heart beat
- Lowers
high blood pressure- There is strong evidence that meditation helps
lower blood pressure in people who are normal or moderately
hypertensive. This finding has been replicated by more than nineteen
studies, some of which have shown systolic reductions among their
subjects of 25 mmHg or more. A few people with acute hypertension
have also experienced lower blood pressure in experiments of this
kind. Several studies, however, have shown that relief from high
blood pressure diminishes or disappears entirely if meditation is
discontinued(not practiced on a regular bases)."
- EMG
activity increases
- Stomach function and bowel function
improve
- The endocrine function is heightened- It has been
recently demonstrated that meditation reduces sympathetic adrenergic
receptor sensitivity, producing a decreased response to stressful
situations.
- Body posture is improved
- Stamina
increases
- Improved energy level and vitality
- Production
of serotenine increases- Serotonin influences mood and behavior in
many ways. Low levels of serotonin have been linked to a variety of
disorders. For example, conditions associated with low serotonin
levels include: depression, obesity, insomnia, narcolepsy, sleep
apnea, migraine headaches, premenstrual syndrome, and
fibromyalgia.
- Intake of oxygen gets stronger
- Reduces
anxiety attacks by lowering the levels of blood lactate.
- Decreases muscle tension (any pain due to tension) and headaches.
- Increases exercise tolerance in heart patients.
- Leads to a
deeper level of relaxation.
- Helps
those who suffer from insomnia:: When trained in meditation, 75% of
suffers experienced improvement.19. Helps to improve chronic
diseases like allergies , asthma etc.
- Helps those who suffer
from Chronic Pain
- Helps
in post-operative healing.
- Enhances the immune system.
- Improved Awareness and Concentration.
- Slows the aging
process
- Helpful for treating Habits and
AddictionsReferences
http://www.womenfitness.net/yoga_meditation.htm
http://www.ineedmotivation.com/blog/2008/05/100-benefits-of-meditation/
My
Personal Opinion:
For
the reasons that I have listed above this mala is the pride of my
collection. Its
beauty, compact size, and exquisite craftsmanship set this mala apart
from the others within my collection. This mala is a pleasure to use! If you are looking for a mala
that will last a life time I highly recommend Custom Mala Shop - you will not be disappointed!
