Yesterday, I had the pleasure of attending a Mala Workshop with Satya from Satya Jewelry. Malas are prayer beads, used to keep count while reciting mantra.
Above are images of the before and after. Maybe you can't tell, but I hand knotted the silk thread between each bead. Of course there are 108 beads total. Why 108? Satya said that's the number of Gods and Goddesses. In Feng Shui and in Buddhism, 108 is a very auspicious number. It's a multiple of 9, and in Feng Shui we do most everything in multiples of 9. Nine is the number of completion.
Satya spoke of her journey that led her to where she is now, and we did a small visualization before we started. Satya means "truthfulness" in Sanskrit. She embodies her name through her symbolic jewelry that inspires and encourages us to be honest and truthful with ourselves. The gemstones have healing properties and meanings as do the symbols and metals that she designs with.
I chose the green onyx beads. Satya suggested we really take risk when we chose our beads. Bright green is not something I wear typically, I wear a lot of black and muted colors. First I picked up jade, a pale green... and then I realized it was so predictable of me! So I took a risk and went bold! And I'm glad I did. Satya describes the meaning as "Endurance: Guides decision making in challenging times." I'm not necessarily having challenging times, but I can always use guidance from above.
My mala took about three hours to create. It was an wonderful meditative experience. I love my mala!
