When JH Creator Kara Ghilarducci decided she wanted a set of mala beads, she thought the beautiful crystal beads with the Eastern influenced style were lovely and meaningful. She had no idea at the time that they would become such a big part of her life. Now, they provide respite for her and for other owners who seek metaphysical connections.
Mala prayer beads
for meditation, mantras and more
Words by Revekka Balancier
Photos by Nick Isabella
Bringing an ancient Eastern tradition to life
Like many of the Creators in the Justified Hype Collective, Kara is an entrepreneur. She is inspired by art, appreciates detail, and loves to explore new art forms. So when she became enthralled with mala prayer beads, she decided to learn more about them, and has since become an expert in this art form – not only in making a wide variety of the beautiful malas, but also in the intentional practice of repeating mantras as the malas are created, infusing them with purpose and energy as the beads are knotted together.
Malas are Buddhist prayer beads, traditionally made with 108 individual beads, tied together with knots in between each bead, made sturdy enough for daily handling. The beads are used to count prayers in Buddhism or Hinduism, to count breaths for meditation purposes, or to count mantras. The mantras may be the orthodox sacred sounds designed to aid in the focus of spiritual meditation. Or more modern mantras, words or phrases of our choosing to help manifest the outcomes we select.
“...people are looking to ancient healing for a different way to look at how they take care of themselves, their bodies, and their minds.”
Kara combines wood and high-quality crystals, directly sourced from all over the world; each material brings its own energy to the final mala.
“I program the energy of my intention into each bead while honoring each of the chakras, and the five elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether, or the movement of sound through space, ” Kara explains. “As I tie each knot between the beads and while making the tassel the programming creates a healing tool – a reminder of the mala’s intention.”
Kara’s Chakra Mala is made of seven types of Grade A crystals from around the world, intended to align the chakras.
Malas for courage, energy, or love
As part of our June cover shoot on Respite, Kara brings a selection of malas to Queen Bee’s Art & Cultural Center where fellow Creator Miki Vale is preparing to get on stage. For the first scene, Miki wears a Tiger’s Eye Mala, designed for courage. The tiger’s eye crystal beads are combined with lava stones, which allows the mala to absorb a few drops of essential oils.
“...infusing them with purpose and energy…”
Kara’s newest mala is made of Namibian yellow flourite and smoky quartz. It is designed to bring focus and uplifting energy.
For Miki’s second scene, she picks out a love mala made of rose quartz and green aventurine. Kara describes its intention: “the mantras programmed into the mala strengthen the heart chakra. The owner can set the intention for that love to be for anything – a person, or the world!”
“...the energy of my intention into each bead while honoring each of the chakras, and the five elements of earth, water, fire, air, and ether..”
The mala’s owner has the power to direct the energy of the mala, by cleansing and reprogramming the crystals with their intentions for that moment. Kara smudges the beads with sage smoke, palo santo, selenite or sound.
“After it has been cleaned hold the Mala in your hand and think of what you want the Mala to aid in. Repeat that over and over again and your will charges the beads with your strong intentions.” Kara recommends cleansing and re-energizing your beads during the full moon, pulling from its energy.
Kara finds an even split between customers who are looking for the malas as accessories and those who intend to use the malas as recitation or meditation beads. Many, like she, were originally drawn to the aesthetic and then intrigued by the metaphysical. “People are sick of modern medicine, people are looking to ancient healing for a different way to look at how they take care of themselves, their bodies, and their minds.”