care
mala care
Your handcrafted piece is made of natural materials, gemstones, seeds, wood, bone etc. Please honor your mala and treat it with respect and care. Please do not swim or shower with your mala. Keep away from water, oils, lotions, full sun etc. Please note that over time the different materials on your mala might fade, which totally adds to the uniqueness of your piece. Keep your mala in a sacred place when not wearing it - under your pillow or on your shrine is a perfect place for it! Please treat your mala as a living piece, keep it sacred and treat it well.
If your silk tassel gets wrinkly, simply hold the top 1/3 of the tassel between your fingers in a steady grip. Dip the lower 2/3 of the tassel into water for a few seconds, or spray it wet. Then, wring out the water between your fingers while you keep holding a steady grip on the top part of the tassel. Wring out as much water as you can and/or then lay flat to dry. In a blink, you should have a beautiful straight tassel again!
energy cleanse
The ways to clear your No Mind Mala are many, but be mindful that if your piece holds any wood or seeds, it is not a good idea to get it wet and then dry, or get cold and then warmed up. Be aware of what elements you expose it to, including the cleansing process. Honor and treat your mala as a living piece, and listen to its guidance on how to best cleanse it. Let your intuition guide you.
A safe and effective way to cleanse your mala, is to place it in the light of a Full Moon - in a window sill, on top of a deity, or with other sacred objects. Honor its placement and never put it on the floor. For cleansing purposes you can also put it on top of other larger crystals.
If your mala is made of gemstones (not wood or seeds), you can hold it down into the current of the river, or put it in a glass of fresh water (with or without other gems), or bury it in snow for a moment, while you hold a clearing intention.
Smudging is one of our favorite ways to cleanse a mala (or a room, or ourselves!) of energies that has been absorbed. We like using sacred White Sage that has been used in cleansing rituals for ages, or Juniper Sage, or Palo Santo wood, or Sweet Grass, or a combo of the above. Any incense has the capacity to burn the impurities (held in a room or within its objects or beings). Even just being in the presence of a lit candle helps clear everything in its auric field. The fire element (agni) is the source of transformation.
When you use a smudge method, make sure to keep a door or window cracked, so that the energies have an exit, and walk around the space, get the nooks, crannies and corners where energies might get stagnant. Be wholeheartedly present when you smudge, say a mantra or prayer, or simply hold your intention. Same thing goes for your mala; be present, open a window, hold your prayer, cleanse it with the smudge, and express gratitude to the flame that lit the smudge that initiated the cleansing process.
when it breaks
We often get the question, 'what happens when a mala breaks?' and there are many different theories around this. Here are some of our thoughts...
- A mala does not last forever. Period. It is a living piece that is made to be worn with love. In our culture today, we have a tendency to wear our malas in our everyday life, not tucked away as a sacred piece just brought out for prayer. Oftentimes we wear it wrapped around our wrist, or around our neck with little ones tugging on it. There is nothing wrong with wearing our malas a lot, as long as we also carry an attitude of sacredness around it. With more wear, your mala is more exposed to the elements. Direct sunshine, heat and wetness, can affect seeds, woods and the threads on a handmade piece. It is just a matter of fact. But the more you wear it, the more you can soak up the gemstone magic.
- Some people say that one has to go back to the place, the specific location, where you initially got your mala, as a pilgrimage. For some people this is just not doable, so you will have to decide for yourself it this is true for you or not. However, there is a beautiful message with the theory about the pilgrimage, but it may not be a physical pilgrimage you have to do but rather an internal journey, one of inquiry. Revisit the intention that was born with your mala, and the phases that the mala has accompanied you through. Look at the lessons you have learned with its support, and stay receptive to what it is still telling you.
- We are of the belief that when a mala breaks - because it will, at some point - you have to take a moment to feel if you are done with those particular gemstones or not. The breaking of a mala always points towards attachment, where vairagya (detachment) is in the spot light. The lesson is most often to let go - or giving back rather - letting go of something you love so much, as a dear mala that has been with you through certain phases of your life. There is a surrender that is offered through the breaking of a mala, but it is also up to you to feel if you are done with those particular gemstone properties or not. No one else can say what is true for you. So, take a silent moment and sit with it. See if there is still attachment to it, or if there is a willingness to release it.
If you want your mala restrung, because you are still working through what the gemstones are helping you with, just give us a shout and we will restring it for you. When we restring pieces for people, we can also incorporate something new to facilitate the new chapter.
If you feel done with the piece, you can still honor it and place it in a sacred spot, on your shrine or alter, at the base of a candle holder or on top of some crystals. Either way, when a mala breaks, we believe it is an invitation for you to go a little deeper inside and to listen. Then, once you feel calm and centered, make a decision that is aligned with the truth coming forth.