I've had an off/on relationship with mindfulness over the years. During my senior year of college I took a 10 week meditation course and it was definitely life-changing. It was a small group of students, and we would sit in a quiet room with the college professor, trying different techniques, eventually increasing our time of sitting with awareness. I remember vividly one session, near the end of the course, where I had a true moment of clarity and spiritual connection; this phrase manifested in my mind while deep in meditation:
Everything is temporary.
I became a little emotional, but felt reawakened, and since then this has been a mantra I often call upon for strength.
So back to said mala...I have been speaking with the lovely Jacky of Padma Design on Etsy, working on a custom design for my first mala. Obviously, yours truly got way too excited and wanted about a hundred different stones based on their healing properties, but I've settled on a few that really touch what I need in my life thanks to the kind and patient Jacky. I think it's going to be personal, meaningful, beautiful, and I can't wait to use it in my practice. (More on my mala once I receive it!) I plan to use my beloved mantra while meditating with this mala, which means I will repeat my mantra 108 times, using the beads of the mala as my guide.
Oh, so what's a mala, you ask? Check out this site for more info.
To my mindful yogi friends and followers out there, do you use a mala in your practice? Do you have a favorite mantra?
xx
S