You might think of your karma as a list of chores you need to complete before you can have evberything you want in life. The mala is like an 'awesome set of tools' that make those chores seem much easier.
It's hard to imagine that a simple string of beads could be so effective in the reduction of karma. However, it is the mala's ability to store and conduct vibration that makes it so powerful.
Sanskrit is an energy of 'vibration' based language. Its sacred vibrations burn up karma when a mantra is repeated enough. The sacred vibration overwhelms and replaces the karmic vibration. The mala, and one of its special beads called a meru, or guru bead, stores the vibrations made by each recitation of the mantra. Eventually transferring the frequency into the chanter's energy field. This, in turn, effectively reduces his/her karmic burden.
With quartz crystal being one of natures best conductors of energy, it comes as no surprise that gemstone malas are now more prized than the traditional bone or wood versions.
In the next two installments of this series I will cover Mudras (mystical, yogic hand positions) as well as the powerful Sanskrit Mantras themselves.
