To mark the launch of Ealing, we wanted to do something special. We’ve had unique hand-crafted mala beads designed for the opening of our new centre from Chant Malas. Here’s what Helen, founder of Chant Malas has to say…
My main inspiration for the piece comes from not just the triyoga colours but the benefits of the stones and how these link with my experience of triyoga. The space you find when you enter the studios and the sense of coming back to one’s Self as you step onto your mat, or get ready for a workshop as well as the inspiration that comes from the teachers and the wealth of knowledge and experience that they bring.
I selected the gorgeous, faceted Amethyst oval pendant as Amethyst is known to be a ‘master healer’. Meaning that it works on numerous levels and has benefits on every aspect of our being: emotional, spiritual, physical and mental. Briefly, Amethyst dispels fear and anxiety and alleviates sadness and grief. It calms the mind and aids meditation, stimulating the third eye. It is a high vibration stone that transmutes energy into love. It has the power to block negative environment energies and enhance higher states of consciousness. The Amazonite above this empowers one to search the Self and discover one’s own truths and integrity, and to move beyond fear of judgement or confrontation with others to live in alignment with those beliefs and values. It provides the freedom to express one’s thoughts and feelings, and to set strong and clear boundaries, both internally as self-discipline, and externally on what one is willing to experience or in defining personal space.
The white beads above are Howlite. Howlite is an extremely calming stone, linking to spiritual dimensions, opening attunement and preparing the mind to receive wisdom and insights. It formulates ambitions, both spiritual and material, and aids in achieving them, teaching patience and the helping to eliminate rage and uncontrolled anger. The marker beads are Angelite, which represents peace and brotherhood, and stimulates the Vishuddha chakra to facilitate speaking your truth and compassionate communication. The Sodalite beads behind the neck relate to the Ajna chakra. Sodalite is said to be an excellent stone for bringing mental clarity and encouraging rational thought. It is also said to calm the mind allowing new information to be processed and taken in. It brings joy to a heavy heart and encourages self-esteem, self-trust and self-acceptance.
Why did you set up Chant Malas?
I began practising Japa Mantra meditation around 4 years ago and soon became hooked on the calming effects of the practice and the way in which it prepared my usually very busy mind for longer meditations. I began creating mala beads in the late stages of my first pregnancy. I initially taught myself to wire-wrap raw crystals but mala beads soon took a hold – the moment I tried to make a mala, something just ‘clicked’ and I found the process came very naturally to me. My aim is to create mala beads that convey the beauty of this practice and to maintain, in some way, this tradition, which has existed for generations and encourage people to use their mala beads as a way of steadying the mind.
What is a Mala?
A mala is a set of 108 beads that are strung together on a cotton, silk or nylon cord. As I’m a vegan brand, I use nylon cord as it’s stronger and less likely to break with multiple uses than cotton is. Traditionally, your teacher or Guru would give you a mantra that would help you with the aspect of your practice that you are working on. For example, if you are struggling with communicating your truth, you might be given a Saraswati (Goddess of communication and said to be the creatrix of the Sanskrit language) mantra. You would then recite this mantra as many times as your teacher or Guru tells you to – usually 108 times – with the use of a mala. Each time your fingers touch a bead as you go around the mala, you recite the mantra. For me, this has been an incredible way into longer meditation practices as it helps to focus the mind and come right into the present. It is said that reciting mantras cleanses ‘toxins’ from the system, leaving space for inner peace and a heightened state of consciousness.
What inspires you?
So many things! My children, nature, being outdoors, the Goddesses of the world’s cultures and traditions, poetry and literature (I’m an ex-English teacher so no surprise there!), music and my yoga practice. I live down in Hove so I’m always at the beach or in the South Downs exploring a forest with my children and this is really where I gain much of my inspiration from. I will get an idea for a mala and then go home and research, research, research – especially if it will be a mala dedicated to a Goddess.
Do you have a personal favourite from your collection?
My current favourite is the Divine Feminine mala. I re-designed this piece recently and cannot create it enough – there’s just something about the combination the Rudraksha and Sandalwood, Moonstone and Amazonite that I find both calming and strengthening.
As a yoga studio we care where our brands come from, can you fill us in on the Chant Mala design and production process?
I create everything from scratch at my kitchen table. I source my rudraksha seeds and Sandalwood from a couple of sustainable, managed plantations in India and work closely with my suppliers to source beautiful, natural materials that have had as little impact on the environment as possible. My cotton tassels are sourced from my suppliers in Scotland and the cord I use is created in Germany. I only use natural stones that have been cut rather than heat-treated or dyed and love to use raw materials in my designs. I work tirelessly with my suppliers to ensure that I only ever use conflict-free stones (one of the reasons I no longer use Lapis Lazuli). As a vegan brand, I never use coral, shell, wool, silk or any other product which may contain any kind of animal residue. Once I have all of the materials and have done my research, I just sit at my bead board and design the piece. Then I put on some music and get started!
And finally, what’s your favourite yoga pose and favourite place to practice?
It really depends on the day! Sometimes I love half-pigeon, sometimes I just want Savasana! I love to practice outside whenever I get the chance. We’ve just had a patio build so I love to practice on it under light of the moon…whenever it’s not raining, of course!
