Ever since I was a little girl, I've been interested in stones, from collecting them near where I grew up on Rainbow Beach on the South Side of Chicago, to making pottery in high school art class, to taking Geology and pottery classes in college, to rock climbing for 20 years. There's a connection to the earth, to the pre-historic geologic processes that created so many amazing forms, colors and healing energies of gems and stones.
In Fall of 2019, a dear friend, Debra, invited myself and another friend to her home to share with us how to make a mala. Debra had recently taken a mala-making class at The Bead Garden in Sedona. Even though it was frustrating at first, something was inspiring me to continue. It's time-consuming to thread a bead and tie a knot, thread a bead and tie a knot, thread a bead and tie a knot, etc. It's also very meditative which is why I think I'm drawn to the process.
I found myself visualizing and designing malas in my mind while going to sleep at night, and designing and creating malas in any available spare time. It had been a long time since I had a creative outlet and malas were totally filling this void.
Whenever I wore one of my malas, friends and strangers would comment or inquire about it. When I shared that I had made it, they said I should consider selling my malas. I was a bit surprised to hear this however, at that point I had made about 30 malas and more in the design stage. I enjoyed the process and it really made perfect sense. The thought of being able to share my malas with others is delightful! A couple friends even asked me to make a mala (or two) for them. I very much enjoy the creative process of designing and creating a mala especially for someone else.
I am forever grateful to Debra for showing me to how to make a mala, for Susan Pitino, the owner of The Bead Garden (how lucky am I to have a bead store where I live!) and to my friends who are my greatest supporters!
