I have been incorporating more time spent on meditation in my daily life recently. Meditation focused on breath, guided meditations I have found online, pranayama & meditation zoom classes, etc. I decided to make my own mala necklace. When I was in high school I worked for a bead shop and taught classes on pearl knotting so I was not worried about the actual technique of creating a knotted necklace of 108 beads. I choose my beads (researching properties associated with particular stones) and what chant or intention to set while knotting it. All set to make my own mala necklace when I was asked why I was making it. Did I really believe that Amazonite was going to calm my energies? My answer, the "placebo affect".
The mind is a powerful thing. When an intention is set, a physical item become associated with a particular state or meaning associated with the object the mind controls our reaction. Something wonderful happens when you wore a certain pair of socks, they become your lucky socks. Your mind associates them with a positive event giving the wearer a boost of confidence of future success when next wearing them. Do the socks have the power to change the outcome of a situation? or is it the mind stimulating the confidence that then adds to the likelihood of success? I have a pair of
earrings that I got from my Aunt- the individual that encouraged me the most to pursue my artistic pursuits (gifts of sketchbooks, etc.) and I wear them every time I have an exhibit opening. Does the bended silver make me confident and enable myself to discuss my work freely? or is it the power that my mind has given these earrings that remind me of the person that supported me giving me that
chemical release in my mind to make me feel positive? Placebo effect. The mind expecting X to result in Y...the mind is a powerful thing.
Back to my mala. The intension of calm, quieting of the mind and the chant Om shanti,
shanti, shanti gives my mind the association of these
invocation of peace.
If you have read this post, thank you for putting up with my rant of the mind. It will not be the last time. Setting intentions is an important part of my life. Here is a quote that reminds me of the importance of setting them.
“If you don’t know where you want to go, then it doesn’t matter which path you take” (Alice in Wonderland).
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