Mālā is a sanskrit word translating to garland and is a strand of 108 beads, knotted together and brought together by the grounding energy of an additional bead called the guru bead.

A traditional japa mālā is a tool for japa meditation, the counting or reciting of a mantra or sacred sound, such as Ōṃ.

Japa is considered sādhanā and part of a daily personal practice.