When someone says, “I am a spiritual person,” what does that mean?

To me, being a spiritual person means you are a person whose highest priority is to be loving to oneself and others. A spiritual person cares about people, animals, and the planet. A spiritual person knows that we are all One, and consciously attempts to honor this Oneness. A spiritual person is a kind person and is a participant in the process of life, to be open to life with a positive attitude.

I never knew what spirituality was until I suffered from a broken heart that left me without any desire to love anything or anyone, especially not myself. I started doing a lot of research and reading a lot of books. I started a meditation routine that, surprisingly, changed my life!

I found a spiritual coach who gave me a mantra to help me with my meditation. A mantra is a powerful sound, a vibration or phrase that you can use to enter a deep state of meditation or just to pray. To help me with meditation and prayer, I was told to get a mala, which is a string necklace of 108 beads. One head bead is called the “Guru bead.” Buddhist prayer beads are a traditional tool used to count the number of times a mantra is recited.

So of course, Ms. I-Can-Do-It-All over here decided to make one for herself!

I picked my beads very carefully as I knew that every stone has a very specific meaning. As my heart was my biggest issue, I selected rose quartz, jasper, and a rudrashka bead as my Guru bead. I also wanted to put a charm at the top of the Mala, so I picked Ganesh. He’s the elephant-headed god, the god of wisdom and learning, as well as the remover of obstacles, and consequently the sign of auspiciousness. The last thing I needed for the mala to be complete was a tassel.

After many hours of what usually would have frustrated me or led to giving up, my mala was done, and it was beautiful!

Friends started asking me to make them one and began placing orders so I decided to start “The Face Of Gratitude Malas,” where people could pick their own gemstones from smoky quartz, amethyst, carnelian, onyx, to jade and many more, but most important of all, it would be a great way to give back to the less fortunate. For every mala sold, 15% of the proceeds are donated to charity.

So, my website was recently created. Now, not only my friends or friends of friends can buy malas, everyone can!

There is something magical about holding your mala in your hands or wearing it around your neck. For me, it keeps me calm and focused.

To be able to share this sense of peace with others brings me so much joy! When people call after using their mala to tell me how happy they are with it and to place more orders for their family and friends, the feeling is just amazing!

Enjoy life, my friends. It’s a precious gift.

All my love,
Barbara