Any type or color of bead can be used for meditation purposes. However, certain materials and colors amplify their inherent qualities, and as such can be significantly useful to the wearer. Using a mala of a specific color and material can help achieve specific purposes more easily and effectively.
Mala beads can be made from various seeds, semi-precious or precious stones, and many other materials. Each has its own color, meaning, and healing properties. The color and type of your mala beads will assist you in your meditation practice, and beyond into your everyday life as you take that sense of mindfulness with you. Choosing the right color can inspire your practice and help you to live in emotional balance, cultivate positivity, and bring healing where needed.
Materials and colors often exude their own energy or vibrational frequency, which can impact a meditation practice, opening and amplifying energy fields and boosting particular qualities like confidence, compassion, a sense of peace, and many other qualities.
History of the Color Yellow
Mankind has been using color for decoration and with meaning for millennia. It’s believed that artists first invented pigments using a combination of burned charcoal, soil, and animal fat about 40,000 years ago.
Because it was widely available, yellow ochre pigment was one of the first colors used in art. That’s why yellow is present in some of the oldest paintings dating back to ancient Egypt and ancient Rome, and it can even be found as far back as prehistoric times, such as the yellow horse cave painting in Lascaux, France. It wasn’t until the 1920s when an artificial substitute for yellow ochre was found, which is still in use today.
Ochre and orpiment pigments were used to represent gold and skin color in Egyptian tombs as the color was considered eternal and indestructible, and then in the murals in Roman villas. In the early Christian church, yellow was the color associated with the Pope and the golden keys of the Kingdom. In contrast, it was also associated with Judas Iscariot, and used to mark heretics.
In the 20th century, Jews in Nazi-occupied Europe were forced to wear a yellow star. However, in China, bright yellow was the color of the Middle Kingdom and could be worn only by the emperor and his household, while special guests were welcomed on a yellow carpet.
The ancient sun-worshippers represented their sun gods in yellow garb to represent the sun. And because of its associations with sunlight, yellow is often seen as a warm color, accounting for the connotations with happiness and optimism.
Today, we know Yellow as the color between orange and green on the spectrum of visible light, and the most visible color at that. But it has meanings and significance far beyond that.
What Does Yellow Commonly Symbolize Today?
As noted, the color yellow has some conflicting associations. The positive feelings and emotions it conveys include:
- freshness
- energy
- warmth
- cheerfulness
- optimism
- intellect
- honor
- loyalty
- enlightenment
- hope
- joy
While positive associations greatly outnumber negative ones, the color yellow can also, in certain situations, symbolize:
- cowardice
- caution
- jealousy
- deceit
Despite these few exceptions, the color Yellow has primarily stood for wisdom and intellect throughout the ages. It aids in logic, memory, concentration, and will-power, and helps with the ability to communicate. It is full of creative and intellectual energy. A “sun color” that is stimulating, it makes us feel happy, optimistic and confident.
What Does Yellow Mean When Used in a Mala?
Yellow has great meaning when used in a mala, and all of it is very positive. Yellow is the symbolic color of the earth’s riches, and of clarity and energy. Yellow stones can help with the ability to express oneself and to communicate. Yellow is also helpful with decision making, as well as increasing overall energy.
Yellow mala beads may be made of materials like gemstones, wood, and bone. For example:
Citrine: This yellow gemstone is an uplifting, energizing, and prosperous stone that inspires success and abundance in both personal and business matters. It expresses joy and delight as it inspires, and it attracts enthusiasm and happiness. It also promotes motivation, increases creativity and stability, and strengthens the intellect. It increases the energy flow, is a concentration enhancer, and releases any negative emotions. Citrine works on the solar plexus chakra to balance emotions.
Yellow Mala Jade: Yellow jade is a stimulating and energetic stone that brings a sense of happiness, and an uplifting energy. It inspires wisdom and an opening of perceptions to understand how all things are connected. Yellow jade also promotes empathy and compassion for others. It is said that wearing yellow jade helps to learn and process new information, as well as understand dreams.
Honey Calcite: Honey calcite is good for helping to get through depression, or challenging times by promoting self-confidence and energy. Meditating with honey calcite beads has been known to help change persistent, negative thoughts. This stone balances the crown chakra and is also associated with the solar plexus chakra.
Bone Beads: Beads are also made of other materials, such as bone from animals. In other countries, every part of the animal is put to use. The beads are painted in shades of yellow, like this delightfully uplifting buttercup color.
Wearing Energy and Joy
Wearing yellow beads in your mala is a beautiful way to increase confidence and energy, inspire joy, strengthen the intellect, and inspire wisdom.
If you want to bring an inspirational lift to your meditation and to your entire day, choose one of the yellow gemstones listed above, or a beautifully painted, dyed yellow bone bead for your mala. Each of these bone beads is made in Nepal from Yak bone. They are hand-carved, stained using natural dyes, and then polished into a smooth circle.
At Woman Shops World, we are excited and proud to offer exquisite 108 bead malas, bracelets, and many other originally designed and sustainably sourced handcrafted products. Our world-class craft supplies are unique and globally-inspired, empowering you to create with confidence.
