How to Chant 108 Times: A Complete Japa Mala Guide

A japa mala holds 108 beads plus one sumeru (guru) bead. The number 108 appears throughout Vedic cosmology, and one full mala is the classical unit of a chanting session.

Sit with a straight spine, hold the mala in your right hand, and move bead by bead with the thumb and middle finger. Chant one repetition per bead at a steady tempo — audible (vaikhari), whispered (upamshu), or mental (manasika).

When you reach the sumeru bead, do not cross it. Turn the mala around and continue if you wish to chant another round. Ten minutes a day, at the same time each day, builds more depth than an occasional long session.