Hello.
I'm Sarah Hamilton, founder of Solis Mala. It all began in 2017 after I was drawn to Reiki as a healing practice for myself and others. Through my Reiki training, I was introduced to the mala as a healing tool. I learned to make them in 2018 and have since deepened my understanding of this ancient meditation tool. Listening to the crystals, I weave Reiki light into each one. A spirit manifests in the making.
Over the years I have deepened my spiritual study, taking courses in Crystal, Shamanic and Sound Healing respectively and I continue to study with my Reiki teacher and incorporate learning from all my spirit guides, who assist me in my energy work.
Then in 2023 I came full circle, training to be a Holistic Facialist which reunited other aspects of my past work as a hair and make up artist and skin care blogger with my energy work. Supporting the relationship we have with ourselves is a gateway to deeper self love and healing and I love being able to help facilitate this with you through all that I offer.
Malas are an essential part of mantra or japa meditation.
Traditional to Hinduism, Buddhism, Jainism and other religious groups, malas are a tool for counting mantra. I have come to know them as excellent healing tools in their own right. They have their own energy field and I believe their sacred numerology, combined with crystalline structure, give them a unique and powerful energetic signature. My Reiki lineage uses the mala as another hand, charging it with Reiki energy and laying it on the body during a session. They are powerful objects and a great way of carrying or wearing our intentions and prayers.
My malas are made in ritual, to honour and respect this ancient craft.
I always work in a safe space using ritual to protect and consecrate. Often made to the frequencies of a Sanskrit chant, it is often shared with me how my malas hold a more potent energy; crystals active, the energy palpable. I use Reiki and a series of ritual practices to bless and dedicate each mala to its keeper.
Our face holds the story of every feeling we have ever felt and facial massage honours that story and helps us release it.
Using natural and organic products to support your skin health, this deeply restorative and relaxing treatment allows you to soften and let go of all that you are holding. It is a beautiful way to recognise your own worth and your own beauty and I see it as an act of devotion to yourself, honouring your inherent divinity and repairing the relationship we have with ourselves.
I hold a VTCT Level 2 in Holistic Facial Massage with Relax LDN.
Reiki is a spiritual path, not just a healing modality.
I began my Usui Reiki training in 2017 at Lendrick Lodge with my teacher Victoria Mulhearn, 8th in her lineage. I am trained to Advanced Level 2 - a very in-depth level using other healing frequencies and symbols of sacred Buddhas. These exclusive advanced courses deepen the practice as an alternative route to becoming a teacher (Master) which is only undertaken in my lineage if there is an intention and commitment to teach. Master training is a two year apprenticeship. Instead, I continue to study under Victoria Mulhearn with regular workshops and also her teacher, Margaret Underwood, who teaches me Tai Chi.
Animism understands that everything has spirit, is interconnected and in harmonious balance.
I trained in core shamanism with Stephen Mulhearn, also at Lendrick Lodge, where we learned Power Retrieval; a healing that involves the return of lost power due to trauma or difficulty from this life or a previous life. These techniques have helped to support my other energy healing work and I have several spirit teachers who help and guide in the non-ordinary worlds. My Reiki practice often incorporates shamanic aspects as well.
Sound Healing offers us a tangible experience of energy work.
I trained with the College of Sound Healing as a Singing Bowl practitioner, working with both quartz crystal bowls (432hz tuning), Himalayan Bowls and other percussion instruments. I also play Native Flute and Drum. Everything vibrates and 'sound baths' offer us a way to transcend everyday consciousness whilst the frequencies help to recalibrate the physical and energetic body. It can be used for many levels of healing, increasing relaxation and releasing tension and stress from the body.
I am also learning proper Vedic Sanskrit pronunciation through Heart of Sound, in order to get the fullest experience of sound vibration when chanting mantra. This is on-going learning.
How to care for your mala and is it OK to wear it?
Malas are sacred objects - the material they are made from holds energetic properties (crystal or wood) and they store the mantra that is chanted with them. For this reason, some prefer to keep them separate from everyday life and don't wear them and others prefer to keep that energy with them as an anchor to their practice and to feel the benefits of its energy. Cultural appropriation of spiritual practices from colonised countries is very common and so it is important to understand and respect the mala and the context it is used in. As energetic objects, they can require cleansing or refreshing. It is best to do this through other means than water cleansing - ie smoke cleansing or sound. Read more about ways to cleanse and charge your mala in the journal.
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What is a Mala?A mala is a set of prayer beads, a little bit like rosary beads. They have 108 beads plus one main 'guru' bead. They are used to count mantras whilst in meditation. It is said that reciting a mantra 108 times gives the mantra more power and influence. 108 is a significant number in Buddhism and Hinduism, where the use of a mala originates from. The word mala actually translates from Sanskrit commonly as 'garland'. They hold prayers, intentions and the vibrational energy of the mantras that are chanted when using the mala. Wearing a mala is a great way of keeping our practie close to our hearts, reminding us of our spirituality, intentions and prayers.
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What is a Mantra?A mantra is a phrase, often in the ancient language Sanskrit that is chanted or sung as part of a spiritual discipline. The meaning of mantras is not the main reason they are recited. Although their meanings are broadly translated and understood, and intention is an integral part of the meditation, their power lies in their vibrational energy. A mantra is more about energetic waves than meaning. This is the fundamental difference between mantra and affirmations.
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How Do I Use a Mala?Holding the mala in your right hand, rest the beads on the middle finger, leaving your index finger free. Rest your thumb on the first bead after the guru bead, recite the mantra and then pull the bead down with your thumb, bringing your thumb to rest on the second bead. Continue in this way, until you reach the last bead, before the guru bead, chanting your mantra with every bead. Once at the end, it is important not to cross over the guru bead. The guru bead holds the energy of all the mantras recited and it is believed to wipe away this store if the guru bead is crossed. It also represents the teacher, also known at the 'meru' bead with translates as mountain, ie that it should not be crossed.
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What if I Don't Want to Use the Mala for Meditation?Malas are beautiful objects and I think they offer so much in day-to-day wear as well as in meditation. By just wearing one, we are receiving the crystal energy and enjoying their aesthetic value. They are tactile, visually appealing and physically comforting so they do make great accessories for anyone who likes the look and feel of them but isn't drawn to use them for anything else. What is important is being respectful of them, loving them, enjoying their gifts by taking care of them. It is important to be aware of their spiriutal meaning and significance and if you choose not to use them for their true purpose, please do be aware of the issue of cultural appropriation. Wearing a mala for it's aesthetic appeal and for receiving the crystal energy is fine so long as it is treated with respect and it's true meaning is understood and valued.
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How do I Cleanse the Crystals in the Mala?The best way is through sound (singing bowls, ting-sha cymbals for example), smoke smudging (burning of sacred herbs and plants like white sage, sweetgrass, palo santo wood for example) or using other crystals, like citrine or selenite. If you are reiki attuned, you can use your level 2 reiki symbols to cleanse and clear away any lower vibrations. If you cannot do any of these things, placing in moonlihgt and sunlight also works well and if you can't do that, simply using your intention by thinking or saying out loud you wish to 'cleanse and clear any lower vibratory energy patterns' or 'restore the original vibration of the crystals' also works. You can find words that work for you.
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Can You Re-string Malas?There are 2 types of malas, knotted and free strung. The knotted ones are the type I like and make. They have a knot that sits between the beads, helping to separate them out making it easier to use. The other type just has the beads moving freely on a string, with about 2cm gap allowing the beads to move. I may be able to re-string your mala if it has strecthed over time or has snapped, or if you would prefer to have a knotted mala instead of a free strung one. In this instance, the most important thing to check first is the bead hole size. The hole needs to be approximately 1mm in order for the knotting threads I use to pass through the hole and still create a large enough knot to hold the bead in place. Bigger holes means the knots won't hold the bead, smaller holes mean it might not be possible to pass the doubled-up thread through the hole. It's a fine art of getting this bit right and I am constantly battling this issue when sourcing beads and threads. If you would like me to re-string a mala, get in touch via the contact form to discuss. Once you are ready I have an option to purchase a re-string on my Custom Page.