Here’s Why Lululemon Is Charging $108 For Meditation Beads

When it comes to paying for meditation accessories, how much is too much? How about $108? That’s the price tag on Lululemon’s new mala meditation bead necklace.

Mala beads, which are Buddhist prayer beads, are a tool of traditional meditation. The beads help you count the number of times you have recited your mantra, keeping the mind centered on the present moment. Lululemon partnered with Mala Collective, a fair trade venture that sustainably harvests the rudraksha beads (brown seeds) and makes the malas by hand in Bali. The number 108 is sacred in Buddhism for a variety of reasons, and there are 108 beads on a traditional mala (not including the one guru bead, which the entire strand revolves around).

The notion of a high-end brand charging $108 for meditation beads drew some sarcastic criticism around the web.

“I feel relaxed even looking at that corporate logo!” wrote Jezebel’s Jia Tolentino last week.

“From what I understand, meditation involves closing your eyes and trying not to think thoughts. Difficult? Yes. Requiring of fancy accessories that would make Gandhi laugh until he cries? No,” added Bustle’s Erin Mayer.

While Lululemon did not respond to several requests for comment, Doug Crowe, the logistics coordinator for the Mala Collective, told The Huffington Post in a phone interview that the reason behind the pricing strategy is two-fold.

Aside from practicing good hygiene, mindfulness meditation and exercise could lessen the nasty effects of colds. Researchers from the University of Wisconsin School of Medicine and Health found that people who engage in the practices miss fewer days of work from acute respiratory infections, and also experience a shortened duration and severity of symptoms.

As many as one in five pregnant women will experience depression, but those who are at especially high risk for depression may benefit from some mindfulness yoga. “Research on the impact of mindfulness yoga on pregnant women is limited but encouraging,” study researcher Dr. Maria Muzik, M.D., an assistant professor of psychiatry at the University of Michigan, said in a statement. “This study builds the foundation for further research on how yoga may lead to an empowered and positive feeling toward pregnancy.”

Teaching teens how to practice mindfulness through school programs could help them experience less stress, anxiety and depression, according to a study from the University of Leuven.

Trying to shed a few pounds to get to a healthier weight? Mindfulness could be your best friend, according to a survey of psychologists conducted by Consumer Reports and the American Psychological Association. Mindfulness training was considered an “excellent” or “good” strategy for weight loss by seven out of 10 psychologists in the survey.

We saved the best for last! A University of Utah study found that mindfulness training can not only help us better control our emotions and moods, but it can also help us sleep better at night. “People who reported higher levels of mindfulness described better control over their emotions and behaviors during the day. In addition, higher mindfulness was associated with lower activation at bedtime, which could have benefits for sleep quality and future ability to manage stress,” study researcher Holly Rau said in a statement.

The Huffington Post