Japa means recitation, and it is traditionally used as an adjective, combined to form Japa Mala, prayer beads for meditation. Mala beads are a string of beads used to count mantras, Sanskrit prayers, in sets of 27, 56 or 108 repetitions. They are an ancient tool developed to keep the mind focused on the practice of meditation. Join Swami Sadasivananda, director of the New York City Sivananda Yoga Vedanta Center, for this weekend long retreat.