raam·raam

Naam Jap (naam = name, jap = repetition) is the practice of repeating a sacred name — Ram, Krishna, Shiva, Waheguru — on a mala of 108 beads, one bead per repetition. It is the central daily practice in Hindu, Sikh, and many interfaith traditions, used to steady the mind and draw it toward the divine.

japo is an iOS app for daily Naam Jap practice. It provides a beautiful digital mala of 108 beads, with seven bead materials (rudraksha, tulsi, crystal, onyx, sandalwood, pearl, lotus), Lock Screen widgets, a naam-jap Bank, sankalp intention setting, and five yantra ceremonies. $1.99/month or $9.99/year.

108 is considered sacred in the Vedic tradition for several reasons: mathematically it equals 1¹ × 2² × 3³; astronomically the distance from Earth to the Sun is approximately 108 times the Sun's diameter; and the body has 108 marma (vital energy) points according to Ayurveda. The 109th bead, the guru bead, is not counted — it marks the turning point between rounds. Read more on why 108 →

The traditional unit is one mala — 108 repetitions, counted one bead at a time. Many practitioners do a single mala each morning, which takes roughly 5–10 minutes; others commit to a fixed number of malas daily (the sankalp), such as one, three, or eleven. There is no minimum that "counts": consistency matters far more than volume. Beginning with one mala a day, held steadily for 40 days, builds a more durable practice than an ambitious number kept for a week.

Tradition favours the Brahma Muhurta — the roughly 90-minute window before sunrise — when the mind is quietest and least crowded by the day's activity. Dawn and dusk (the sandhya, the "joinings" of the day) are also considered especially receptive. That said, the most effective time is the one you can keep daily. A fixed hour and a consistent seat train the mind to settle quickly, so a regular evening practice will deepen faster than a sunrise practice you cannot sustain.

Yes. The name is the practice; the mala is only a counting aid. You can keep count on the finger joints (a traditional method using the segments of the right hand), with the breath, or with a digital mala such as japo, which moves one bead per repetition so your attention can stay on the name rather than on keeping track. What matters is that the count recedes into the background and the name comes forward.

Ram is considered the bija (seed) mantra of fire in the Vedic tradition, composed of two beeja syllables: Ra (the seed of the sun, agni) and Ma (the seed of the moon, soma). Tulsidas, Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, and Mahatma Gandhi all described Ram Nam as the supreme mantra — Gandhi's final words were "Hey Ram". Ram Nam is regarded as a taraka mantra — one that carries the practitioner across the ocean of samsara. Read more on Ram Nam →

Begin by choosing one sacred name and committing to it for at least 40 days (a traditional sankalp period). Sit in a consistent place each morning, hold your mala in your right hand, and move one bead per repetition with your thumb. When your mind wanders — and it will — gently return to the name without judgment. One mala (108 repetitions) takes roughly 5–10 minutes and is enough to start. Read the full guide →

japo is available on iOS with two subscription plans: Monthly at $1.99/month (3-day free trial, cancel anytime) and Annual at $9.99/year (7-day free trial). Both plans auto-renew through Apple and can be cancelled at any time in your App Store account. No weekly subscriptions, no ads, no trackers.