- 1). Select your beads. There are hundreds of kinds of prayer beads available, in materials ranging from plastic and glass to wood, shell, clay and stone. Different faiths have different customs as to the number and arrangement of beads. For example, Buddhist and Hindu prayer beads are often in strings of 108, or smaller strings of 27, while Muslim prayer beads usually come in sets of 33 or 99. Pick the set of beads that best fits the prayers you want to say, and make sure you like the feel of the beads in your hand.
- 2). Learn the prayers associated with your beads. In some cases, this may be very simple. In Hinduism or Buddhism, the same mantra is repeated over and over, once for each bead. In Catholicism, the different types of beads on the rosary are associated with different prayers.
- 3). Find a quiet, serene spot to pray. This might be a church or other place of worship, but you can also use your prayer beads in the quiet of your own home or the outdoors.
- 4). Recite your prayers, counting along the beads with your fingers as you do so. Again, different religions have different customs concerning this practice. In Hinduism, the thumb and third finger are usually used to count the beads, while in other religions the thumb and index finger are. You may wish to pray quietly or even silently, allowing the beads to guide the repetition of your prayer.
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