If you have been practicing meditation or yoga for a long time, you probably have come across prayer beads. You can find these Buddhist beads, alternatively referred to as Tibetan prayer beads, in sculptures or paintings of Buddha where he is seen holding these beads. Although it is quite a common sight, few actually know about Tibetan prayer beads. This article elucidates on some important points related to prayer beads.

Prayer beads have been used across the globe for thousands of years. They play a vital role in various cultures and countries for meditation purposes. Some records claim that beads were first noticed in Nepal and India. They have been used across different religions, such as Catholicism and Hinduism, among others.

Advantages of prayer beads
Prayer beads can help you with various aspects of meditation, a practice that provides numerous health benefits. Meditation can contribute to lowering blood pressure, improving sleep, and reducing stress levels. However, many people face difficulties while meditating, particularly at the start. This is when prayer beads prove to be useful, as they keep you focused while meditating. The constant movement of your fingers around the beads helps in grounding you. When you touch each bead, you say a chant so you can keep a count of the number of times you have repeated the chant.

Composition of prayer beads
Traditionally, they consist of 108 beads along with a guru bead, which has a tassel and is bigger than all the other beads.

How significant is the number of beads
Usually, traditional Tibetan prayer beads have 108 beads. This number is considered sacred in Buddhism and Hinduism. However, if you feel that 108 is a lot, you can purchase a necklace with 27 or 54 beads. Some necklaces have beads of different shapes after the 27^th bead. So, you can keep track of your repetitions efficiently. Such prayer beads also allow for shorter meditation periods.

How can you use prayer beads for meditation?
Breath control and repetition of the chant are two key starting points while using prayer beads during meditation. It is advisable to focus on your breathing while meditating. You can use prayer beads for managing your breath by:

1. Holding the prayer beads in one hand
2. Allowing the beads to drape around your fingers so that you may move them with ease
3. Inhaling and exhaling one full breath
4. Moving the fingers to the next bead; breath in and out once for each bead
5. Concluding at the guru bead to finish 108 breaths
6. Moving your fingers in the other direction until you again reach the guru bead if you wish to do another round.

While following these steps, you may repeat a chant, which can be a sound, word, or phrase to be aware of during meditation.