Start by holding your mala beads in your right hand (the left hand in India is considered impure) with the tassel facing you, rest the beads on your middle and keeping your index finger from touching the beads (this finger being the finger used to point and is associated with the ego).  Use your thumb and middle finger to count each bead as you pull the bead towards you . Begin reciting your chosen mantra, counting each repetition by moving to the next bead. When you complete one set of mantra repetition—108 for mala bead necklaces; 27 for mala bead bracelets—and reach the guru bead, flip the mala around 180 degrees, then continue in the same direction.