A Mala is made up of 108 beads and a Guru bead (found at the end of your Mala and usually what the tassle is attached to) 

You hold the mala in your hand, and use your thumb and middle  finger to move the beads ...moving forward continuously.

Before you begin, you will obviously have a mantra or a word which you want to repeat or intone... it can be as simple as intoning Om as you move each bead, or it can be a mantra to a deity... basically whatever you wish, and according to your concept of the Divine...

Continue until you reach the Guru bead ..that is one round of chanting.. and if you are going to do another round , turn around!! ... you dont go over the Guru bead but always turn around at this point and continue until you reach the Guru baead again.. rinse and repeat :)

Chanting in this way brings a great sense of peace and is a wonderful tool on its own or as a preperation for meditation.  Mantra has a profound effect on the nervous system and also is very powerful in releasing blockages or stuck energy.. opening us up to new energy ..new possibilities..

You can work with your beads any time and any place... sitting, standing, walking.

 I once was told by one of my teachers that to intone out loud had a profound affect on the physical body, to intone in a whisper had a profound affect on the emotional body, and to intone mentally had a profound affect on the spiritual body...

There are many many mantras you can choose from.. or make your own mantra.. I will  discuss this further on my blog and include audio and video to help  with  not only all the different mantras, but in case you are interested in intoning in Sanskrit you can get an idea of the correct pronunciation..

Thank you so much for taking time on my site .. please feel free to ask about anything pertaining to Malas and Mantra and I will try to help..

Om tat sat.... I am that, I am 

Om shanti shanti shanti... peace peace peace