Prayer beads have been used for centuries in many different spiritual practices. The earliest recordings find Prayer Beads/Malas in the Hindu faith, then leading into Buddhist practices and unto modern day religion of Catholicism in the Rosary.

My theory on how the Rosary entered into the Christian faith has been inspired from Paramahansa Yogananda's book "The Yoga of Jesus" where he mentions a time period where Jesus left at the age of thirteen and returned home at the age of thirty. During this period there is no mention as to where Jesus went. In the Hindu texts it mentions a young boy coming to be taught by the Yogis of that time. He then left to teach the people where he was from those same teachings. If this is true, then I believe it is very possible that Jesus brought the practice of the Mala with him and is why the Rosary is incorporated in the Catholic faith. Something to think about, at the very least.

Because of Prayer beads' longevity and use across borders and boundaries, I feel there is a deep importance here. There may not be science yet to explain why they help us have a deeper connection with ourselves yet, but there is something to be said about a deeper "knowing" that has been in us for centuries.

I invite you to research and find the answers you may be needing regarding the origins and uses of malas and prayer beads. I feel like this is a world that is still to be explored.