A strand of mala beads is very much like a rosary.  It is used in meditation, to help us keep count of our mantras.  There are 108 beads on a string.  The number 108 is significant on many levels.  It is representative of the nine planets, multiplied by the twelve astrological signs.  In numerology, the numbers in 108 add up to 9, which is the number of completeness and wholeness.  The strand is help together with a special bead called the “Meru.”  When you reach this bead, the mala is to be turned and the movement continued in the other direction.  Mala beads can be worn as a necklace, with the Meru bead in the front, or as a bracelet wrapped around your wrist.