Christian Mysticism – Page 3

You will love this detailed description of exactly how to pray the rosary without rosary beads, counting on your fingers and hands instead of using rosary beads. Those that are of different traditions can switch out these prayers and meditations for prayers and meditations of your choice. At the bottom of this article, I will suggest some great alternative prayers for you, but for now, just learn the hand and finger positions first, so that you will know where the hand positions are. Then you will be able to substitute in other prayers as you wish. The rosary is a popular method of prayer in some forms of traditional Christianity, but there are those suffering discrimination, religious persecution, prisoners of war, or in jail, that can't safely pray the rosary without getting in trouble, and may not even have one. I developed this method for you, and for those that would like to stealth pray the rosary whenever they want throughout the day without getting in trouble, having their prayer beads confiscated, or being called a slacker for praying whenever they feel like it. ~ Preston Flatt This new method of praying the rosary without rosary beads is a lot of fun, especially if you are sitting around bored in school, at work, or in the military, because when you count on your fingers, there are no physical prayer beads for anyone to come along and notice, and you can pray right under their noses. There is nothing for them to take from you, no physical objects to hide, and no evidence. And you are completely free to pray this mystical rosary without beads whenever you want. And for skateboarders, you can actually hold these rosary hand positions as you cruise along on your board. It's an enjoyable way to skateboard, and It looks really great too. It gives you a way to have your hands free, and is great if you don't have good pockets, or don't want to get your rosary prayer beads scratched up, wet, etc. Here Is The Short and Concise Video Of How To Pray The Rosary Without Rosary Beads. (Another Video, The Detailed Video, Is At The Bottom Of This Current Article Which You Are Now Reading). https://youtu.be/-QX3kF8Rc4w How To Pray The Rosary Simple, Without Rosary Beads. By: Preston Flatt Remember, The Complete Video Of How To Pray The Rosary Without Beads, With All The Details, Is At The Bottom Of This Article That You Are Now Reading. Advantages of praying the rosary without rosary beads, and using just the fingers of the hands. By using the landmarks on your hands and fingers to pray the rosary, you now have the equivalent of your own personal set of prayer beads, uniquely formed for you. They are always with you, always available, and you will never have to stash them or hide them. You could say they are invisible prayer beads. Hidden in plain sight. As obvious as the fingers on your hands, but none will be able to recognize them as prayer beads, or know that you are using them to pray. Because they are simply, the very fingers of your own hands. You are literally the prayer beads. If you already know the rosary, you can literally jump right in and use this method to pray by going thru the photos in sequence. Toward the end of this article, I have grouped all the instructional photos together so that you won't have to scroll too much if you want to follow along using just the photos. If you can't see the photos very well, no worries, because I have written out step by step all the details you need to know to get started praying the rosary without rosary beads. This section describes in detail how to say the rosary without rosary beads using the fingers and anatomical landmarks of the hands in place of beads, and I have placed the photos in the best places to help you follow along. How To Pray The Rosary Without Beads Detailed Description. Here is a detailed description of exactly how to pray the rosary without rosary beads, using the anatomical landmarks on the fingers and on the hands to count, in the place of rosary beads. Let's start. We begin with the palms of the hands facing upwards. In this learning position, the thumbs are to the outside, and the little fingers or pinkies are inwards. When you actually use this method of praying the rosary without rosary beads, you can have the hands any way that is comfortable for you. We just have them this way now to make it easier to learn. The Left Hand Is The Decades Hand, and the Right Hand is the Counting Hand. We will first learn the Left Hand, The Decades Hand. How To Use The Left Hand To Pray The Rosary Without Beads (Overview) You will be gently placing the thumb of your left hand on 4 locations on this same left hand. Every one of the comfortable placings of the thumb on this left hand will be on a finger crease, over a joint. The first decade and the last decade's thumb placement location are the same, so this allows for all 5 decades to be placed on 4 fingers. The Left Thumb Placement Positions To Pray The Five Mysteries And Decades On The Left Decades Hand Without Rosary Beads. If you think of the finger segments themselves as sausages that are linked together, the way sausages are sometimes sold, you will be placing your thumb in the spaces between sausages. This duplicates what the fingers normally do when counting on beads, because they usually inch just over the bead itself, to rest on the far side of the bead, in the space between beads. There is also another very good reason to do this, and I will place a link at the bottom of this page to an article that explains why this is important. Each of the thumb placements on the left hand will be on the distant most joints on each of the individual fingers of your left hand. This will be on the palm side of the hand, the joints closest to the fingernail of each finger. They are also known as the distal interphalangeal joints. These are the distant-most joints that you feel bending when you flex your fingers, and that are closest to your fingernails. You will place your left thumb comfortably on the finger creases that are over each of these joints. So in beginning, your thumb will be placed on one joint location, and later will be moved to another location, and then to another, etc. This will correspond to the decade that you are praying so that you will be able to easily know which of the 5 decades you are praying. This will help make things easy, as you pray the rosary without rosary beads. Practice Finding The Left Hand Landmarks To Pray The Rosary Without Rosary Beads (Decades Hand). Let's begin by gently placing the tip of the left thumb on the distant most finger joint of the center finger on this same left hand. It is the joint closest to the fingernail of the center finger on the left hand. Learning the Decades Hand. When placed there, you may notice that the plane of the thumb as rests across the plane of the finger crease is reminiscent of the shape of a cross. This is a way of remembering that this hand placement position is the one that will be used at the beginning of the rosary. Don't try to straighten it around to make it feel even more squared up, as if to form a perfect cross because it's not supposed to be. It is supposed to be relaxed and comfortable and is just to remind you, and help you think of a cross when your thumb is placed at this placement location on the left hand. The accompanying photo has a cross (+) marked at this location. This location is also known as the distal interphalangeal joint of the center finger of the left hand. It is the joint that is closest to the fingernail, on the center finger of the left hand. You will keep the left thumb gently resting at this location, on this center finger of the left hand for all the following next several countings: They will be, In sequence: 1) The Apostle's Creed (I Believe...), 2) The Our Father, 3) Each of the 3 Hail Marys, 4) The Glory Be, and 5) the Oh My Jesus (Fatima Prayer). And you will also be keeping it here all the way through to the conclusion of the First Decade. For all of these, the left thumb will just remain in this same location. So his left thumb placement will be good for a long time. On the next photo, the photo that accompanies the First decade, I have changed the marking of this very same thumb location from a cross (+) to #1. This is to show that it will remain the left thumb placement location for the praying of the first decade. After the first decade is concluded, the placement location for this left thumb on this left Decades Hand will be changed to its new location. The Second Decade will be beginning next. For the Second Decade, the left thumb is moved from its location on the left central finger, just next door to its new placement location, the distant most joint on the left pointer (first) finger. It is the joint that is closest to the fingernail of the left pointer finger on the left hand. It will stay here for the entire second decade. I have marked the second decade's left thumb placement location, as #2 on its accompanying photo. For the entire third decade, the left thumb will be placed on, and similarly remain on the distant most joint of the smallest, or pinkie finger of the left hand. For the entire fourth decade, the left thumb will be placed on, and similarly remain on the distant most joint of the left ring finger of the left hand. For the entire fifth decade, and all the way through to the conclusion of praying the rosary without rosary beads, the thumb placement will be once again as it was in the beginning, on the distant most joint of the center finger of the left hand. When the fifth decade is finished, the left thumb placement will remain resting in this same location for the Hail Holy Queen, and for the Oh God Prayer. So it just stays on the distant most joint of the left hand's center finger. You did great. Now let's do the Right Hand. Using The Right Hand To Pray The Rosary Without Rosary Beads. The Right Hand Is The Counting Hand. You will like learning the Right Hand because when we get into the Decades, there is a very simple counting pattern that is repeated for each Decade. Every one of the comfortable placings of the right thumb on this right hand will also be on a finger crease, over a joint. For this right hand, though, you will count on all the finger joints, not just the ones that are the distant most. This includes even the joints where the fingers meet the hand. These are called the metacarpal phalangeal joints. On this Right Counting hand, we will count on these too. Okay, so let's get started. I will keep reminding you of the Left Decades hand positions as we go along. So here we go. The left thumb is on the distant most joint crease on the left, center finger, and will stay there for all of the following countings: Apostle's Creed, Our Father, 3 Hail Marys, Glory Be, and Oh My Jesus (Fatima Prayer). Begin Counting The Rosary On The Right Hand. We begin by making the sign of the cross while praying, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen." To begin the Right Hand, gently place the thumb of the right hand onto the distant most joint crease of the right middle (center) finger. In this position, the right hand is now essentially in a matching position as the left hand. The plane of the right thumb crossing the plane of the right middle (center) finger crease is also reminiscent of a cross. Learning The Right Counting Hand. Pray The Apostles Creed This is the same right thumb placement position that we use to pray the Apostle's creed. Pray it now. "I believe in God, the Father almighty, creator of heaven and earth; and in Jesus Christ, his only Son, our Lord; who was conceived of the Holy Spirit, born of the Virgin Mary, suffered under Pontius Pilate, was crucified, died and was buried. He descended into hell; on the third day, he rose again from the dead. He ascended into heaven and is seated at the right hand of the Father. From thence he shall come again to judge the living and the dead. I believe in the Holy Spirit, the Holy Catholic Church, the communion of saints, the forgiveness of sins, the resurrection of the body, and life everlasting. Amen." Pray The Our Father. For the Our Father, move the contact point of the right thumb one joint crease closer toward your heart on the same center finger of the right hand. In this location, your right thumb is now resting on the middle joint crease of the center finger of the right hand. Pray The Our Father. "Our Father, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy name; thy kingdom come, thy will be done on earth as it is in heaven. Give us this day our daily bread, and forgive us our trespasses, as we forgive those who trespass against us; and lead us not into temptation, but deliver us from evil. Amen." Just as a reminder, the left, decades hand position is good. Just keep it where it is. Back to the right hand. Pray Three Hail Marys. It is time to pray the First of three Hail Marys. To pray the first of the three Hail Marys, we move the right thumb to the distant most joint crease on the pointer (first) finger of the right hand. It is the joint closest to the fingernail on the right pointer finger. Pray the First Hail Mary. "Hail Mary, full of grace, the Lord is with Thee. Blessed art thou among women and blessed is the fruit of Thy womb, Jesus. Holy Mary, Mother of God, pray for us sinners, now and at the hour of our death. Amen." Now move the right thumb placement one joint closer to your heart so that it is on the middle joint of the pointer finger, and pray the Second Hail Mary. Now move your right thumb on the same pointer finger, one more joint closer, so that the right thumb is resting comfortably over the closest joint. It is the joint where the pointer finger meets the hand. Pray the Third Hail Mary. How To Pray The Glory Be, and the Oh My Jesus (Fatima Prayer). From there, move the right thumb one joint toward the midline. It is now resting on the crease where the center finger meets the hand. This is the location for both the Glory Be, and the Oh My Jesus (Fatima Prayer). These are labeled G and O on the photo. Please note that when there is more than one letter or marking on the same finger crease, ie: G and O, you can just keep the thumb resting in one place, and you don't have to move it to the ie: 2 sub positions, etc. Pray these now. Pray the Glory Be. "Glory be to the Father and to the Son and to the Holy Spirit. As it was in the beginning, is now, and ever shall be, world without end. Amen." Pray the Oh My Jesus (Fatima Prayer). "O my Jesus, forgive us our sins, save us from the fires of hell, and lead all souls to heaven, especially those who are in most need of Thy mercy." You are doing good. How To Pray The First Decade Of The Rosary Without Rosary Beads. We now begin the First Decade. Counting The First Decade On The Right Hand. The First Decade Begins. The left Decade Hand thumb placement remains as it has been, with the left thumb on the distant most joint of the center finger, the joint closest to the fingernail. On the accompanying photo for the First Decade, though, I have now changed the labeling of this very same placement position, to its new labeling of #1. This is to indicate that this is also the left thumb placement position for the First Decade. Now it's time to move the right thumb placement to the central joint of the central finger on the right hand. You will remember this location as the previous location for the Our Father. In fact, all the Our Fathers are prayed on this same right thumb placement location. This is also the location on which all of the Mysteries will be prayed. Pray The First Mystery The Mysteries come first though, so pray the First Mystery, and then Pray the Our Father. This has been labeled M1 and F1 in the photo, and once again as a reminder, these are both prayed on the center joint of the center finger of the right hand. If you would like to treat each mystery as having its own separate bead, you can lift the thumb after praying the mystery, and then place it back again in the same place for the Our Father. Keep in mind that each unique left thumb placement position for each decade, can be there not only marking each decade but also marking and corresponding to each mystery. Now it's time to Pray the 10 Hail Mary's. A Detailed Description Of How To Pray The 10 Hail Mary's On The Fingers And Hands. The Hail Marys are numbered 1 through 10 on the First Decade photo. To begin the 10 Hail Marys, from where the right thumb has been on the central joint on the central finger of the right hand, move the right thumb just next door to the middle joint of the ring finger. Pray the First Hail Mary, then. Move the right thumb down toward your heart one joint, to where the ring would be on your finger. Pray the Second Hail Mary. Move the right thumb next door to the little pinky finger- this is also one of the joints where the finger meets the hand. Pray the Third Hail Mary. Move the right thumb distant one joint, to the middle joint of the pinky finger. Pray the Fourth Hail Mary. Move the right thumb distant one more joint to the farthest joint on the little (pinky) finger. Pray the Fifth Hail Mary. From here, the next three joint contact points for the right thumb are all at the distant most joints for each of the next three fingers. On the distant most joint of the ring finger Pray the Sixth Hail Mary. On the distant most joint of the middle (central) finger Pray the Seventh Hail Mary. Seven is the number of completion. You will note that the position of this thumb placement is the same as when we first started right at the beginning. As it was in the beginning, it is right now and shall be this when the entire rosary without beads is concluded, as this will also be the concluding thumb placement. On the distant most joint of the first (pointer) finger Pray the Eighth Hail Mary. Now moving back toward your heart, on the middle joint of the right pointer finger Pray the Ninth Hail Mary. Moving the right thumb again one joint closer to the heart, so that it is on the joint where the right pointer finger meets the right hand. Pray the 10th Hail Mary. The Glory Be and the Oh My Jesus (Fatima Prayer) are prayed in the same location as before. Just move the right thumb placement next door to the central finger, the joint where that finger meets the hand. Pray the Glory Be and the Oh My Jesus (Fatima Prayer). The First Decade Is Now Concluded. The Second Decade and all the remaining decades will use the exact same counting pattern for the right hand. For the Second Decade, the Left thumb placement position will now change from the former First Decade thumb placement position to its new Second Decade Position. This is located on the joint crease over the distant most joint of the left pointer finger. Keep this contact position of the left thumb for the entire Second Decade. How To Pray The Second Decade Of The Rosary Without Rosary Beads. Counting The Second Decade On The Right Hand. Make sure that you have moved your left thumb from its former placement, which had been over the distant most joint of the left middle (central) finger, to its new location, just next door, on the distant most joint of the pointer finger. The Left Thumb will remain here thru the entire second decade to its conclusion. At this time, the Right Counting Hand thumb position, as you remember, has been on the nearest most joint where the right middle finger meets the hand. You have already completed the Glory Be and the Oh My Jesus (Fatima prayer) on the right hand. The First decade has already been completed. Please note that when we actually pray the rosary without beads, we would move both the left thumb placement and the right thumb placement at the same time, so that they arrive together and match, but since we are just learning this, I am explaining this one side at a time. Right Counting Hand. The Second Decade Begins. Move the right thumb position placement to the central finger joint on the central finger of the right hand. You will remember that this is the location of the Mysteries, and also of the Our Father. Pray the Second Mystery. Pray the Our Father. Pray 10 Hail Marys with exactly the same pattern as before. I have summarized it here: A Concise Summary Of The Hand Rosary Positions To Pray The 10 Hail Mary's Without Beads. For Hail Mary #1 Slide the right thumb next door to the middle joint of the ring finger. Hail Mary #2 Move the right thumb down to where the ring would be on your finger. Hail Mary #3 Move the right thumb next door to the closest pinky joint to the hand. Hail Mary #4 Move the right thumb to the middle joint of the little finger. Hail Mary #5 Move the right thumb to the distant most joint of the little finger. Hail Mary #6 Move the right thumb to the distant most joint of the ring finger. Hail Mary #7 Move the right thumb to the distant most joint of the central (middle) finger. Hail Mary #8 Move the right thumb to the distant most joint of the first (pointer) finger. Hail Mary #9 Move the right thumb to the middle joint of the pointer finger. Hail Mary #10 Move the right thumb to the closest joint to the hand on the pointer finger. For the Glory Be and Oh My Jesus, move the thumb next door to the closest joint on the central finger. Pray The Glory Be and the Oh My Jesus. The Second Decade is concluded. How To Pray The Third Decade Of The Rosary Without Rosary Beads. Let's Begin the Third Decade. Counting The Third Decade On The Right Hand. Move the Left thumb placement to the distant most joint of the pinky (little) finger. Exactly as before, the right thumb is placed on the central joint of the right central finger. Pray the Third Mystery and the Our Father. Pray the 10 Hail Marys. Pray the Glory Be and the Oh My Jesus. How To Say The Fourth Decade Of The Rosary Without Rosary Beads. The Fourth Decade Begins. Praying The Fourth Decade On The Right Hand. Move the left thumb from its previous contact on the distant most joint of the pinky finger to its new location on the distant most joint of the left ring finger. The right thumb is placed on the central joint of the right central finger. Pray the 4th Mystery and the Our Father. Pray the 10 Hail Marys. Pray the Glory Be and the Oh My Jesus. How To Pray The Fifth Decade Of The Rosary Without Rosary Beads. Begin the Fifth Decade. Praying The Fifth Decade On The Right Hand. For the Fifth Decade, the Left thumb is returned to its first placement position on the distant most joint on the central finger of the left hand. It will remain in this position from now until the entire rosary is completed, including remaining here for the Hail Holy Queen and the Oh God Prayer. So, essentially, just keep that thumb positioned there. You've completed learning the left hand's thumb placement positions for how to pray the rosary without rosary beads using just the fingers of the hands of landmarks. Now Pray the Fifth Decade countings on the right hand as for the other Decades before, beginning with the Fifth Mystery, The Our Father, The 10 Hail Mary's, The Glory Be, and the Oh My Jesus (Fatima Prayer). The Rosary has now concluded. After the rosary, we pray the Hail Holy Queen and the Oh God. How To Pray The "Hail Holy Queen" Without Rosary Beads. Let's Pray the Hail Holy Queen. How To Pray The Hail Holy Queen On The Right Hand. To Pray the Hail Holy Queen, we can either return to the right hand's starting position with the plane of the right thumb crossing the plane of the distant most finger crease on the right central finger so as to form a cross, and Pray the Hail Holy Queen there, or we can move the right thumb placement to the middle joint on the central finger and treat that place as if it is the medallion on a rosary, and praying it there. So let's do the latter. To Pray the Hail Holy Queen, move the thumb of the right hand from its Glory Be, and Oh My Jesus position on the central finger of the right hand, to the central joint on the central finger of the right hand. Pray the Hail Holy Queen. "Hail, holy Queen, Mother of Mercy! Our life, our sweetness, and our hope! To thee do we cry, poor banished children of Eve, to thee do we send up our sighs, mourning and weeping in this valley, of tears. Turn, then, most gracious advocate, thine eyes of mercy toward us; and after this our exile show unto us the blessed fruit of thy womb Jesus; O clement, O loving, O sweet virgin Mary. Pray for us, O holy Mother of God. That we may be made worthy of the promises of Christ." I marked the locations on the accompanying photo as HHQ for both the left hand's and the right hand's contact positions. How To Pray The "Oh God..." Without Rosary Beads Let us conclude by praying the "Oh God..." To do so we return to the beginning posture that we started with. Right Hand Landmarks For The Oh God Prayer. The left thumb placement remains as it was, but is relabeled on the photo as a cross (+). The right thumb returns to the distant most finger crease contact on the central finger of the right hand. The same position that it started in. As it was in the beginning, it is now. Pray the "Oh God..." "O God, whose only-begotten Son, by His life, death, and resurrection, has purchased for us the rewards of eternal salvation; grant we beseech Thee, that meditating upon these mysteries of the most holy Rosary of the Blessed Virgin Mary, we may imitate what they contain and obtain what they promise. Through the same Christ our Lord. Amen." You can conclude by making the sign of the cross while saying, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen." I hope you have enjoyed saying the rosary without rosary beads, using the anatomical landmarks on the fingers and hands to count or to pray the rosary without beads. Enjoy sitting and communing with God. Here Are All The Beadless Rosary Photos Grouped Together For Easy Reference. Okay, let's start: We begin by making the sign of the cross while praying, "In the name of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Spirit, Amen." How To Pray The Rosary Without Rosary Beads Using The Fingers Of The Hands As Landmarks Decades Hand Counting Hand. First Decade How To Pray The Rosary Without Rosary Beads Using Just The Fingers Of The Hands As Landmarks. Second Decade Praying The Rosary Without Rosary Beads Using The Fingers Of The Hands As Landmarks. Third Decade How To Say The Rosary Without Rosary Beads Using The Fingers Of The Hands As Reference Points. Fourth Decade How To Say The Rosary Without Beads Using The Fingers Of The Hands As Landmarks. Fifth Decade How To Pray The Rosary Without Prayer Beads Using The Fingers On The Hands As Landmarks. Hail Holy Queen How To Pray The Rosary Without Rosary Beads Counting On The Fingers Of The Hands. Oh God Prayer How To Say The Rosary Without Prayer Beads Counting On The Fingers Of The Hands. Variations To This Method: The Right Counting Hand. I would like to point out that there are 2 main variations to the method of counting on the right counting hand that I have developed. The first variation is to change out the position of the + and the F upon first starting. With this variation, the right thumb placement begins on the center joint of the center finger, and this is the location for the Apostles Creed. It is then moved to the distant most joint crease of the center finger, and this is where the Our Father is prayed. The reason that this isn't my favorite way is that there is a lack of symmetry between Left and Right upon starting, and also, the beginning Our Father is prayed in a different location than all the others. One other variation is to begin the right counting hand with the + on the distant most finger crease of the right ring finger, and then to pray to the Our Father on the distant most finger crease of the center finger. This variation also has an external lack of symmetry between left and right upon starting, and also has the Our Father prayed in a different location than the ones that follow. I will note there though, that those apparent external lacks of symmetry are external only, and that when prayed in such a way as to be spiritually yoked and abiding at the center, there is no lack of symmetry. I have hinted at that method in my article about How To Surf And Skateboard Without A Board, and will write more about it in other articles. One positive quality of both of the above variations, however, is that they both offer a very comfortable lead-in, to the Three Hail Marys that follow. Some of the reasons that I decided instead upon the chosen method introduced in this article is because of symmetry between left and right, the value of seeking and holding to the center embodied in this method, and that all the Our Fathers are prayed consistently on the same joint crease of the center finger of the right hand. Also, there is a really great feeling of being plugged in when you place the thumbs of both the Left and Right hands upon the distant most finger crease of the center finger symmetrically. It is a perfect beginning placement position for praying the rosary without beads, and you can experience praying the rosary without beads, while abiding in the place between opposites, as hinted at in this article: How To Surf Or Skateboard Without A Board: One Idea (Explained). For People From Other Traditions, Here Are Some Great Alternate Ideas To Use At Each Finger Placement Position. Those that are from other traditions can substitute in other prayers, or meditations at each finger location, as the spirit directs. You can come up with your own prayers if you wish. Ideas On How A Person From Another Tradition May Swap Out The Prayers. At the first finger position, you could say something like, "Thank you God", or "I Love You God", and "Please Bless This Devotional". Then you could do the Lord's Prayer in its usual location. Then, in the locations that usually have the 3 hail Mary's, you may say something like, "Jesus, I Trust In You". Then at the Glory Be location, you could say something such as, "Thank You God", or "Love you, God". Arriving again at the Lord's Prayer location, you could say the Lord's Prayer again. At the 10 hail Mary locations, perhaps you could say something like "Thank you God", "Lord Jesus Christ, Have Mercy On Me.", or "Lord Jesus Christ, I Trust In You.". And then just continue with this method for the completion of the rosary. Mormon Rosary One interesting idea is to substitute this phrase from the Mormon 13th article of faith. You can do this on each of the 10 hail Mary locations. While keeping the other prayers as above, simply say the phrase: "If there is anything virtuous, lovely, or of good report, or praiseworthy, we seek after these things." I have found that praying in this way may seem to make nature and creation more beautiful around you, especially if you say it while walking outside, in nature, etc. Even though Mormons don't typically have or use rosaries, this modified prayer or affirmation is a great one worth trying. I have tried it, and it is great! If you are Buddhist, Hindu, Taoist, or another tradition, you can also freely modify your prayers to match your tradition. Silent Rosary You can also hold these rosary hand positions in silence, without any prayers, just switching from one position to the next when you feel that the time is right to switch. This can also be done while doing Tai Chi, listening to scripture, breathing, etc. Thankfulness Rosary As a thankfulness rosary, I like to keep it simple by saying something like, "Thank you God" at each of the 10 hail Mary positions, while keeping the other prayers as above. Sometimes I will also give thanks for a specific thing at each location, essentially counting my many blessings. Surfing Rosary All of the beadless rosary methods mentioned in this article are designed to be used with the technique called surfing without a surfboard mentioned in another article. The link to that is at the very bottom of this article. Please read and follow all disclaimers, and don't attempt any of the descriptions or methods on this website without proper training. How To More Easily Reach The Rosary Thumb Placement Positions It is also possible that people with arthritis, disability, or that would prefer an easier-to-reach placement on the fingers can transpose the entire method of counting the rosary on the fingers of the hands distally (away from the body) one joint. To do this, just move, or transpose all the placements for both hands one finger crease distant, distally, away from the body. So as an example, if using this modification, you would have the left thumb placements, not on the distant most finger joint creases of the left hand, (and also not on the finger pads), but on the fingertips, placing the left thumb on the tips of the fingers, as if they were a joint crease. Similarly, for the right hand, just move all the thumb positions for all the joint creases distally (away from the body) the equivalent of one joint. This can help make the thumb placements easier to reach. It is also possible to transpose all of the thumb placements by just 1/2. If you do this, it would have you counting on the finger segments themselves (the sausages), and not on the joint spaces. It could make the thumb placements slightly easier for some, but counting on the joint spaces may be better. In a world of things, there is value to be found in praying and abiding in the spaces between things. This can be experienced in praying the rosary using the fingers of the hands in place of rosary beads. In addition to these variations, I have developed a second method of praying the rosary without rosary beads, which I write about in this article: How To Pray The Rosary Without Beads (Method 2). After a while, you can try swapping out the methods for counting on the left and right hands until you arrive at the most comfortable pattern and method of praying the rosary without beads, which will be right for you, and then you can keep to that, and use that steadily. https://youtu.be/e3bVcOpe2Jw How To Pray The Rosary Without Rosary Beads, Counting On The Fingers And Hands Instead Of Beads. Should You Get Rid Of Your Rosary Beads? No. You should not get rid of your Rosary Beads. It is important to keep and value the traditional rosary beads just exactly as they are. If, however, there should ever be a time when you find yourself in a place without your rosary beads and still needing to pray, if you learn this now, you will be able to pray the rosary even without beads, using this method. This method of praying the rosary without rosary beads is based on my own practice. There is a good reason that the thumb is placed on the finger creases and not the fingers, and this article will give you some of that information: It is How To Surf Or Skateboard Without A Board: (The Spiritual Exercises). The link to that article is at the bottom of this article. From the above title, it may seem that the article would be unrelated, but it isn't. If you read this article, it will be a mind-blower. In a future article, I will be writing about the origins of this hand rosary, and how it came to be. Okay, so now that you know a bit about the hand rosary, how do you pray it? You may notice that I have called this rosary a mystical rosary. Why did I call it that? And how do you pray it while sitting, standing, and walking? It is hinted at in this article: How To Surf Or Skateboard Without A Board: (The Spiritual Exercises).