1. Above all, remember who you are speaking to. Mary sees you, hears you, and loves you as a perfect mother loves a child, even a lost child. Reflect for a moment on who she is. Remember also that you are praying to Jesus through her and in her. Reflect for a moment on who He is.
  2. Offer the rosary for a specific prayer intention. At the beginning of each decade, ask for the graces associated with that mystery (or any other grace you need). Additionally, offer each decade for a specific prayer intention.
  3. You’ll never lose count if you quickly develop the habit of moving to the next bead after you say “Amen.”
  4. Don’t be overly concerned with praying it perfectly. There are no graduate degrees in Advanced Rosary Technique. Just watch and pray.
  5. If you don’t have time, or if your laziness is causing you to procrastinate, leave off the optional introductory and concluding prayers. Make it easy for yourself to pray the rosary. Begin right on the first decade and end after the last decade’s Glory Be.
  6. When praying in a group, take turns leading each decade. Each leader can offer his particular prayer intentions at the start of that decade.
  7. Physical position is useful in prayer. Kneeling in itself is a form of prayer, and is an act of submission we give to others when we recognize that they are superior to us and not equal to us. There is no law that you must always pray kneeling, though. You can pray sitting, walking, laying down, driving, head bowed or looking up to the heavens, prostrate on the ground, giving yourself the discipline, etc.
  8. Focus on the mysteries as your lips move to form the vocal prayers. Visualize the scene and enter into it. What do you see? Who else is there? What are they doing and feeling?
  9. Let your attention move as it will between the words you are saying, the scene of the mystery, and your prayer intentions.
  10. If you are distracted by thinking about a person, return your attention by offering up that Hail Mary for that person.
  11. If you cannot focus on the mysteries, simply bring your cares and place them at the feet of of the Virgin. Disconnect from everything and decompress. Withdraw from the frenetic activities of daily modern life, and watch and listen for the quiet inspirations of God.
  12. Pray the rosary in different environments: by yourself, with another person, and in a group.
  13. Pray the rosary in Latin as well as English. When you pray in Latin, you are connecting in a special way with the soul of Holy Mother Church, whose sacred and corporate language is Latin.
  14. If you speak other languages, learn the rosary in those as well. You never know with whom you will want to pray.
  15. Be quick to pray the rosary. Don’t put it off to a pre-determined time. When a problem comes up, turn quickly to the rosary as you would to a trusted counselor or friend.
  16. When you buy a rosary, get it blessed immediately by a priest. This makes a sacramental out of your rosary.
  17. Buy inexpensive rosaries and give them away often. Even the most deadened cultural Catholic or Agnostic will take it out when he comes face to face with a grave spiritual trial. Especially if you gave it to him.
  18. Lately, it’s become trendy to wear rosaries as fashion jewelry. Go ahead and wear one. Take it off in public and use it. Then give it away.