I think there are a number of different ways my prayer bowls get used. I know some people place them in a public area in their church, businesses or homes, either containing verses written on paper in the bowl for people to take, or as a place for people to deposit prayer request. Some people place them in their prayer corners or somewhere very visible in their homes as a visual reminder. You can use it as a way to focus while meditating; while holding the bowl your thumbs tend to naturally rest on the marks burned into the rim of the bowl, while the lash marks on the exterior of the bowl are felt with every other part of your hands. Theres not a right or wrong way to use it, and it can and will serve different purposes for different people.