First let me say, and I can't say this with enough stress and emphasis. The very first rule of chanting is...THERE ARE NO RULES TO CHANTING! Again.....THERE ARE NO RULES TO CHANTING!

Did you get that? Good. Because I didn't make it up; Lord Chaitanya did. And he is the one who gave us this mantra. If anybody tells you that you're doing it wrong, just tell them what Lord Chaitanya said in His Siksastakam prayers:

namnam akari bahudha nija-sarva-shaktis
tatrarpita niyamitah smarane na kalah
etadrishi tava kripa bhagavan mamapi
durdaivam idrisham ihajani nanuragaha

TRANSLATION: O my Lord, Your holy name alone can render all benediction to living beings, and thus You have hundreds and millions of names, like Krsna and Govinda. In these transcendental names You have invested all Your transcendental energies. There are not even hard and fast rules for chanting these names. O my Lord, out of kindness You enable us to easily approach You by Your holy names, but I am so unfortunate that I have no attraction for them.

The most important thing is to just do it with as much love and devotion as you can. Try to chant with feeling and do not force it. It will feel mechanical sometimes but know that if you are sincere in your efforts, the benefits will come.

Now that I have that out of the way, I must admit that while there are no rules for this chanting, there are some guidelines you may want to consider to make it a regular practice in your daily life. Read below to find out more and follow the link at the bottom of this page. That will get you started on the right track. And if you want some inspiration for why we chant, follow this link:

http://www.jswami.info/WhyChant

The Practice of Chanting the Maha Mantra

The mind is always busy: It can’t be stopped. Meditation and yoga are for helping us rise above the mind’s chatter. What we meditate on now creates our future life.

Mantra meditation is what the Vedas prescribe for this day and age. The single most highly recommended mantra—with the greatest ability to uplift our consciousness—is:

Hare Krishna Hare Krishna
Krishna Krishna Hare Hare
Hare Rama Hare Rama
Rama Rama Hare Hare

Find out why this is the most recommended mantra for this day and age, and what makes it so effective. Hear explanations of the mantra's meaning, and why it is such a powerful prayer that it doesn't even matter if you know what it means. Here are also helpful tips on how to chant it, and many descriptions of the Hare Krishna mantra's many benefits.

More on this topic:

http://www.krishna.com/mantra-meditation-0