Is it considered "normal" / "possible" / "bad" / "wrong" the use of Mala Beads for counting breaths while meditating? I sometimes use my Mala Bead during meditation, I find it quite "concentrating" to turn one bead for each breath.
As I read online, when I reach the center bead, I reverse the rotation and start rotating the beads in the opposite direction.

Is this a considered "normal" behaviour? Or I just came up with it, mixing (and maybe misunderstanding) what I've been reading/studying?

Thanks!
Using beads for samadhi sounds weird. Anapanasati is being sensitive to cittasankara and kayasankara before killing them, no beads will ever to this for you.

Generally speaking people cling to their wrong idea that some external objects will clean their citta for them, like some sound, like Om, or some things they see, or even a splash of water will wash all the hindrances and bad karma magically. 
But like the buddha said, what matters is to clean the mind and this is done ''by the mind itself'', no objects will do this for you, or way better said, cleaning the citta is done with proper attention, with sati and so on.