How can you practice Hesychasm in modern life?
Finding Stillness in the Chaos: Practicing Hesychasm in Everyday Life
Ah, Hesychasm—the mystical art of inner stillness, the path of pure prayer, the practice that turns silence into a direct doorway to the Divine. But how do you practice Hesychasm in the middle of modern chaos—with notifications buzzing, deadlines looming, and the world constantly demanding your attention? Simple. You bring the stillness into the noise.
First, let’s be clear—Hesychasm isn’t about external silence; it’s about inner silence. You don’t need a monastery or a remote cave. The Hesychasts of old withdrew from the world, but their real withdrawal was from distractions of the mind, not just society. And that? That can be done anywhere.
The heart of Hesychasm is the Jesus Prayer—"Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me" This isn’t just a phrase—it’s a constant return to Divine presence. Traditionally, monks repeated it thousands of times a day, aligning it with their breath until it became a continuous background rhythm. You can do the same, even in a busy life.
Start small. Whisper the prayer as you wake up, as you walk, as you work, as you fall asleep. No need for formal sessions—just weave it into daily moments. Walking? Repeat the prayer. Washing dishes? Repeat the prayer. Waiting in traffic? You get the idea. The goal isn’t to ‘force’ prayer, but to let it anchor your awareness.
But Hesychasm isn’t just about repetition—it’s about stilling the mind and descending into the heart. This means learning to watch thoughts instead of following them. The early Hesychasts talked about guarding the mind like a city gate, letting nothing enter without scrutiny. In modern life, this means catching distractions before they hijack your attention. Every time you notice the mind drifting, gently return to the prayer.
Breath is key. Many monks synchronized the Jesus Prayer with breathing—"Lord Jesus Christ" (inhale), "have mercy on me" (exhale). This makes the prayer a part of your very being. Try this when stressed, overwhelmed, or caught in overthinking—it instantly shifts awareness inward.
And then, there’s inner stillness. Hesychasm isn’t about endless words—it’s about what happens between the words. The prayer is like a ladder, and at some point, it dissolves into silence. If you practice long enough, there will be moments where the words fade, and only presence remains—pure, luminous, formless awareness.
So how do you practice Hesychasm in modern life? You let the prayer become your rhythm. You don’t ‘find’ time—you integrate it into everything. And when you do? You realize the world doesn’t need to be silent for you to find stillness. The Kingdom of God is already within. 🔥🙏
This is interesting — there are probably equivalents in all religious traditions. In Islam, there’s tasbih (تسبيح), which refers to the glorification of God through the repetition of short phrases or prayers. It’s often done using prayer beads to keep count, but you can also do it without them. The most commonly repeated phrases are:
• SubhanAllah (Glory be to God)
• Alhamdulillah (All praise is due to God)
• Allahu Akbar (God is the Greatest)
I used to do this growing up. Recite these under my breath when I am nervous or scared or during phases when I was feeling spiritual and wanting to feel close to god. But I haven’t in a long time because I couldn’t connect with it anymore. But I like how you describe these practices here though. As a ladder into stillness. And how you can align them with breath and they become part of our being. This is a new perspective. Thank you for sharing .
You wrote this on my birthday (still playing ketchup with your posts as my eyes allow) so how can I not read it? And try it? Couldn’t have picked a better nite/time to try it 😓💥🌟🫶