On Watchfulness and the Guarding of the Heart

Nikiphoros the Monk's collection of methods for hesychast prayer, including the psychosomatic technique of descending with the mind into the heart. One of the most practically oriented and most explicitly physical texts in the collection — a reminder that the prayer tradition is not purely mental.

Important for understanding the embodied character of the prayer tradition, though best read with guidance. The specific breathing and postural techniques described here should not be practiced without a qualified spiritual director. The general principle — that the body participates in prayer — is accessible and important for everyone.