One of the ultimate methods of healing our soul is through stillness in the full sense of the word.
We are on the threshold of a new year. The past year has been quite challenging and full of anxiety due to the current pandemic, political upheaval, economic instabilities, not to mention the natural disasters like flooding, fires and earthquakes that are being experienced all over the world. All this is stressful and can lead to mental disturbances.
Finding ways for us to keep our balance in such times is crucial. One way towards this end is figuring out how to stop our minds from racing out of control and find a stillness within to keep us grounded.
The Eastern Orthodox Christians practise a technique called Hesychia (pronounced he-si-ki-ja). This technique was made popular in the 14th century; monks used to follow it to attain an overall tranquillity through a number of processes.
Through Hesychasm, practitioners seek divine stillness through the contemplation of God in uninterrupted prayer. Such prayer, involving the entire human being ‒ soul, mind and body ‒ is often called “pure” or “intellectual” prayer or the Jesus Prayer. The most widely accepted form of the prayer is “Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God, have mercy on me.” It reflects the biblical idea that the name of God is sacred and that its invocation implies a direct meeting with the divine.
The practice is a management of one’s thoughts. A stillness of soul creates clarity and harmony of the mind and instils compassion which helps society move forward. A society cannot work without compassion towards one another.
Spiritual author and teacher Eckhart Tolle says that in meditation (stillness), we become pregnant with nothing – but it is where a transformation of our state of mind happens.
Silence is not just about being in a quiet place but having a mind that is empty of worldly thoughts – an integration of heart, mind and body – not one scattered all over the place.
But could someone who is not affiliated to any religious belief benefit from the Hesychia fundamental concept?
It is a fact that we are more than just a physical body. There is a higher dimension to our existence, and today even science is talking about the god gene in our DNA, a spot where we are connected to a higher intelligence which is the source to our existence.
Managing to tap into this source, even if not coming from a religious background, is the key. There are genetic influences in humans that underlie a tendency towards spirituality.
A stillness of soul creates clarity and harmony of the mind and instils compassion which helps society
One can, in fact, say that spirituality is genetic, while religion is based on cultures, traditions, beliefs and ideas. There might be good reason to view spirituality as just another part of the rich genetic and cultural variety of our make-up as humans, which is an even better reason to learn to respect and enjoy the full range of that variety.
Connecting with nature and allowing oneself to be in silence, one can reach an understanding that there is a calmness of the soul which can be supportive even in painful or challenging experiences. Religious bodies call it a meeting with God but, in reality, we can call this inner peace any name. It is present to everyone if given the right space to explore it. Hesychia entails the disciplining of all our senses to arrive to an inner and outer silence.
At present, due to the pandemic, we are often being enforced to quarantine and to cut off many social interactions to stay safe. But this situation of reducing human interactions and outside activities can be looked at as an opportunity to find our true selves and connect with the source of our being through the quiet spells and confinements to our homes.
Where normally we are constantly bombarded with social media, heavy news and other people’s energies, we can now find the space for true internal and external silence. The trick is to allow ourselves odd spells, short or long, to switch off from the onslaught of mundane clutches of wants, desires or general alienations emanating from all our senses, and be in touch with our inner core which is always there to nourish us out of all the mind clutter. This tranquil and peaceful disposition can make us better humans and help us interact with others with more empathy and understanding.
In the contemporary world of hedonistic and self-gratifying lifestyles, Hesychasm cannot find a resonance. Being aware and adopting the notion of Hesychia into our life will certainly enhance us in our overall well-being. Our inner stillness and serene disposition will keep us grounded even when faced with chaos and in the midst of our daily activities.
Adopting Hesychia more specifically means guarding the mind from the ‘noise’ our senses create, and through inner prayer we become more receptive to God or to our inner voice. This soothes and heals one’s soul. Human existence is a process of divinisation and every human has this potential.
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