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 Workshops, lectures and classes Training in spiritual practices |
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Prayer of the Heart retreats 2008 May 3 and 31, Saturdays, 1-5:30 pm Prayer of the Heart at the Mercy Center Prayer of the Heart Retreats in the Mercy Center offer the two levels of practice: for the beginners (Foundations Retreat), and for the practitioners who have experience in Prayer of the Heart (Deepening Retreat). Register Here ... May 23-25 retreat is Deepening the Prayer of the Heart, for those who have the experience of the practice. However, if you are the beginning practitioner, and can come only to this retreat, you are welcome - practice will be adjusted for you. Prayer of the Heart was transmitted from early Desert fathers and mothers, to Byzantine monks, to Eastern hermits and pilgrims. Different from the usual methods of prayer and meditation, Prayer of the Heart calls for the direct experience of communion, recognition of the living presence of “otherwise incomprehensible God” (St. Hesychious, 8th century), and self-knowledge. It heals and transforms the mind, and refines one’s soul. In the Eastern Christendom, Prayer of the Heart became the major practice of Hesychasm, the mystical tradition of inner stillness. It causes the opening and positive transformation of the spiritual heart, which, according to hesychasts, serves as a junction between the human soul and God. During the Deepening Retreat you will:
During the retreat, we pray in the heart, using the Name of God. We will also understand the effects of this prayer on psychological and spiritual life. Prayer of the Heart begins with cultivating wakefulness, i.e. mindful attention to the body, emotions, thoughts and energy. This is the foundation for the practice. Next comes work with the Divine Names, found inside one’s own spiritual heart. Spiritual Heart, the most important subtle energy center in the human body, will lead us to working with the psychological and emotional issues blocking it. We will develop personalized forms of practice by exploring individual relationships with the spiritual archetypes through sacred icon images and guided journey of the interiority of the heart. This is the most exciting part of the retreat, rendering deep self-knowledge, and leading to the secret chamber of the heart where one discovers the Living Presence. Heart contains many levels, and opens into the Infinite, to the universal dimensions of the self, common to all people. Thus, Prayer of the Heart transcends the frames of all religions, and can be used by spiritual seekers of any orientation. Generally, retreat will have periods of silent and guided meditation, group discussions, and experiential exercises with an emphasis on active participation. It will give one the possibility to explore one’s own heart in the company of careful and compassionate companions on the path. The level of the enquiry depends on the level of your practice. For preparation to retreat, reading list and texts of the articles by Dr. Louchakova are available at www.hridayamyoga.org, or via email hridayam@prodigy.net. Retreat Schedule
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August 4-9 is the retreat for practitioners of all levels.