The Inner Life

The Orthodox path of prayer, watchfulness, and union with God.

The Orthodox Church does not speak of the spiritual life as a set of techniques or private experiences. She speaks of the healing of the heart, the purifying of the passions, and the slow work of grace by which a person is drawn into the life of God.

This is the inner life: sober, grounded in the Church, nourished by the Holy Mysteries, and ordered toward love. The pages below offer a simple introduction to that path.

What is the Inner Life?

An introduction to the Orthodox understanding of the heart and the spiritual path.

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Theosis

Union with God by grace — the aim of the Christian life.

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The Jesus Prayer & Hesychasm

The prayer of the heart and the tradition of stillness.

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Guarding the Heart

Watching over thoughts, desires, and the hidden movements of the soul.

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Watchfulness & Stillness

Attention, silence, and the quieting of the inner world.

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Teachers of the Inner Life

Fathers and mothers of the Church who guide the path of prayer.

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