Dear friends,

My name is Horea Roman, and I have been a yoga practitioner for 17 years. I recently completed my
yoga instructor course. To obtain my instructor certification, I am required to complete a multi-step
project. One of these steps involves creating a spiritual group. I chose to create a group called “Prayer
of the Heart” for two reasons: firstly, I am a practitioner of this type of prayer and secondly, through
this group’s activities , I wish to commemorate Father Gheorghe Ghelasie from the Holy Monastery
of Frasinei, Romania.
(your partcipation is completly voluntary as a form of Karma yoga in helping me realize this project)
Father Gheorghe Ghelasie is considered one of Romania’s greatest hesychastes. I knew him personally
as he was my confessor. He is the one who taught me and encouraged me to practice the “Prayer of the
Heart”.

Here are a few words about this group:

Its study objective includes the following (the main objectives are the following:
• Learning the “Prayer of the Heart” technique;
• Group systematic practice of this technique;(Practicising this prayer in unison during our
meetings )
• Experiencing awareness of and journaling our state of consciousness as a result of this practice.
(writing in a journal our spiritual experiences that arise after practicing this technique)
• We will study the history of Hesychasm (a mystical tradition of contemplative prayer in
the Eastern Orthodox Church).
• We will study Philokalia or the Life of Saints.
• This group will meet twice a month, on Sundays, at 1:30pm Eastern Time.
• You may leave this group at any time and I would appreciate if you would explain your reasons.
• Members of this group who wish to talk about their spiritual experiences realized during our
group meetings or in private, are invited to do so. With their permission, their stories will be
shared in my written capstone project. Members can opt to remain anonymous in this
publication.

The “Prayer of the Heart” is of ancient origins. This prayer started to form during the times when Jesus
and his apostles walked the earth proclaiming the Kingdom of Heavens. When he created the first
Christian communities, Peter said that “there is no greater power under the Sun than Jesus’ name”.
Later, Pavel encouraged these Christians to pray incessantly (1 tes(Thessalonians)5.17, Bible). As it
appeared impossible to pray continuously, one of the followers asked Pavel: “How is it possible to pray
all the time?”. Pavel answered: “The Holy Scripture commands nothing that is not attainable”.

The “Prayer of the Heart” is a gift from God and can be practiced by anyone. Nonetheless, like any
divine gift, this prayer is offered only to those who have an open heart and practice this technique with
devotion, full of love and reverence as a Bhakti yoga form Still, it is important that we make an effort
to receive this gift from God. Don’t think this prayer is not for you. It is a great error to think it only
belongs to someone else. The “Prayer of the Heart” was gifted to us to unite us with Jesus, and through
this union, to attain the state of Godliness. (the state of deification or comunon with God)

To practice this prayer, the following words shall be said:

Lord, Jesus Christ,
Son of God,
Have mercy on me, your disciple (you can state your baptism name here)!

When saying this prayer, we should not recite it mechanically. We should fill our hearts with love and
humility, and prepared this way, to be ready to feel Jesus’s forgiving and unconditionally loving
presence.

In the beginning, this prayer needs to be practiced a lot. This is why we should pray as often as
possible. When the prayer becomes one with our consciousness, we will experience an inner peace. At
that moment, we will know that the prayer has become continuous.

Next, we will learn the actual technique of the “Prayer of the Heart”.

Relax your mind and body, trying to achieve an inner harmony. Attempt to feel Jesus’ presence in your
heart. Breathe slowly and deeply, as natural as possible. While we breathe in, we will recite in our mind
the following: “Lord, Jesus Christ, Son of God”. In the more advanced stages of this practice, after
breathing in, a brief, full retention may naturally occur. Next, as we breathe out slowly and
uninterruptedly, we recite in our minds the following: “ Have mercy on me, your disciple (you can state
your baptism name here)”.

Ma numesc Horea Roman si sunt practicant de yoga in anul 17 de curs. Am terminat cursul de
instructori de yoga. Pentru obtinerea diplomei de instructor am un proiect care cuprinde mai multe
parti. Una din aceste parti este formarea unui grup spiritual. Am ales sa formez acest grup spiritual
"Rugaciunea Inimii" din doua motive : unul, eu sunt un practicant al acestei rugaciuni si al doielea
motiv este pentru aducere in memorie a parintelui Ghelasie Ghoorghe de la Sfanta Manastire Frasinei.
Parintele Ghelasie Gheorghe este cosinderat ca fiind unul dintre marii isihasti ai Romaniei. L-am
cunoscut personal pe Parintele Ghelasie Gheorghe. El a fost parintele meu duhovnic care m-a invatat si
indemnat sa practic "Rugaciunea Inimii".

Cateva cuvinte despre organizare grupului :

• Obiectul de studiu cuprinde:

• invatarea tehnici de practicare a rugaciuni inimii
• practicarea sistematica in grup si individual a rugaciuni inimii
• constientizarea si consemnarea starilor sufletesti pe care le simtim la practicarea
rugaciunii inimii

• Vom studia istoria isihasmului

• Vom studia Filocalia sau Viata Sfintilor

• Grupul se va intalni de doua ori pe luna, in ziua de duminica la ora 12:30 pm ora din Chicago,
1:30 pm Atlantic time si 10:30 am Pacific time pentru USA.

• Inscrierile in grup se fac benevol. Nu se percepe nici o taxa. Parasirea grupului este libera fara
nici o obligatie.
 • Cei care doresc sa faca relatari despre experientele lor din timpul rugaciunii la unison sau
practicei individuale sunt incurajati. Relatarile lor vor fi mentionate in cadrul lucrarii scrise
pentru proiect. La dorinta lor se vor tinea anonimi sau daca doresc, vor putea sa apara cu
numele. La fiecare intalnire se vor practica 15 minute rugaciunea inimii.

Rugaciunea inimii are radacini stavechi. Ai nceput sa se formeze inca de cand Isus umbla cu Apostoli
pe Pamant si vesteau Imparatia Cerurilor. Apostolul Petru a zis atunci cand forma primele comunitati
de crestini "ca nu exista arma mai puternica sub Soare decat numele Lui Isus". Mai tarziu apostolul
Pavel ii indemna pe crestinii din comunitatile formate sa se roage neincetat ( 1 tes5.17 din biblie ). Pare
imposibill sa te rogi neincetat. Unul dintre ucenici sai il intreaba " Cum este posibil sa te rogi
neincetat?". Pavel raspunde:" Sfanta Scriptura nu porunceste nimic din ceea ce este de neatins."

Rugaciunea inimii o poate practica orice om. Ea este un dar de la Dumnezeu. Ca orice dar
Dumnezeiesc, rugaciunea inimii ii este oferita doar aceluia care are inima deschisa si o practica cu
ardoare, plin de iubire si smerenie. Important este ca noi sa ne straduim sa primim acest dar
Dumnezeiesc. Nu trebuie sa facem gresala de a zice ca rugaciunea inimii nu este pentru mine. Este o
mare eroare sa credem ca rugaciunea inimii apartine doar altora. Rugaciunea inimii nu este doar un
subiect de discutie. Ea ne-a fost daruita pentru uniunea cu Isus si impreuna cu El sa atingem starea de
indumnezeire.

Pentru practicare rugaciuni inimii cuvintele pe care trebuie sa le rostim sunt: Doamne Isuse Cristoase,
Fiul Lui Dumneu, miluieste-ma pe mine ucenicul tau (sau se poate rsti doar numele de botez). Nu
trebuie sa rostim aceasta mechanic. Trebuie sa ne umplem inima cu iubire si smerenie si astfel
imbracati sa simtim prezenta lui Isus plina de iertare si iubire neconditionata.

La inceput este nevoie de multa cantitate de practica a rugaciunii inimi. De aceea va trebui sa o
practicam cat mai des. Atunci cand rugaciunea se contopeste cu respiratia, ea devine permanenta si o
liniste interioara se revarsa asupra noastra. Atunci putem zice ca rugaciunea a devenit fara de incetare.

Acuma vom trece la tehnica propriu zisa de practicare a rugaciuni inimii

Ne relaxam mintea si corpul si urmarim sa creem o armonie interioara. Urmarim sa simtim prezenta lui
Isus in inima noastra. Lasam respiratia sa devina cat mai inceata si profundal, sa fie cat mai naturala. In
timp ce inspiram vom rosti doar in minte: Doamne Isuse Cristoase , Fiul Lui Dumnezeu... La finalul
inspiratiei, in fazele mai avansate de practica, apare de la sine o scurta retentive pe plin. Apoi expiram
lent si continu rostind doar in minte cuvintele urmatoare : “miluieste-ma pe mine ucenicul tau (sau
putem doar sa zicem numai numele de botez).