– Dear Father Sergiy, I would like to ask you about the Jesus prayer. I try to pray with it, but succeed in keeping attention only in my mind. The matter is I had a 16-year experience of Indian meditations before I came to Orthodoxy. I can stop my mind, but I do not know how to switch from my mind to my heart. All my attempts end in my head. I might have done something wrong. Help me, please.  

– The main recipe – do not set short-term deadlines for yourself, otherwise, if you fail, you will become upset and have a psychological cramp. You need to simply pray and pray. It is very important to maintain simplicity and gentleness while praying. Do not cramp yourself. This is more important than keeping your attention. If you will learn how not to get upset, to avoid the spasm, when nothing seems to work, it will be a good foundation for your further spiritual work. Everything will come and set itself on this foundation in time. 

Archpriest Sergiy Baranov