Holistic Prayer
"It can be helpful, especially when we struggle to concentrate, to involve more than the mind in prayer. Rather than read our prayers silently, we can utter them aloud. This helps keep the mind focused. In addition to hearing the words of our prayer, we can involve the sense of smell by offering incense with our prayer. We can involve our sight (beyond the reading of words) by praying before an icon and a candle or vigil lamp. Thus prayer becomes not just something we say, but something we do. It becomes a physical action, a ritual of sorts." (Archimandrite Vassilios Papavassiliou)
“We are body, mind, and spirit. Christ said love God with all your heart, soul, mind, and strength. We are more than just our minds or brains therefore when we pray with just our minds we not engaging our whole selves.” (Sacramental Living Blog)
“…there is a battle in each of us between the flesh and the spirit. There is, however, a third “player” at work in each of us and that is the mind. The human being is composed of body (flesh), spirit and mind. So, one has to decide what will lead in life—will it be the body leading with the mind and spirit following? Will it be the mind leading, or will it be the spirit leading? The truth is, whatever leads, the other parts follow.” (Fr. Stavros N. Akrotirianakis)
“Learning to pray is not an intellectual exercise, and thinking that it is reveals that we do not yet understand prayer. Prayer is formed in the heart and the heart is formed in the crucible of action…If you want powerful prayer, then do as the Fathers did, fast and give alms. Deny yourself, and give stuff away to the poor. Ask the poor who benefit from your generosity to pray for you. They will with glad hearts.” (Father Stephen Freeman)
“Christians should not separate the physical and the spiritual. Jesus Christ is Lord over both the body and the spirit.” (Life Application Study Bible, James 5:14-15)