Page "Hesychasm" Paragraph 51

According to some of the adepts of the Jewish Merkabah mystical tradition, if one wished to " descend to the Merkabah " one had to adopt the prayer posture taken by the Prophet Elijah in I Kings 18: 42, namely to pray with one's head between one's knees.

This is the same prayer posture used by the Christian Hesychists and is the reason that they were mocked by their opponents as " navel gazers " ( omphalopsychites ).

This bodily position and the practice of rhythmically breathing while invoking a divine name seems to be common to both Jewish Merkabah mysticism and Christian Hesychasm.

Thus the practice may have origins in the ascetical practices of the biblical prophets.