In Eastern Orthodox Christianity, there is a meditative practice known as Hesychasm, and some of the parallels with yoga / meditation are interesting.
A few quotes from a Wikipedia article, describing Heyschasm:
“Hesychasm in tradition has been the process of retiring inward by ceasing to register the senses, in order to achieve an experiential knowledge of God.”
“The practice of inner prayer, aiming at union with God on a level beyond images, concepts and language.”
“The terms Hesychasm and Hesychast refer to the practice and to the practitioner of a method of mental ascesis that involves the use of the Jesus Prayer assisted by certain psychophysical techniques.”
“By the exercise of sobriety (the mental ascesis against tempting thoughts), the Hesychast arrives at a continual practice of the Jesus Prayer with his mind in his heart and where his consciousness is no longer encumbered by the spontaneous inception of images: his mind has a certain stillness and emptiness that is punctuated only by the eternal repetition of the Jesus Prayer.
This stage is called the guard of the mind. This is a very advanced stage of ascetical and spiritual practice, and attempting to accomplish this prematurely, especially with psychophysical techniques, can cause very serious spiritual and emotional harm to the would-be Hesychast.”
(Sounds like many of the warnings related to overdoing various yogic practices.)
“The Hesychast usually experiences the contemplation of God as light, the Uncreated Light.”
(aka Samadhi.)
And, interestingly, Hesychasm even contains some very AYP-like injunctions against focusing on scenery:
“Any ecstatic states or other unusual phenomena which may occur in the course of Hesychast practice are considered secondary and unimportant, even quite dangerous.
Moreover, seeking after unusual ‘spiritual’ experiences can itself cause great harm, ruining the soul and the mind of the seeker.”
Source: Wikipedia Article on Hesychasm
The Jesus Prayer (central to the practice of Hesychasm, as mentioned above) appears to be somewhat analogous to the mantra in yogic meditation, though coupled with devotional intention (i.e. prayer) as well as simple repetition.
There is quite a bit of information on the Jesus Prayer as well, which also highlights the similarities with meditation / yoga practices:
“In a modern context the continuing repetition is regarded by some as a form of meditation, the prayer functioning as a kind of mantra.”
“The practice of the Jesus Prayer is integrated into the mental ascesis undertaken by the Orthodox monastic in the practice of hesychasm. Yet the Jesus Prayer is not limited only to monastic life or to clergy. All members of the Christian Church are advised to practice this prayer, laypeople and clergy, men, women and children.”
“The Jesus Prayer is ideally practiced under the guidance and supervision of a spiritual guide especially when Psychosomatic techniques (like rhythmical breath) are incorporated.”
“People who say the prayer as part of meditation often synchronize it with their breathing; breathing in while calling out to God (Lord Jesus Christ, Son of God) and breathing out while praying for mercy (have mercy on me, a sinner).”
“Another option is to say (orally or mentally) the whole prayer while breathing in and again the whole prayer while breathing out and yet another, to breathe in recite the whole prayer, breathe out while reciting the whole prayer again. One can also hold the breath for a few seconds between breathing in and out. It is advised, in any of these three last cases, that this be done under some kind of spiritual guidance and supervision.”
“Monks often pray this prayer many hundreds of times each night as part of their private cell vigil (“cell rule”). Under the guidance of an Elder (Russian Starets; Greek Gerondas), the monk aims to internalize the prayer, so that he is praying unceasingly.”
There are three stages of the practice referred to in the tradition:
"1. The oral prayer (the prayer of the lips) is a simple recitation, still external to the practitioner.
"2. The focused prayer, when “the mind is focused upon the words” of the prayer, “speaking them as if they were our own.”
“3. The prayer of the heart itself, when the prayer is no longer something we do but who we are.”
“Once this is achieved the Jesus Prayer is said to become “self-active”. It is repeated automatically and unconsciously by the mind.”
Source: Wikipedia Article on the Jesus Prayer
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