"Somebody asked Antony, 'What shall I do in order to please God?' He replied, 'Do what I tell you, which is this: wherever you go, keep God in mind; whatever you do, follow the example of Holy Scripture; wherever you are, stay there and do not move away in a hurry. If you keep to these guide-lines, you will be saved.'"

--Sayings of the Desert Fathers

“Amma Syncletica said, "There are many who live in the mountains and behave as if they were in the town; they are wasting their time. It is possible to be a solitary in one's mind while living in a crowd; and it is possible for those who are solitaries to live in the crowd of their own thoughts."

--Chryssavgis 2008, p.30

Christianity has a long and sacred tradition of mysticism. One of the earliest christian groups to form was made of ascetics and hermits, who created a community in the desert regions of the Scetes desert of Egypt in the third century CE. These groups were referred to as  Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers (Abba and Amma).  One of their most famous leaders was Anthony the Great, who became known as both the father and founder of desert monasticism. He had thousands of monks and nuns who came together in informal gatherings for prayer, which influenced the development of early Christianity. The commandment to LOVE was the primary guide for the Desert Fathers and Mothers: Love all creatures and be transformed by God’s love.

Hesychasm (Greek for stillness, rest, and silence) is a mystical tradition and movement that the Desert Fathers and Mothers used as the center of their practice of prayer. Hesychasm is the practice of interior silence and continual prayer. The wisdom of the Desert Fathers and Desert Mothers can be found in the written records of their sayings.