Welcome to the St Shenouda Podcast as we continue our series, "The Inner Way". In this episode, we dive deep into the essential, yet often overlooked, spiritual discipline of Nepsis—the art of watchfulness.

What is Nepsis?

Derived from the Greek word nepho (to guard or keep under surveillance), Nepsis is the Orthodox concept of wakefulness or spiritual sobriety. It is an unceasing vigilance of the mind and heart, described by St Hesychios the Priest as "a continual fixing and halting of thought at the entrance to the heart".

The sources explain that nepsis is rooted in the New Testament command from 1 Peter 5:8 to "be alert and of sober mind," for our adversary prowls like a roaring lion seeking someone ...