Skip to content

this body

the sensation of life

  • Home
  • A blessing: To you
  • About
    • About me
    • Why “this body”?
    • Spiritual Direction
    • Training
    • Supervision
    • What is spirituality?
    • Personal Experiences
  • Guided Prayer
  • Newsletters
  • Resources
    • Archive
      • Archive
      • Posts by date
      • Posts by name
      • Categories
      • Tags
    • Documents
    • Inspiration
    • The Cloud of Unknowing
    • The Spiritual Exercises of Ignatius
    • On Cleaving to God
  • New item
  • Donate
  • Subscribe
  • Contact
  • Subscriber Area

Category: Book

On being loved and desired

I have been rereading The Shape of Living by David F Ford. I am trying to put into practice something he says. Shape of Living by David F Ford There are two great simple truths about Christian desiring. The first is that God desires us.This is perhaps the hardest truth of any to grasp. Do … Continue reading On being loved and desired →

Julian Maddock Book Leave a comment 12 June 201014 December 2019

Emptiness

I spent the day at St Michael's Convent, Ham Common. I have come to view it as one of my favourite places. I spent the day alone and prayed, pottered and read some more of Into the Silent Land by Martin Laird. It is a wonderful book that brings together strands I am passionate about: … Continue reading Emptiness →

Julian Maddock Book, emptiness, Prayer Leave a comment 7 August 200814 December 2019

Gilead by Marilynne Robinson

There is a balm in Gilead To make the wounded whole. There is a balm in Gilead To heal the sin-sick soul. I was leant this book and took some time reading it. It is beautiful and deeply moving. Click on the image or follow this link, to learn more about the story and the … Continue reading Gilead by Marilynne Robinson →

Julian Maddock Book 1 Comment 16 July 200514 December 2019

Praying Together

Since the first lockdown, I have been leading online prayer every week. I invite you to these prayer times on Zoom at 8.30 am every Monday and Wednesday. For more information, read “Praying together”.
Julian

Julian Maddock

Julian in hoodie with blue DM's

I offer spiritual direction, training, and supervision. I am also a writer. I am based in Upper Teesdale, Co. Durham and (occasionally) West London.

Through kindly attention to the sensations of this body you can connect into a process of ever-deepening immersion into the reality of God at the heart of life.

I write here primarily about:
  • God, and how to foster your relationship with God;
  • prayer, and how to pray; and
  • how attending to this body is prayer and a way to be present in the Presence.

Read more…

Popular Posts

  • Audio Prayer for sleep 5.6k views | posted on 05/04/2020
  • To you 3.3k views | posted on 11/04/2016
  • Praying together 2.7k views | posted on 01/01/2021
  • What is the sensation of prayer? 10 steps to knowing God 2.3k views | posted on 08/09/2014
  • Audio Prayer: Simple opening to God’s presence 1.8k views | posted on 29/03/2020
  • The Age of Feuillton 1.6k views | posted on 17/10/2014
  • Audio Prayer: Presence, Gratitude, and Kindness 1.4k views | posted on 12/04/2020
  • Audio prayer: What do you desire? 1.3k views | posted on 17/05/2020
  • Ignatian Scaffolding 1.2k views | posted on 07/08/2021
  • Thomas and Friends 1.1k views | posted on 30/05/2008
  • It’s only your imagination 1.1k views | posted on 01/03/2021
  • The only 3 prayers you need 1.1k views | posted on 26/05/2019
  • There is no one but us 0.9k views | posted on 26/12/2021
  • 8 ways to be with thoughts in prayer 890 views | posted on 22/10/2021
  • Audio Prayer: Review of the day 884 views | posted on 24/04/2020
  • Eugene Peterson: quotes from The Contemplative Pastor 877 views | posted on 29/01/2010
  • A letter to three faith leaders 852 views | posted on 25/10/2021
  • How to experience God 827 views | posted on 12/06/2016
  • Thoughts in a time of plague 797 views | posted on 07/05/2020
  • Lost and found 772 views | posted on 15/08/2021
  • Spiritual direction at the end of the world (1) 751 views | posted on 10/01/2021
  • Thomas Merton’s life without care 712 views | posted on 23/05/2019
  • Coterminous 683 views | posted on 05/05/2021
  • Only basic goodness gives life to technique 674 views | posted on 29/10/2021
  • Lass auch Dir die Brust bewegen, Liebchen, höre mich! 650 views | posted on 07/03/2021
  • Retreat Day: “What do You want me to do?” 628 views | posted on 03/08/2021
  • Retreat days for Advent 623 views | posted on 05/11/2021
  • Spiritual direction at the end of the world (4) 621 views | posted on 13/01/2021
  • Coming Out 619 views | posted on 20/08/2024
  • Starting at the bottom 610 views | posted on 11/09/2013
  • The Discontents of Empire (III) 598 views | posted on 26/02/2017
  • One needful Lenten discipline 597 views | posted on 10/03/2023
  • I am Trump 578 views | posted on 03/02/2017
  • The Miracle of Being Nothing 575 views | posted on 01/07/2013
  • For 572 views | posted on 30/03/2018
  • Holy the Firm 560 views | posted on 11/05/2020
  • What shall we do? 529 views | posted on 20/10/2019
  • But when he came to himself 517 views | posted on 30/09/2020
  • Retreat Day: Lent in lockdown 505 views | posted on 28/01/2021
  • Embattled, not embittered 489 views | posted on 14/02/2016
  • Are we there yet? 479 views | posted on 10/02/2019
  • Retreat Day: Coming Home 477 views | posted on 06/05/2021
  • Where to start? 471 views | posted on 21/02/2012
  • Michael Maddock, RIP 467 views | posted on 05/04/2010
  • Journalling Bible 467 views | posted on 19/02/2017
  • Prayer of St Manchan 432 views | posted on 16/08/2014
  • Middle-class spiritual direction 415 views | posted on 02/12/2016
  • Sit! 407 views | posted on 23/09/2013
  • Audio prayer featured on Insight Timer 399 views | posted on 14/05/2020
  • Oasis Day: Journey into Lent 391 views | posted on 01/02/2022
  • Starting at the bottom (part 2) 389 views | posted on 15/09/2013
  • God’s fragile ego 386 views | posted on 09/12/2019
  • Relax! 384 views | posted on 09/12/2013
  • Feeling into this body 380 views | posted on 22/10/2010
  • Audio Prayer: Revisiting a God moment 376 views | posted on 19/04/2020
  • Appledore 376 views | posted on 07/05/2018
  • Finding depth 370 views | posted on 16/06/2019
  • The Kingdom of Heaven 353 views | posted on 28/05/2018
  • Disclosure II 348 views | posted on 11/09/2024
  • Spiritual direction at the end of the world (2) 348 views | posted on 11/01/2021
  • The shift 346 views | posted on 01/07/2018
  • Annunciation 344 views | posted on 15/12/2019
  • Spiritual direction at the end of the world (3) 343 views | posted on 12/01/2021
  • Retreat day: Coming home (last call) 343 views | posted on 07/06/2021
  • 11 Ways of Dealing with Anxiety: 1. Breathe 336 views | posted on 13/05/2013
  • An affirming source (6): Empowered 331 views | posted on 05/05/2019
  • A training day for Guildford spiritual directors 328 views | posted on 24/11/2020
  • An affirming source (3): Yielding 315 views | posted on 14/03/2019
  • Salvation 314 views | posted on 17/06/2018
  • Repetition 314 views | posted on 17/01/2016
  • Training day for spiritual directors 309 views | posted on 10/05/2019
  • An affirming source (5): Relationship 307 views | posted on 28/04/2019
  • Audio Prayer: Review of the day++ 303 views | posted on 29/04/2020
  • When prayer stops working 302 views | posted on 01/12/2019
  • Vastness, presence and meaning 298 views | posted on 09/03/2015
  • The gifts and the giver 295 views | posted on 30/11/2024
  • An affirming source (1): an alien will 294 views | posted on 07/03/2019
  • How sophisticated are you? 294 views | posted on 09/10/2016
  • Desert 289 views | posted on 03/02/2019
  • Negative Capability 284 views | posted on 15/02/2025
  • Preemptive strikes upon the Divine 284 views | posted on 03/11/2019
  • What’s eating away at you? 284 views | posted on 30/12/2016
  • To care and not to care 281 views | posted on 20/01/2019
  • The naked night 260 views | posted on 18/09/2016
  • An affirming source (2): Emancipation 254 views | posted on 08/03/2019
  • Camas Lilies 251 views | posted on 19/05/2018
  • 11 Ways of Dealing with Anxiety: 9. Identifying fallacious reasoning 250 views | posted on 10/09/2013
  • … and joy 249 views | posted on 22/04/2020
  • A training day in Gloucester for spiritual directors 248 views | posted on 17/10/2019
  • Mercy 244 views | posted on 08/06/2017
  • You 238 views | posted on 13/10/2014
  • Clinging to the Invisible God 238 views | posted on 13/04/2017
  • Distraction 236 views | posted on 10/11/2019
  • To live or to recount 232 views | posted on 17/08/2016
  • Retreat Day: last call 228 views | posted on 15/02/2021
  • Disclosure I 222 views | posted on 28/08/2024
  • An affirming source: Inter-mission 217 views | posted on 14/04/2019
  • A few thoughts on how to release regret and learn to live (IV) 214 views | posted on 26/09/2014
  • The Discontents of Empire (IV) 209 views | posted on 19/03/2017
  • Molecular loneliness, molecular belonging 200 views | posted on 24/11/2019

Subscribe

  • Advance notice of events
  • Access to longer pieces of writing
  • Notifications of new posts
  • Occasional newsletters

Now on Insight Timer!

Insight Timer

Insight Timer is the #1 free app for meditation, sleep, anxiety and stress.

Find me on Insight Timer

A beginner’s guide

These links will give you a flavour of, and a way in to, what this body is all about:

  • Where to start?
  • Sitting
  • Starting at the bottom
  • Feeling into this body
  • Starting at the bottom (part 2)
  • Relax!
  • What is the senation of prayer? 10 steps to knowing God
  • The miracle of being nothing

Copyright

Feel free to share any of this material with others, but please say where you got it from and point people at this website. Thank you.

© 2005–2025 · Julian Maddock

Proudly powered by WordPress | Theme: Independent Publisher 2 by Raam Dev.