Shanks
Awareness
Training
by Chris Shanks
Four disciplines that transform how you relate to yourself and the world. Clinical practice, distilled into daily action.
Beyond meditation
Meditation alone changes little. Real transformation requires integrated practice—mind, body, and daily habit working together.
Chris Shanks developed these methods through years of clinical work. Now anyone can follow them.
About Chris Shanks
Chris Shanks knows addiction. He used drugs from his teenage years, appearing functional while struggling in private. In 29 years, he stayed sober eight months at most.
On April 7, 2009, police arrested him in a drug investigation. He served four years in maximum-security prison in Huntsville, Texas. There, with only Eckhart Tolle's A New Earth, he discovered mindfulness.
“These were the most transformative years of my life,” Chris says. “I was freer in prison than I had ever been. I found the way out of the prison of my mind.”
From Prisoner to Counselor
Chris left prison in 2013 with a coffee cup and some dharma books. He finished college at 47, earned a counseling degree, and spent four years at a treatment center outside Austin. He worked with chronic relapsers, the hardest cases.
His Philosophy
“Recovery requires a new operating system: one that sees the mind rather than is the mind. Committed meditation installs it.”
He draws on Eckhart Tolle, Jack Kornfield, Tara Brach, Sam Harris, and the neuroscience of addiction.
Four Pillars of Practice
Each day guides you through four interconnected disciplines. Together, they build lasting awareness.
Audio Guidance
Each morning begins with a carefully crafted audio session. Set your intention, ground yourself in the present, and prepare your mind for the day ahead.
Journaling
Structured prompts guide you through self-reflection. Over time, patterns emerge—insights that would remain hidden without the discipline of daily writing.
Exercise
Movement becomes meditation. Whether walking, stretching, or training—approach your body with the same attention you give your mind.
Nutrition
What you eat shapes how you feel. Plan meals with intention, notice how foods affect your energy and mood, and build a mindful relationship with nourishment.
Your Daily Practice
Four steps. Every day. Simple to follow, difficult to master. The app guides you through each phase, tracking your progress and adapting to your rhythm.
Listen
MorningBegin with guided audio that sets your intention for the day.
Write
Mid-morningJournal through prompts that surface insight and clarity.
Move
AfternoonExercise as practice, not punishment. Embody awareness.
Nourish
EveningEat mindfully, linking nutrition to how you feel.
Begin your practice
Join the beta and start transforming how you relate to yourself and the world around you.