Build an Awareness Practice 🌀

This resource accompanies my personal essay, I Didn't See the Sign. When I began developing my own meditation practice, I discovered how much it supported my healing journey with CPTSD. It helped me expand my self-awareness and, most importantly, taught me how to become more consciously present in everyday life.

Below, you'll find the meditation practice I started with, along with journal prompts, catchphrases, and simple body movements that helped me recognize when my attention had wandered and gently return to the present moment. These are the tools that helped me become more grounded, aware, and connected to myself.

The first step to building a practice is to show up. Whether it’s for 1 minute or 60, it doesn’t matter. Just show up for yourself in whatever way works for you in the moment— this is how we learn to prioritize our personal needs and build self-trust through consistency. 

Here is what I did:

• Sit in a chair, on a mat or anywhere you feel comfortable and safe. 

• Close your eyes and take a deep breath. 

• Take as many deep breaths as you want or need to feel yourself settling into your body and your headspace. 

• With each breath, imagine the air you are breathing in flowing in through your nose and down to your pelvic floor/root. 

• Intentionally call all of your awareness into the center of your head. 

• Each time you become aware of unconscious thoughts, acknowledge them, visualize the sentences, words and letters falling into the earth. 

• Then go back to the point of awareness. 

• Practice visualization and imagination. For instance, are you along a beach, in the mountains, or beside a waterfall? Let a nature scene fill in, notice the colors and focus on the details.

There are some amazing apps that have a plethora of meditations, sounds and frequencies that can be a useful tool when starting this practice, especially if you’re healing from CPTSD. 

These tools helped me with aligning my focus, maintaining my meditation space and blocking what was going on outside of me so I could concentrate on the inside. There is no right or wrong here. Follow your energy, your intuition and experiment to find what you like and leave the rest. 

Some days my practice involves pulling an oracle card, and some days it's an hour long meditation session. Most days I fall somewhere in between. The point has been to establish the routine by just showing up that day in whatever capacity I’m able to. 

Go Deeper: Check out the guided meditation. 🎧

Build a Library of Catchphrases and Movements 🔖

Catchphrases have helped me get back into the present moment and I practice them daily. Physical movements help with getting awareness back into our bodies. When I find myself in unconscious thoughts, these have worked for me. Consider establishing some of your own and what resonates for you. 

Phrases to get back to awareness in present time might be:

• Be here now. 

• Show me the divinity in this moment.

• Awareness.

• Be present. 

• I let go of my thoughts and come back to what is happening right now. 

Movements that help us get back into our body might be:

• Refocus/Change the View—lift your eyes to something else.

• Find a tree, an animal, a piece of grass, a landscape or building that redirects focus from unconscious thinking.

• Tune into sounds, what do you hear around you? Cars, wind, birds.

• What does it feel like in your body?

• Deep breaths and recenter into awareness. 

Journal Prompts

When I write my feelings into words I intentionally release the energy attached to them. For me, journaling is one practice that has a permanent place in my self-healing toolbox. I have let go of grief, found new ideas and inspiration, and have become more self-aware through journaling. It’s a sacred act of love I give to myself. 

Prompts to Consider

• How many signs did I see, hear or feel (today, yesterday)? 

• What were they communicating?

• How did I feel in my body today?

• What thoughts have been consuming my headspace?

• What techniques/tools have I tried and how do they work for me?

Or, start with these phrases:

• Today I showed up for myself by… 

• I found myself truly present when…

• When I woke up this morning I… 

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About Rev. Jane

Rev. Jane Garrity is a psychic medium, spiritual healer, ordained minister, writer, and creator of the Inner Heart Healing Road Map. Drawing from her own journey of healing complex trauma and spiritual awakening, she shares personal stories, spiritual insights, and practical tools to help others reconnect with their authentic Self.

Through her writing, healing sessions, ceremonies, and ministry, Jane creates space for self-discovery, healing, and spiritual connection.

Rooted in Spirit. Grounded in Humanity.