GRATITUDE

Calm Masterclass Toolkit

 TAMARA LEVITT

Calm’s mindfulness instructor, shares practical Calm Masterclass opens your heart as you

tools to help you create your own practice awaken to the power of gratitude.

in our latest Calm Masterclass, Gratitude.

The program includes stories and lessons We created this toolkit for you to explore

learned from her own path toward gratitude some additional gratitude exercises

(which was a bumpier journey than you might and practices offered by Tamara. As she

expect). It’s part workshop, part Dharma talk, recommends, try different ones, experiment

and part rousing wake up call, with engaging to see what works, and forge a daily habit of

stories peppered throughout. We hope this expressing and feeling gratefulness. Enjoy!
 “Gratitude isn’t something you
climb to a mountaintop and wait
for. It’s a practice we need to apply
and repeat, deliberately and daily.”
— TA M A R A L E V I T T

GRATITUDE BOX

The Gratitude Box is a physical container and opening your heart to gratitude. Over
where you store grateful memories. It could time, as your box fills up with little folded
be a shoebox, a glass jar, or a treasure chest– pieces of paper, you’re building a repository
if you have one handy. The idea is to write of gratefulness. And when you are feeling
down something you are thankful for and sadness or lacking or struggles of whatever
place it in the box. You can do it every day kind, your gratitude box becomes a helpful
or simply when you feel inspired. Each time tool. All you have to do is open the box,
you write something down and deposit it in reach inside, and presto: You’re reminded
your box, you are acknowledging a blessing, of something to be grateful for.
 LETTER TO SELF

This exercise is a letter of thanks to your past and thanking – him or her or them – for all
self. If you think about it, you owe so much those fantastic actions and decisions, for
to your past self. Consider the thousands of which you are the fortunate beneficiary today.
decisions that were made by past versions I recommend writing a letter by hand
of you, all leading to the life you have in this and being specific and detailed.
moment.
Like some of the other exercises, this is
Think of the dangers averted, schooling something you can return to. It might be cool
completed, hardships endured, challenges to see how this changes over time. Perhaps
overcome, lessons learned, healthy risks you could write yourself a letter every year
taken, goals set and achieved. Well, how on your birthday, each time reading last
about writing a letter to your past self, year’s before writing this year’s.
 “THANK YOU”

This exercise is one of the most ancient practices

in all of human history: The simple act of saying
“Thank you.” It’s among the first phrases we learn
as children; “please” and “thank you” are often an
early lesson in respect and politeness. But saying
“thank you” can become an automatic reaction.
We say “Thanks” many times a day, often without
giving it any thought or having an emotional
connection to the words.

Also, we let many opportunities to express thanks

slip by, because we’re rushed, or absent minded,
or because we simply take others for granted.

So this exercise is a simple call-to-action to not

let those opportunities sneak away. Be a force
of appreciation. With family, friends, coworkers,
and even strangers, seize every opportunity to
say thank you, even for the tiniest of things. For
helping with the dishes, holding that door, copy

editing that document, covering that shift, cleaning up that mess, or giving that advice, or encouragement,
or hug. Do it in person when you can, but you can always email, text, or tweet.

This might sound easy but it’s a tricky task. The challenge isn’t just to say it, but to feel it, and to convey
that appreciation.

“If the only prayer you said was

thank you, that would be enough.”
— MEISTER ECKHART
 “It’s never the greener pastures
a few miles ahead. It’s the Earth
beneath our feet right now.”
— TA M A R A L E V I T T

YES, AND

This exercise can help challenge the habit of by saying, “My goodness the moon looks lovely
complaining. Many of us don’t realize how often tonight.” Now, that performer’s scene partner
we complain. As an experiment, try to monitor can’t say “But it’s the afternoon, we can’t see
your complaining tendencies for an entire day. the moon!” This destroys the scene. Instead, the
Pay close attention to your words. You can even scene partner has to find a way to ‘Yes, and.’ To
enlist a family member or friend to help point out agree with that idea and build on it. So he could
when you do it. And each time you catch yourself, say, “It certainly is a lovely afternoon to walk upon
here’s a little trick to reframe that negative the moon,” while pretending to walk in slow-
thought. It’s inspired by a principle I learned motion as if in low gravity.
while taking improv acting classes in high school,
and it’s called, Yes, and. Let’s see how this principle can be applied to
complaining. Every time we catch ourselves in
If you’re not familiar with improv, it’s a form of a complaint, we can ‘Yes, and’ in order to flip a
theater where scenes are completely, well, negative observation into a positive one, allowing
improvised. The way it works is that actors have us to find the upside of a crummy circumstance,
to accept their fellow actors’ ideas and then build or see the broader good fortune in a minor
on them. So one performer might start a scene grievance. Here are a few examples.
Great, my friend is 20-minutes
late for our coffee meeting.

Yes, and now I have an

unexpected opportunity to
call a friend. Wow, that business failure
cleaned out my checking
account.

Yes, and I learned valuable

lessons that I can bring to my
next venture.

I’m disappointed that my

plans for the weekend were
cancelled at the last minute.

Yes, and I’ll take this

opportunity to spend time
with my nephew and give
my sister a break.

Ugh, I have to spend my

Saturday in bed, sick
with the flu.

Yes, and at least I have an

excuse to catch up on my
favorite Netflix show.
 “Gratitude wakes us up to
the goodness and beauty in
life. But we have to choose it.”
— TA M A R A L E V I T T

5,4,3,2,1

This is a simple exercise that can help you quickly tap into gratitude through your senses. It involves
counting down from 5 and tuning in to the miraculous gifts we walk around with each day: the ability
to see, hear, touch, smell, and taste. If you don’t have the function of a certain sense, just adjust your
countdown to the senses you would like to focus on. To do the exercise, simply pause and count down
through your senses in the following way.
 5
Observe 5 things you can see around you. It can
be anything, furniture, the wall, a painting, or your
cat. The idea is to acknowledge you appreciate
that you can see.

4
Acknowledge 4 things you can touch in your
environment, and reach out and feel their texture.
It might be the table in front of you, the clothes
you’re wearing, or a book in your lap. Really try to
feel the fine details of each sensation.

3
Tune in to 3 things you can hear. This could be the
sound of a nearby voice, a car driving by outside,
or the hum of the refrigerator.

2
Recognize 2 things you can smell. This can
sometimes be tricky, but even subtle smells count.
You can search for smells in the air, food cooking
nearby, or even your shirt sleeve.

1
Notice 1 thing you can taste. What does the inside
of your mouth taste like? Perhaps food or coffee
from earlier? Or gum you’ve been chewing? Focus
on the sense of taste for this last step.

Every moment of our lives, our senses are working their magic and reflecting back information
about the world around us. Because sensory perception is so constant, it’s easy to forget it’s even
happening. The goal of this exercise is to explore our senses, tune in to what we often ignore, and
remind ourselves of the everyday gifts all around us in any moment.
 GRATITUDE PROMPTS

One of the challenges of a healthy gratitude practice is to go beyond the obvious. People commonly
put their family, health, and home on their list of things to be grateful for. But it’s helpful to express and
feel appreciation for things that are less obvious and very specific.

The following questions introduce 10 less obvious aspects of life. You can integrate these questions into
your daily listing exercise, such as Gratitude Countdown or Journaling. If you’re up for it, go through the
list now, answering each question as specifically as possible. You can write down your answers, think
them in your head, or say them out loud.

1 Who is a person from your past who made

you a better person? 6 Who is a person from your past who made
you a better person?

2 What’s a piece of art in the world that

brings you joy. Perhaps a painting, a
novel, or poem?
7 When was the last time you spent money
on something–anything?

3 What is a modern convenience that makes

your life easier?
8 What’s something you use every day that
past generations didn’t have?

4 What’s a past challenge you endured that

brought you strength or wisdom?
9 When was the last time you experienced
the wonders of nature? Where was it and
what did you see and do there?

5 What skill or talent do you possess

that makes you feel proud? 10 When was the last time someone
made you laugh?
 “Gratitude is like a love letter
to your life. And you’ve got to
write one each day.”
— TA M A R A L E V I T T

If you ever notice your gratitude list slipping into repetition, these prompts can help elicit more varied
and detailed sentiments. Here are some additional ideas to help provoke new ways to see and feel
gratefulness.

Something you think is beautiful to see

A sound that is beautiful to hear
A voice or someone’s laughter that brings you happiness
An act of kindness that someone did for you
A ritual or routine during your day that brings you comfort
Someone who has supported you in your personal life
Someone who has supported you in your place of work or career
Someone who has taught you something
Someone who gave you a chance
Someone who has believed in you
Someone who makes you feel loved
Someone who has offered you a thoughtful or generous gift
Something that you learned
A challenge you overcame
Your favorite food
Your favorite drink
Your favorite smell
Your favorite musician or song
Something small you take for granted each day
A piece of clothing that you love
Your favorite place in the world
 BREATH OF THANKS

We often miss out on the gifts in our lives because we’re so distracted and stressed. Because we’re
rushing from one place to the next, one thing to the next, one idea to the next, we’re unable to remain
in the present where there are all kinds of amazing things we could be grateful for.

When we make a conscious effort to focus on present moment awareness, we wake up to this moment.
So a great tool to pull you back to the present is of course the breath, because you can access it
anywhere, anytime. And if you notice yourself getting caught up in thoughts of scarcity or negativity,
you can use the breath to anchor you back in the present and to the gifts you’re simply not seeing.

Dr. Frederic Luskin, the director of the Stanford University Forgiveness Projects came up with a short
practice called, ”Breath of Thanks,” that is meant to help you get present in order toconnect with
gratitude.
There are three steps involved:

1 Two or three times every day when you aren’t fully occupied, slow down and bring your
attention to your breathing.

2 Notice how your breath flows in and out without your having to do anything, and continue
breathing in this way.

3 For each of the next five to eight exhalations, say the words, “thank you” silently to remind
yourself of the gift of your breath and how lucky you are to be alive. His suggestion is to
practice this at least three times each week.

4 I’d like to add a fourth step, just because I know that once you’re centered, it’s easier
to open to gratitude. So I like to think of three things I’m thankful for in that moment.

This is a really helpful practice when we get caught up in the stress and busyness of life. It helps remind
you to stop and smell the roses, to notice what is right in front you. No matter what is going on in life,
there are opportunities to give thanks. Whether it’s the food we ate for lunch, or our body that was
strong enough to get through a yoga class, we can’t recognize these gifts unless we stop to notice them.
Focusing on the breath helps us pull our attention back to the present.
 GRATITUDE JOURNALING

For many people, one of the most impactful ways to develop a gratitude practice is through writing in
a gratitude journal. The idea is to write down a list of the things we’re grateful for: everything from the
bigger things that are easier to notice, to the small day to day things we often overlook.

The act of writing down a list can be especially effective. Research has shown that translating our ideas
into written language helps organize our thoughts and deepen their impact.

When we do this daily, we’re habitually confirming all the goodness that exists in our lives, magnifying
and expanding our experience of gratitude. And it’s amazing how, as we begin listing things to be
grateful for, there’s a multiplying effect. We’ll be grateful for one thing, and it reminds us of another, and
it helps opens our eyes to all the small things we hadn’t noticed.

Here are a few tips to get you started:

• If you can, try doing your journal entry at the same time each day. Being consistent helps
establish a daily habit.

• Avoid falling into gratitude fatigue, which can happen when we list the same things each day
in the same way. Mix it up and keep it fresh. Get as specific as possible. And look for new
angles on recurring themes, finding different ways to expressing your acknowledgements.

• Let your writing flow naturally without too much thought. Don’t worry about forming
impeccable sentences. Let your mind wander fluidly as you write. The point is not to write an
essay, but rather to channel gratefulness from heart, to pen, to page.

• Expect that this practice will take time to work it’s magic. At first, it may be hard to think of
things to be grateful for, and difficult to actually feel the words as you write. Simply start
wherever you are, with whatever is right in front of you.
 GRATITUDE COUNTDOWN

This simple exercise was invented by my good

friend, Chris Advansun. You might know him
as the author of some of Calm’s Sleep Stories,
including one called ‘Gratitude.’

Next time you notice yourself caught up in

negativity or seem to be in need of a dose of
gratitude, challenge yourself to a Gratitude
Countdown and list ten things you’re grateful for
on the spot. This exercise can work really well as
a recap of your day. You might want to try it right
before bed, and as you search for things to be
grateful for, just scan through your day and see
what comes up.

To make your countdown most effective, I

recommend being specific. So rather than just
listing, “my dog and my home,” give detail to each
acknowledgement. Share not only what you’re
grateful for, but how and why. For example, you

might say, “I’m grateful that my dog snuggled up to me this evening and made me feel loved, and I’m
grateful for the view out my bedroom window, of the sunset and treetops.” By being specific, we’re
recalling a distinct memory or setting an actual scene in our mind’s eye, which naturally evokes an
authentic feeling of gratitude.

This exercise can be done in a twosome, where each person challenges the other to a countdown and
guides them down the list from ten to one, almost like the lightning round in a game show. You might
want to to invite a friend, partner, or child to be your gratitude buddy. What you’ll find is that sharing
this experience strengthens not just your sense of gratitude but also the relationship. But it’s also very
powerful to do it on your ow
 Here’s an example of how this sounds.

10 The comforting bowl of miso soup

I had for dinner. 5 The birds I heard chirping cheerfully
outside my window early this morning.

9 The fact that I live so close to a beautiful

park where I can breathe fresh air and
enjoy a daily dose of nature.
4 The marvel of modern communication,
and the ease with which it helps me
stay in touch with my friends and family.

8 That a local tailor was able to fix the

zipper on my 25-year-old, irreplaceable
coat.
3 My incredible job, and the privilege of
doing meaningful work and connecting
with people all over the world.

7 The voice mail I received this morning

from my nephew, and the love I feel
when I hear his sweet little voice.
2 My network of friends, and the support
and love I feel from my friendships.

6 The subway system I use to zip across

the city to do errands.
1 My meditation practice, and my path,
which have kept me grounded in times
of challenge.
When we feel grateful, there’s this
transformational shift. Everyday
things become miracles, like our
beating heart, running water, the
warmth of the sun.

— TA M A R A L E V I T T