{"id":246,"date":"2025-11-10T16:16:15","date_gmt":"2025-11-10T21:16:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/opentextbooks.concordia.ca\/contemplative-pedagogy\/?post_type=chapter&p=246"},"modified":"2026-03-24T11:23:49","modified_gmt":"2026-03-24T15:23:49","slug":"gratitude-practices","status":"publish","type":"chapter","link":"https:\/\/opentextbooks.concordia.ca\/contemplative-pedagogy\/chapter\/gratitude-practices\/","title":{"raw":"Gratitude practices","rendered":"Gratitude practices"},"content":{"raw":"

Rev. Jennifer Bourque<\/h4>\r\nCategory \/ branch (in the tree of contemplative practices<\/a>):<\/strong> Generative, ritual\/cyclical (if used in opening\/closing a gathering).\r\n\r\nGratitude practices vary widely. Some are simple: a child learning to sign \u201cthank you\u201d before they can speak, a note of appreciation to a colleague, a quick \u201cthanks\u201d when stepping off the bus, a moment of appreciation before a meal.\u00a0 Others are more formal or closely tied to particular worldviews or contexts, like harvest rituals or an author\u2019s acknowledgments in a new book. In different fields, gratitude is understood as an emotion as well as a cross-cultural virtue (Eamons & Crumpler, 2010). At the Multi-faith and Spirituality Centre<\/a>, we\u2019ve found ways to invite people to express their gratitude during gatherings as an invitation to embody and articulate a particular value (i.e. gratitude) among groups with diverse worldviews and practices. It\u2019s often become a moment of getting to know each other on a more human level: people list things they are grateful for which may be profound or silly. Below, I suggest ways that this practice might be adapted from a co-curricular setting to other university contexts.\r\n
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What to be aware of<\/h1>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nIt may be helpful to introduce this practice in a way that avoids suggests either that gratitude is the only or primary emotion participants should feel, or that they need to name something \u201cimportant\u201d in this practice. The facilitator of this practice can acknowledge experiences of challenge in or beyond the group and introduce the practice in a way that is invitational. In the example below, the facilitator give examples of different things participants could mention in their opening. This practice could follow any ground rules or group engagements that help participants develop trust, to allow them adequate security to share honestly while setting guidelines around expected responses in the context of groups with diverse life experiences.\r\n\r\nFacilitators or instructors should use caution when introducing this practice in situations of conflict or stress to ensure participants do not feel that they are being asked to ignore difficult realities; other forms of opening or other gratitude practices (e.g. recognizing individual contributions privately) might be better suited to these cases.\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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Ways to use this in the classroom<\/h1>\r\n<\/div>\r\n
\r\n\r\nThis practice does not require any equipment or set up as described (though some of the alternatives require some materials) and is designed to be used with a group of any size during an opening or closing moment in the classroom, meeting or other gathering. It is designed to create a moment of transition into and out of the group, provide for a sort of contemplative \u201cice-breaker\u201d that focuses on the individual\u2019s connection to others and the broader world rather than their personal characteristics and accomplishments. A few additional benefits:\r\n\r\n<\/div>\r\n
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