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Tamara Levitt

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Tamara Levitt
Levitt in photoshoot for Experience Life magazine in 2019
Born (1971-12-02) December 2, 1971 (age 53)
NationalityCanadian
Known forNarrator of the Calm app

Tamara Levitt (born December 2, 1971) [1][2] is a Canadian author, mindfulness instructor, and voice-over artist most widely known as the narrator for the Calm app.[3][4][5][6][7]

Biography

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Levitt had a difficult relationship with her father growing up. At an early age, she began singing and writing music, which helped her manage her feelings towards her father. Around age 12, she began a professional stage career, singing and acting. However, by the time she was 14, she had developed anxiety, depression and an eating disorder,[5][8] and described herself as "an angry punk rocker" whose childhood "wasn't an easy one".[8]

When she was 18, she discovered the benefits of meditation at an eight-week mindfulness and meditation course at an eating disorders centre in Toronto.[5][8][9]

Career

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Levitt continued working as a musician and a voice-over actress[6] until she gave up both in her mid-20s, because of the pressure she put herself under.[5]

She began developing meditation and mindfulness sessions for corporations, together with short films, television productions, and books on mindfulness.[5] Her 2017 children's book, The Secret to Clara's Calm, was reviewed by Kirkus, who said "Clara may just be too calm."[10]

In 2014, Levitt reached out via e-mail with a résumé to Calm's co-founders, Alex Tew and Michael Acton Smith.[5] She has held the title of Head of Mindfulness at the app since November 2014[5][11] and has undisclosed equity in the company.[8][5] As the Head of Mindfulness, Levitt leads the creative development of content on Calm. "The Daily Calm" is the app's most popular feature, which Levitt writes and then records her narration in a studio in Toronto.[8] According to The New York Times, as of July 2019 she had written and recorded "hundreds" of meditations.[3] That same month CTV news said she was "responsible for the daily meditation practice of more than two million people."[8]

In Levitt's first four years at Calm, subscriptions grew from 2,500 subscribers to one million.[5] Fans of Levitt have described her voice as "marvelous", "hypnotic", and "somehow magic".[6] One stated that if she were to start recording commercials, that they would "probably end up buying three insurance policies and a Snuggie before snapping out of it".[6]

Personal life

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Levitt lives in Toronto.[3][12]

Bibliography

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  • Happiness Doesn't Come from Headstands, ISBN 1614294054, 2013
  • The Secret to Clara's Calm, ISBN 1614293902, 2017

References

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  1. ^ "What joy it was to kick off my birthday with some of my favorite LA friends. Had so much fun at @gratitudekitchenandbar (Thank you!!) Feeling very grateful and inspired as I head into this year!". Instagram. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  2. ^ "Tamara Levitt". Facebook. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  3. ^ a b c Hess, Amanda (July 30, 2019). "STILL, SMALL VOICE: Desperately seeking sleep, millions use an app that lulls them to oblivion". The New York Times. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  4. ^ King, Jamilah (February 2, 2019). "My meditation app is stressing me out. Why is mindfulness so maddening?". NBC News. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  5. ^ a b c d e f g h i Cornell, Camilla (September 2, 2018). "Meet Tamara Levitt, the Toronto woman who soothes millions on the Calm app". The Globe and Mail. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  6. ^ a b c d Hess, Amanda (July 17, 2019). "The App That Tucks Me In at Night". The New York Times. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  7. ^ Rose, Hilary. "Meet Tamara Levitt, the woman who sends people to sleep on the Calm app". The Times of London. ISSN 0140-0460. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  8. ^ a b c d e f Bogart, Nicole (July 31, 2019). "'Divine timing': How Canadian Tamara Levitt became the voice of the Calm app". CTVNews.ca. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  9. ^ "Tamara Levitt". www.allamericanspeakers.com. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
  10. ^ THE SECRET TO CLARA'S CALM | Kirkus Reviews.
  11. ^ Shulman, Robyn D. (February 25, 2019). "The Number 1 Meditation App Is Now Free For Teachers And Their Students". Forbes. Retrieved March 11, 2020.
  12. ^ "Q". Southern California Public Radio. April 8, 2020. Retrieved April 14, 2020.
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