Let's talk about gratitude.

I recently listened to "How gratitude changes your brain" from The Psychology of Your 20s podcast by Jemma Sbeg. I highly recommend checking out the full episode on Spotify or YouTube.

With Thanksgiving around the corner, it feels fitting to share some things I learned that might support you too this time of year:

What exactly is gratitude?

Gratitude is both an emotion we feel and behavior we practice where we not only 1) recognize something good, something that provides value and meaning to our lives, but we also 2) acknowledge that something or someone outside of us played a role in that good thing.

How does gratitude impact us?

Research shows that gratitude changes our baseline response to positive and negative experiences -- aka, helps us ride the ups and downs of life a little more smoothly.

Neurologically, gratitude increases activity in the prefrontal cortex, which drives our emotional regulation and decision making, plus the areas of our brain associated with positive rewards, love and deep connection. It strongly encodes positive memories, which are shown to last longer than other types of memories.

The act of demonstrating gratitude or even witnessing it from other people has a long-lasting neural footprint, especially when we repeat it over time.

When do we (not) practice gratitude?

Gratitude only benefits us when it comes from a place of voluntary authenticity. It does not benefit us when we feel forced or pressured to feel grateful, or when we undermine other natural emotions that need space, like sadness, stress or anxiety.

Especially in the challenges or lows of life, it's important to validate and process the unpleasant emotions, instead of jumping to a thought like, "Things could be worse, so I should be grateful they're not," or "Someone else has it worse than me, so I shouldn't feel too upset about my situation."

There are times when practicing gratitude isn't an option, because our brains are working to manage the difficulty right in front of us. If gratitude doesn't feel accessible in a certain moment, that's OK. Jemma offered recognizing things that are simply "nice" instead.

Plus, because of what gratitude does to our brain, practicing it when we're able to will create impact that supports us through the hard times.

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With all this said... I am deeply grateful to each of you for being part of Embodied Yoga. We wrapped the 2025 season of Yoga in the Woods yesterday with another strong crowd, and I only cried a few times. It's been the greatest joy and reward to do what I love and feel it resonate with others. Thank you.

Speaking of gratitude, I'm THRILLED about the group we already have for the Divine Duality Retreat next year!! A few spots remain. Is one of them yours?

~ July 8-12, 2026

~ Moon Rising Retreat Center near Blowing Rock, NC

~ Beautiful accommodation, gourmet meals, holistic yoga immersion, outdoor adventures & free time, inner transformation

~ Use code EARLY-BIRD15 for 15% off the full price

See all the details

Photos courtesy of Moon Rising Retreat