Your Brain On Gratitude: The Neuroscience Of Gratitude And How To Do It Right

We all know the importance of gratitude, but hardly any of us know how it works and what the best gratitude looks like. The answers to both will surprise you as they did me! Neuroscience has recently become very interested in gratitude and what it does to our brains. I wanted to share this research with you to show you the great benefits it has in store.

This course will change the way you think about gratitude forever.

I’ll uncover the four levels of gratitude, explain how each works, give you practical advice, and finish by showing you the “Ultimate Gratitude Practice.

I’ll start by explaining the roots of gratitude and some of my favorite studies highlighting how beneficial it is. We will then move on to how your brain processes gratitude and how it can change the structure and functionality of your brain. From that point on we use this knowledge to build up 4 levels of gratitude, from easiest and least potent to hardest and most impactful. They all have their place and I want you to experience them all so will dedicate a whole episode to each sometimes more. The result will be a high-level understanding of gratitude that will help you get the most out of every gratitude practice. You’ll also have what I call the “ultimate gratitude practice” which will be a culmination of everything we have learned so far. By the end of this course, your brain will thank you!

Lección 1: Welcome To Gratitude

Welcome to the Gratitude course! Discover the surprising science behind gratitude's diverse benefits. Learn how it boosts health, relationships, and mental well-being. Cicero called it the father of virtues. Join us to unlock its power and transform your life!

Lección 2: Anatomy Of Gratitude

Dive into the neuroscience of gratitude! The ACC and MPFC form the pro-social network, driving empathy and contextual understanding. Discover how our brains react to others' experiences. Gratitude activates this network, fostering connection and mindfulness while silencing anxiety. It's like a see-saw—shift the balance toward gratitude. Your mission: Reflect on a story that moves you. Share your thoughts! Mine's Memento—its poignant line always hits home. Ready for more brainy revelations? Stay tuned!

Lección 3: Gratitude Level 1

Welcome to the practical part of the Gratitude course! Today, we explore the 4 Levels of Gratitude, starting with Words. By jotting down what we're thankful for, we shift perspective. Engage your prefrontal cortex, turning thoughts into concrete ideas. Reflect on blessings, amplifying gratitude. Now, imagine life without each blessing to intensify appreciation. Consider the network involved in each blessing, strengthening the pro-social network. How do you feel? Share your experience! Stay tuned for Level Two: Deeds. Let's keep the gratitude flowing!

Lección 4: Gratitude Level 2: Gratitude In Action

Today, we're diving into level 2 of gratitude: Savoring and Exercising gratitude. Savoring means enjoying the present moment fully, while exercising gratitude involves actively expressing thanks through deeds. Remember, hedonic adaptation makes us overlook daily pleasures, so let's reignite joy through attention.

First, let's plan our pleasure. Sit comfortably, focus on your breath, and contemplate the joys ahead in your day. Mark each moment for savoring, engaging all your senses. Then, extend your gratitude beyond the immediate by acknowledging the network behind each pleasure.

Next, consider how you'll exercise gratitude. Will you call a friend to express appreciation or incorporate a loved one into your joy? Remember, actions speak louder than words.

Lastly, don't keep your gratitude confined to thoughts—take action! Share your experiences and let me know how it went. By practicing gratitude actively, we enrich our lives and deepen connections. Ready to make gratitude a verb? Let's go!

Lección 5: Gratitude Level 3: Second Hand And Synthetic Happiness

Welcome back! Today we explore the brain's ability to evoke gratitude through stories and reframing. Antonia Damasio's research shows witnessing gratitude activates similar neural patterns as receiving it firsthand. Harness this power by recalling gratitude stories briefly. Plus, reframe hardships into positives, boosting resilience and happiness. Share your gratitude tales and synthetic happiness gems in the feedback. Let's amplify gratitude together!

Lección 6: A Story Of Gratitude Meditation

Level 3 gratitude comes in the form of "A Story of Gratitude”. immerse yourself in Nicholas Winton's tale of heroism. Witnessing his selfless acts sparks profound gratitude. Share your reflections and embrace gratitude's power in your daily life.

Lección 7: Gratitude Level 4: Receiving Is Better Than Giving

In lesson 7, discover the highest form of gratitude: receiving it! Dive into gratitude letters & explore ways to receive and give thanks. Share your experiences for a communal gratitude boost.

Lección 8: Ultimate Gratitude Practice

Lesson 8 offers the ultimate gratitude practice: breathwork combined with levels of gratitude. Feel invigorated, connected, and ready to spread gratitude through actions and generosity. Namaste

Reviews

Thanks for a well organized course! I truly enjoy it and will do it again.
It is very hands on and with practical techniques to look deeper into Gratitude and integrate it mindfully into my life.
The four levels of Gratitude make so much sense!
The relationship of Intention and Attention is what I felt your course was based on. I have lots a wonderful intentions through the day, paying attention and acting on them is key.
Thanks again from the bottom of my heart!

Awesome course. Learned a lot. Absolutely recommend it. Thank you

I’ve listened to countless meditations and several courses on gratitude on Insight Timer over the last 7 years. This 8 session course was the best by far. Doug Robinson uses his own experiences, educational resources and offers practices to incorporate gratitude into our daily lives.

I also love Doug’s fun and gentle personality that he brings to each session.

Namaste,
Rex in Chicago

Great exercise to be consciente of the good things we have in life and appreciate them

Useful practical, one of the. Eat courses I've done on InsiteTimer.

Fantastic course beautiful buildup that takes you from level to level into the world are very complex gratitude. His voice is easy to listen to his words are hitting the right spot. I’ve learned I’ve enjoyed thank you thank you thank you

I found this course on gratitude very helpful! I am one who prefers to reflect on things in writing, so the integration of journaling into each days’ course was very helpful for me. Thank you!

Absolutely fantastic course.i have learned so much. Thank you so much

So informative! Love the practices. Thank you 🙏🏻.

Amazing course and so many rich tools to practice our daily gratitude. You opened my eyes into a new perspective to give and receive gratitude. Thank you 🙏 .

thank you for this course, I’ve enjoyed it with much Thankfulness. I send blessings of gratitude. 🙏

Really defines the importance of gratitude and love the different ways of gratitude. Thank you, thank you, thank you! 🙏

Thank you, the style of breath work on the final video was the best out of the 8 days.

Loved this course so much. Very impactful exercises that have made a difference in my life. Thank you for the wonderful, interesting and informative course. Great voice. Great science

Such an amazing short course on gratitude. Highly recommend! Thank you for sharing Douglas Robson and I wish for you many more stunft free days and abundance that is enough to stop doing that work.

Blessings and gratitude to you.

This was a great course on gratitude. I love the combination of science and putting gratitude into practice. I learned some wonderful new techniques that I shared with others.

Really appreciated learning about the science of gratitude! I will repeat the course to remind myself. Thank you!

Thank you for making this. Insightful and practical. I really liked this approach, different than most gratitude courses. Also your voice is very pleasant to listen to and appreciate the humor you bring. ✨❤️🌸🎉🙏

With humor, grace, science, and love, I was taught about gratitude and lovely practices to invite it in on as many levels as we know about! I genuinely enjoyed the course and learned a lot. Thank you! No really: THANK YOU. 🥰

Thanks to this course I now have a better understanding of how to enhance my gratitude levels. It is grounded in physiology and practical activities to enhance the learning and experience. It takes gratitude to another level.