Yoga Every Day
Gratitude

S6:Ep18

18 mins

TV-G Teacher: Nichole Golden

Cultivate gratitude on the mat with Nichole Golden in this Yoga Every Day session, using gentle backbends to open your heart and strengthen your spine.

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More Details

How often do we allow ourselves to experience true gratitude in the physical body? In Season 6, Episode 18 of Yoga Every Day, instructor Nichole Golden guides you through a Hatha practice designed to release tension and open the heart space.

This 15-minute session offers an accessible entry point for Level 1-2 practitioners looking to ground their awareness. Through a thoughtful sequence of spine-strengthening movements and heart opening backbends, you will learn to create space in the chest and shoulders. Using a block for support, this hatha yoga for gratitude practice encourages you to move mindfully, aligning physical alignment with emotional release.

Hatha yoga emphasizes the balance of effort and surrender. By holding poses and focusing on steady breathing, you can quiet the mind and tune into the subtle sensations of the body. This practice is particularly beneficial for those who spend long hours sitting, as it targets the front body and helps counteract poor posture. The gentle backbends introduced here are designed to be safe and supportive, allowing you to explore your range of motion without strain.

Focus Areas of the Practice

Incorporate a block to support a gentle backbend practice that builds spinal flexibility and strength.
Open the chest and shoulders to release stored tension and foster a deeper sense of presence.
Experience how Nichole Golden yoga integrates breathwork with physical postures to cultivate emotional balance.

Begin your exploration on the mat and discover the power of an open heart.

Teacher: Nichole Golden

Audio Languages: English

Subtitles: English

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a gratitude practice in yoga?

A gratitude practice in yoga involves directing your mental focus toward appreciation while performing physical postures. By combining mindful breathing with heart-opening movements, practitioners can cultivate a deeper sense of thankfulness and presence. This somatic approach helps ground the emotional experience of appreciation directly into the physical body.

How do backbends help with gratitude?

Backbends physically open the chest, shoulders, and heart space, which are areas where emotional tension and stress are often held. By gently stretching the front body and strengthening the spine, these poses help create a sense of vulnerability and receptivity. This physical openness naturally supports a state of emotional appreciation and ease.

How do you practice gratitude yoga?

You can practice gratitude yoga by setting a clear intention of appreciation before beginning your movement session. Throughout the practice, focus on the sensation of your breath and the support of the earth beneath you. On Gaia, classes like Yoga Every Day offer structured sequences that use gentle backbends and props to help embody this state of appreciation.