such a tender, gorgeous conversation with elena. in her words and in her pauses, you feel the power of presence. you feel how different the world can be, how different the world is, when we arrive here. in this moment. this life.

elena brower is a mother, mentor, poet, artist, volunteer, bestselling author, and host of the Practice You podcast. she’s been teaching asana since 1999, practicing Zen meditation since 2020, and received the Buddhist Precepts from Roshi Joan Halifax at Upaya Zen Center in 2023. now a candidate for Buddhist chaplaincy, elena offers her time in hospice and penitentiary settings.

her weekly live yoga practices and meditations are featured on Glo; she offers retreats and workshops a few times a year, and her spoken-word poetry can be heard on Above & Beyond’s Flow State albums—for which she received an RIAA-certified Gold Record for her writing on “Don’t Leave.”

elena is the creator of several online courses, including Perceptive Parenting and Simplify, helping us reimagine our priorities so we can experience more meaning each day. her bestselling journals and books explore the seasons of life and the art of deep listening. her next book, Hold Nothing, will be published by Shambhala Publications in late 2025.

in this conversation we explore the nature of spiritual practice, love, presence, and self-remembering in challenging times. we talk about the role of respect in practice, the healing power of rewriting past memories, letting go of identity, and the sacredness of preparing for death as a soulful, grounded inquiry into how we live, love, and serve.

take your time with this conversation. let elena’s wisdom soak through until it becomes your wisdom.  allow her presence to bring you home. to bring you here.

00:00 Introduction and Warm Welcome

01:12 Exploring the Concept of Respect

05:18 Personal Reflections on Relationships

10:15 Rewriting Memories for Healing

23:37 The Practice of Zen Meditation

28:25 Understanding the Self Through Letting Go

34:59 The Softening of the Self

36:48 Exploring the Concept of Original Face

38:11 Invitation to Love Yourself

38:42 The Role of Rigor and Certainty in Self-Love

41:08 Loving Oneself to Serve the World

45:41 The Power of Presence Over Problem-Solving

47:01 The Practice of Being Present

50:44 Teaching and Presence in Challenging Contexts

54:13 Managing Mental Noise and Allowing the Mind to Rest

55:22 Embracing Fear and Trauma

01:02:15 Gratitude and Closing Thoughts

listen to past conversations with guests like poet david whyte, activist valarie kaur, author rob bell, artist julia cameron and dozens of others at daphnecohn.com