Practice You with Elena Brower

On the tortoise approach, the seven-day ask, the gift and truth of less being more, and the practice of no-complaints-whatsoever. 0:001:566:4310:4817:5328:5332:44 For over two decades, Light Watkins has helped leaders and teams embed presence into how they live, lead, and connect. His approach elevates performance not by pushing harder, but by helping audiences show up more fully. Light is the author of five bestselling books on happiness, mindfulness, minimalism, and transformation. His TEDx Talk on rethinking mindfulness is approaching a million views. Known as "The Presence Whisperer," Light delivers keynotes that are humorous, heartfelt, practical, unforgettable. https://www.lightwatkins.com/

On the practice of sitting, walking, becoming, and living as yourself, precisely where you are. This long-awaited new book from Shunryu Suzuki: Becoming Yourself: Teachings on the Zen Way of Life, edited by Jiryu Rutschman-Byler and Sojun Mel Weitsman, is one of my favorite books of 2025. Jiryu Rutschman-Byler is a Soto Zen Buddhist priest and teacher in the lineage of Shunryu Suzuki Roshi, with dharma transmission from Sojun Mel Weitsman. Jiryu has trained residentially in Zen temples since 1996, and currently serves as a co-Abbot of San Francisco Zen Center through his role as Abiding Abbot of Green Gulch Farm Zen Center. Shunryu Suzuki was one of the most influential spiritual teachers of the Twentieth Century and a founding father of Zen in America. Suzuki's Zen Mind, Beginner's Mind, first published in the U.S. in 1970, is considered one of the most important Buddhist books in modern history, and has been translated into more than thirty-five languages. A Japanese priest of the Sōtō lineage, Suzuki taught Buddhism in the United States from 1959 until his death in 1971. He was the founder of the San Francisco Zen Center and the Tassajara Zen Mountain Center. While contemporary Buddhist figures such as His Holiness The Dalai Lama, Thích Nhất Hạnh, and Pema Chödrön are more familiar to American audiences, Shunryu Suzuki was among the first Buddhist teachers with cultural influence in the West and was the first to establish a lasting practice community in the U.S. Importantly, the warmth, humor, and simplicity of Suzuki's teachings made Buddhism accessible. For decades, the San Francisco Zen Center has preserved an archive of Suzuki's original audio teachings, most of which have never been edited or published. Becoming Yourself: Teachings on the Zen Way of Life offers newly available teachings by Suzuki, exploring a practice he describes as fundamentally about "becoming yourself." Rather than offering a philosophy or even a set of techniques, Suzuki points to a way of being, and calls readers to the simple practice of zazen, or "just to sit," as the expression of a fulfilling life and grounded ethical orientation. Becoming Yourself is a result of the painstaking efforts of the Zen community over many years. Archiving, transcribing and interpreting Suzuki's intention clearly and accurately proved to be very challenging work. The final editor and compiler of the book is Jiryu Rutschman-Byler, a senior teacher and co-Abbot of the San Francisco Zen Center. As we learn in these pages, "becoming yourself" is not meant to be understood as an idea but rather tried out as a way of being. It is a practice of deeply connecting with how it feels to be alive in your surroundings, whether on a meditation cushion or not, and stepping forward from that connection. It is opening to your life, wherever you are, and finding right there a deep well of innate wisdom, compassion, and care.

On the Tao Te Ching as guide through recovery, allowing our process, and the generative medicine of stillness. Miguel Rios is an educator, writer, and recovery advocate. By day, he teaches 8th-grade English, helping young people find their voice through literature. By night—and often early morning—he writes poetry, reflections, and spiritual texts grounded in Taoist philosophy, sobriety, and presence. The Way Within Without was born from Miguel's personal journey through recovery. It's the book he wished he had in the beginning: something honest, non-dogmatic, and deeply gentle. Miguel believes healing happens quietly. In stillness, not striving. In simplicity, not performance. His work blends ancient wisdom with modern clarity, inviting readers to return to the calm already within them. He lives in New York and spends his free time walking, reading, and sipping coffee. https://www.thewaywithinwithout.com

On the power of letting go of numbing habit energies, aligning with our intrinsic wisdom, and living a clear life. Cecily is a mother, author, investor, and founder, the voice behind the ClearLife Movement, the ClearLife Reset, and host of the Undimmed podcast. A former attorney and Silicon Valley executive turned author and investor, she's also the co-founder of Wisdom Ventures. Cecily helps people create undimmed lives of presence and intention, free from the stigma of addiction and the patterns of avoidance that keep us from living fully. Her new book, released January 2026. Undimmed, The Eight Awarenesses for Freedom from Unwanted Habits - https://www.cecilymak.com/book-coming-soon Podcast, Undimmed; conversations with people on an undimming path: https://www.cecilymak.com/podcast ClearLife Reset Supplement (feel amazing as you take a break from drinking): https://www.clearlifereset.com/

Our annual session includes readings from Hold Nothing, emphasizing practice, respect, and structures of encouragement. Join me to sit briefly, address potent prompts intended to create intentionality and spaces of grace for you and yours as you proceed into this year. Resources Planning Guidebook Feelings and Needs List Substacks Elena Brower – Hold Nothing Sierra Campbell – Choose Nurture | choosenurture.com Laurel Hayne-Miller – The Flowering Path Books Bookshop Everyday Zen Returning to Silence Silent Illumination The Truth of This Life Mountains and Rivers Sutra Better Apart What We Say Matters

For mothers, mothers-to-be and those supporting mothers: On matrescence as transformation; offering the Four Elements model as a map for the rite of passage that is motherhood. Jessie Harrold is a coach and doula who has been supporting women through radical life transformations and other rites of passage for over fifteen years. She works one-on-one with women and mothers, facilitates mentorship programs, women's circles and rituals, and hosts retreats and nature-based experiences. Jessie is the author of the Nautilus Gold Medal Award-winning book, Mothershift: Reclaiming Motherhood as a Rite of Passage (Shambhala 2024). She is also the host of The Becoming Podcast. Jessie lives on the east coast of Canada where she mothers her two children, writes, and stewards the land. Mothershift: Reclaiming Motherhood as a Rite of Passage Jessie is also the founder of the internationally acclaimed matrescence support program MotherSHIFT, and its sister program for perinatal professionals, The Village.

On participating in your life by orienting to practice; befriending time to stabilize your mind, meditating polarities to map your world. Born in Egypt in 1954, Nevine moved to New York at the age of three. In her early 20's, while studying history and comparative religion at Vassar College, she discovered meditation. She understood that there is a function, a formality and a fit to the universe and that yoga is a tool, a technique – a practice with repetition which gives us the opportunity to participate in life with intelligence and joy. Nevine started a daily practice in NYC with renowned yoga instructor Allan Bateman in the 1970s and became fully immersed in what would become her life's work. She began teaching yoga in 1978, and founded the Katonah Yoga Center in Katonah, New York in 1986. Nevine seamlessly relates her approach to yoga through comparing it to the likes of a musician. Her artful use of metaphor is one of her most well honed techniques when articulating her teachings, which are empowered by her practical approach to integrating the mind, the body and the breath. Nevine continues to teach both online and in person through her studio, the Katonah Yoga Collective in Bedford Hills NY and others throughout the community. Number Magic, new 2026 Katonah Yoga Calendar Katonah Yoga practices and theory Katonah Yoga certifications and learn more about our Mentorship Program happening twice a year online: Practice online; Video Library:

On supportive friendship, persistence, practice, and what it means to hold nothing. Sara Bercholz is a second-generation book publisher. She is co-owner and Publisher of her family business, Shambhala Publications. She is a Buddhist practitioner, yogi, cook, and outdoorswoman. She lives in Boulder, Colorado with her two children, Milo and Dashiell.

On respecting the evolution of this life and consistently responding to the call of the brightest light of all. Deva Premal is a world-renowned, Grammy-nominated mantra singer whose ethereal voice and sacred chant-based music have touched millions around the globe. Blending ancient Sanskrit mantras with contemporary melodies, her work creates a powerful space for inner peace, healing, and spiritual awakening. In collaboration with her partner, musician/composer Miten, she has played a key role in bringing mantra music to a worldwide audience through concerts, retreats, and acclaimed recordings. Deva and Miten's music is celebrated for its depth, purity, and universal resonance, making them beloved figures in the global yoga, wellness, and mindfulness communities. Deva's new album: The Inevitable Blossoming of the Heart

On practices of empowerment, support and the archetypes that instruct and inspire us to evolve. Megan Dalla-Camina is the founder of Women Rising, a global women’s empowermentcompany supporting hundreds of thousands of women through leadership, education, and transformational growth. A PhD researcher in women’s spirituality, she brings more than 30 years of experience in executive leadership and entrepreneurship into her work guiding women to reclaim their feminine power. Megan weaves ancient wisdom, embodied practice, and modern science to help women awaken to the truth of who you are. Megan is the best selling author of 4 books including Women Rising: The Forces That Hold Us Back, The Tools To Help Us Rise (Wiley), and Simple Soulful Sacred: A Woman's Guide To Clarity, Comfort and Coming Home To Herself (Hay House).

On staying true to the practices of yoga by living a life of conscious care and respect. Susanna Barkataki is a yoga teacher, bestselling author, viral TEDx speaker, and currently pursuing her PhD in yoga philosophy. She is the founder of Ignite Institute and Yoke Yoga. Susanna's new book, Ignite Your Yoga, is a resource for teachers and practitioners alike, replete with prompts, practices, reminders, and respect.

On realizing that 'good' is actually more than enough, and the joy of letting go of the exhausting pressure we place on ourselves. Heather Campbell is a writer, motivational speaker, and CEO dedicated to making people feel seen, heard, and celebrated. As co-founder of Ready Set Recover, and former senior executive at ESPN and Audacy, she intimately understands the toll of overachievement—and the liberation that comes from letting go. Campbell holds an MBA from NYU, a BA from the University of Wisconsin, and after nearly 30 years in NYC now lives in the Berkshires with her husband, children and their dog, Tobin. Heather A. Campbell’s New Book, Good Is Amazing, challenges the Culture of Overachievement and Champions the Power of Good. What if striving to be “the best” is what’s actually holding us back? In a world obsessed with unicorns, GOATs, and relentless self-improvement, Heather A. Campbell delivers a refreshing—and bold—reframe: good is not just enough. Good is amazing. The relatable, hilarious, and heartfelt moments from her life—like when her mom begged her to become President of the United States, or when an ESPN executive casually told her to “just make the book a New York Times bestseller,” anchor a deeper message: the constant pressure to aim higher, do the most, and be the best is exhausting—and it’s not working. With wit, warmth, and wisdom, Campbell invites readers to consider a radical idea: What if stopping the chase for perfection and instead embracing good—the joy, simplicity, and genuine satisfaction it brings—is the real secret to success? Each chapter blends real talk, personal insight, and simple, actionable steps to help readers slow down, breathe, and reconnect with what really matters. Parents, professionals, students, caregivers, entrepreneurs—anyone burdened by the relentless pursuit of perfection—will find powerful inspiration here. Good Is Amazing is available now online at Amazon . To learn more about Heather or inquire about speaking engagements, visit heatheracampbell.com

On the quiet work of befriending ourselves, and the remembered language of healing. Daria Burke is an American writer, speaker, and wellbeing advocate. A marketer by trade and a seeker at heart, Daria is a storyteller and sense-maker, weaving together personal experience and the science of healing and transformation to explore new ways of understanding how we choose who we become. Her debut memoir, OF MY OWN MAKING (Spring 2025), is a soulful and scientific exploration of overcoming adversity, healing from childhood trauma, and rewriting one's own story. As a Chief Marketing Officer, Daria was named a 2020 AdAge Woman to Watch whose work has been recognized by Women’s Wear Daily, Forbes, Vogue, Town & Country and the Cut. She has written for Fast Company, The Huffington Post, and Black Enterprise, and has appeared on The Melissa Harris-Perry Show on MSNBC. A distinguished alumna of NYU Stern School of Business (MBA) and the University of Michigan (BA), Daria was born in Detroit and now calls Los Angeles and East Hampton home. Daria's memoir OF MY OWN MAKING. Part memoir, part methodology, OF MY OWN MAKING is a soulful and scientific exploration of the power to shape one’s destiny and a fearless rallying cry to excavate and examine the stories that define our lives.

On healing our emotional biography, the unwounded soul within, and the choices we keep making to evolve. Through the years, Sophie Grégoire Trudeau has had the occasion to meet inspiring world leaders — Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II, Brigitte and Emmanuel Macron, Pope Francis, King Abdullah II of Jordan, Michelle and Barack Obama, Ellen Johnson Sirleaf, First Lady Jill Biden and President Joe Biden, and more — who've inspired her to bring about change and justice in the world. Sophie studied commerce at McGill University and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Communications from the University of Montreal, as well as a certificate from the Promedia School of Television and Radio. Deeply passionate about exploring the great outdoors, she loves sports, movement, and yoga. She's the former First Lady of Canada, and she's also certified to teach yoga for children and adults, practicing and guiding meditation and yoga nidra sessions to reset the nervous system and find calm. Her first book, Closer Together (Penguin Random House and KO Éditions), encourages us to better understand the mechanisms of our own personality and the quality of all our relationships — most importantly, the relationship we have with ourselves.

On the facets of grief, the joy in the depths, and the presence we bring. (0:00) — Introduction and Guest Introduction (3:23) — Rosemerry's Son Finn (6:05) — Grief and Connection with Finn (11:53) — Exploring Darkness and Light (18:39) — Metaphors and Connection (24:30) — Meadow and Listening (28:15) — Talking to the Dead (29:53) — Rosemerry's Work and Resources Devoted to helping others explore creative practice, Rosemerry is co-host of Emerging Form, a podcast on creative process, co-founder of Secret Agents of Change (a surreptitious kindness cabal), and co-leader of Soul Writers Circle. She directed the Telluride Writers Guild for ten years and co-hosted Telluride’s Talking Gourds Poetry Club for another ten years. She teaches and performs poetry for mindfulness retreats, women’s retreats, teachers, addiction recovery programs, scientists, hospice, literary burlesque and more. Clients include Craig Hospital, Business & Professional Women, Think 360, Ah Haa School, Desert Dharma, Well for the Journey, and the Women’s Dermatological Society. She performs as a storyteller, including shows in Aspen at the Wheeler Opera House, at the Taos Storytelling Festival, Page Storytelling Festival and the National Storytelling Festival in Jonesborough, TN. Her TEDx talk explores changing our outdated metaphors. For five years, she performed in the Telluride Literary Burlesque. She has been writing a poem a day since 2006, posting them since 2011 on her blog, A Hundred Falling Veils. In 2023, her poems can be heard daily on the Ritual app, The Poetic Path. Favorite themes include parenting, gardening, ecology, love, science, thriving/failure, grief and daily life. She has 13 collections of poetry, and her work has appeared in O Magazine, A Prairie Home Companion, PBS News Hour, American Life in Poetry, on fences, in back alleys, on Carnegie Hall Stage and on hundreds of river rocks she leaves around town. Her poems have been used for choral works by composers Paul Fowler and Jeffrey Nytch and performed around America. Her most recent collection, Hush, won the Halcyon prize. Naked for Tea was a finalist for the Able Muse Book Award. Other books include Even Now, The Less I Hold and If You Listen, a finalist for the Colorado Book Award. In 2023 she released All the Honey; Beneath All Appearances an Unwavering Peace (a book for grieving parents with artist Rashani Réa); a book of writing prompts, Exploring Poetry of Presence II; and Dark Praise, a spoken word album with Steve Law. She’s won the Fischer Prize, Rattle’s Ekphrastic Challenge (thrice), the Dwell Press Solstice Prize, the Writer’s Studio Literary Contest (twice) and The Blackberry Peach Prize. She’s widely anthologized including Poetry of Presence, How to Love the World, The Path to Kindness, Send My Roots Rain, Come Together: Imagine Peace, Dawn Songs, and To Love One Another. She’s been an organic fruit grower, a newspaper and magazine editor, and a parent educator for Parents as Teachers. She earned her MA in English Language & Linguistics at UW–Madison. One-word mantra: Adjust. Three-word mantra: I’m still learning.

On befriending the mind; when negative emotions have positive outcomes, and the practice of coming home to yourself. (0:00) — Introduction (1:34) — Discussion on Sadhvi's Book "Come Home to Yourself" (3:05) — The Importance of Spirituality (10:58) — Bringing the Mind to Your Side (24:45) — Using Anger Constructively (41:07) — Daily Practice and Service (47:41) — Evening Routine and Community Involvement (49:57) — Closing Remarks and Future Plans Bestselling author, a world-renowned speaker, serving on the United Nations Advisory Council on religion, Sadhvi Bhagawati Saraswati is a renunciate monk, living in an ashram on the banks of the Ganges River in Rishikesh, India. Originally from Los Angeles, California, and a graduate of Stanford University, she holds a Ph.D. in psychology and has dedicated her life to sharing the profound wisdom from the ancient Vedic tradition of India, as well as serving local communities. Her new book, Come Home To Yourself, is a journey through the heart of householder practices, befriending the mind, mastering the emotions and living a life of exemplary presence. RESOURCES https://comehometoyourself.org/

On embodying the creative, intuitive, fortifying feminine spirit at every stage of our lives. Author of Ritual as Remedy (Findhorn Press, 2022) and Sage, Huntress, Lover, Queen (Findhorn Press, 2023), Mara Branscombe is a yoga and meditation teacher, author, artist, ceremonialist, and spiritual mentor. Teaching for twenty years, she runs international retreats, corporate leadership programs, and online personal development programs. She is a regular contributor for Spirituality and Health and Wanderlust, and lives with her husband and two daughters in Vancouver, Canada. Ritual As Remedy: Embodied Practices for Soul Care https://www.ritualasremedy.com Sage, Huntress, Lover, Queen: Access Your Power and Creativity through Sacred Female Archetypes https://www.femininearchetypesbook.com

On our commitment to joy as key to longevity. On prioritizing curiosity, compassion and empathy for true well-being. Jason & Colleen Wachob are the husband and wife Co-Founders and Co-CEOs of mindbodygreen, the leading independent media platform dedicated to well-being with 15 million monthly unique visitors which they launched out of their Brooklyn apartment back in 2009. Jason is also the host of the popular mindbodygreen podcast, and together Colleen and Jason recently co-authored The Joy of Well-Being: A Practical Guide to a Happy, Healthy & Long Life. Colleen graduated from Stanford University with degrees in international relations and Spanish and Jason graduated from Columbia University where he played varsity basketball for four years. https://thejoyofwellbeing.com/

On our imperiled bodies of water, focusing on the majestic Great Salt Lake, and the urgency of divesting from harm. Nan created River Writing in order to foster voice and authentic connection. Everyone is welcome in her circles. This community-held writing practice was designed for anyone willing to pick up a pen. A recent PBS documentary highlights River Writing as a method of repair for what is broken in our relationship with the natural world. Her debut poetry collection, prayers not meant for heaven, was published by Toad Hall Editions in the summer of 2021. Nan's story lake woman leaving, a modern myth, was awarded the 2022 Alfred Lambourne prize by Friends of Great Salt Lake. As the poet-in-residence on Antelope Island, Nan led day-and-night vigils on behalf of the imperiled Great Salt Lake throughout the 2022 and 2023 Utah State legislative sessions. During her weeks on the receding lake shore, she assembled the praise poem called irreplaceable, ;a collective love letter containing over 400 individual voices from lake-facing citizens. The epic ode is a community cry for this essential ecosystem's full restoration. In the May 2023 special issue of Desert Report, Nan offers a reflection on relationship with the lake from the perspective of two winter vigils. Nan continues to advocate for Rights of Nature, legally defensible personal rights for ecosystems, including Great Salt Lake. Her work gives voice to their inherent right to live, flourish, and evolve in natural way. The words emerge from a devotion to repairing the breach between humans and the rest of the sentient, singing earth.

On the finer practice of friendship, tending to ourselves in order to be present, and learning what it means to be a good friend. Christie Tate is a Chicago-based writer and essayist. She has been published in The New York Times (Modern Love), The Rumpus, The Washington Post, Chicago Tribune, McSweeney’s Internet Tendency, Eastern Iowa Review and elsewhere. Kiese Laymon selected her essay, Promised Lands, as the winner of the New Ohio Review’s nonfiction contest, which was published Fall 2019. In this episode, we discuss B.F.F., her latest book, which strikes a deep chord of love and understanding.