Stillness, Surrender, and the Sacred: Elena Brower on Holding Nothing
Mon Nov 17 2025
In this heartfelt conversation, Scott Schwenk welcomes author, poet, and teacher Elena Brower for a luminous dialogue centered on her new book Hold Nothing. Together, they explore what it means to live—and love—with radical honesty, spiritual discipline, and open-hearted presence. Elena shares the intimate stories, somatic wisdom, and poetic insights that shaped this newest offering, weaving themes of motherhood, grief, recovery, and devotion. A timely conversation about courage, creativity, and choosing to hold nothing back.
Elena Brower – Teacher, Author, Artist
Mother, mentor, poet, artist, volunteer, bestselling author and host of the Practice You Podcast, Elena Brower graduated Cornell University in 1992, designed textiles and apparel for almost a decade before shifting her focus to yoga, meditation, writing and art. Teaching asana since 1999, studying and practicing Zen meditation since 2020, she 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 bestselling journals and books explore stages of life and listening. Her next book, Hold Nothing, just published by Shambhala Publications is available now..
Elena's Perceptive Parenting audio course is a key resource for parents; her signature course Simplify serves hundreds in reimagining priorities in order to experience more meaning every day, and she's also the founder of free global podcast The Matter of Menopause. 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's received an RIAA-certified Gold Record for her writing on "Don't Leave." Elena works to elevate bright futures for girls, women and children through her support for Girls on Fire Leaders, On The Inside and Free Food Kitchen.
Scott Schwenk
Scott’s teachings, courses and master coaching guide leaders, seekers and creatives to explore the embodiment of their deepest selves in service of thriving on all levels of being, both individually and relationally.
You can receive a free guided meditation and explore Scott’s courses, workshops, retreats, training and master coaching at https://scottschwenk.com and can find him on Instagram @thescottschwenk.
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In this heartfelt conversation, Scott Schwenk welcomes author, poet, and teacher Elena Brower for a luminous dialogue centered on her new book Hold Nothing. Together, they explore what it means to live—and love—with radical honesty, spiritual discipline, and open-hearted presence. Elena shares the intimate stories, somatic wisdom, and poetic insights that shaped this newest offering, weaving themes of motherhood, grief, recovery, and devotion. A timely conversation about courage, creativity, and choosing to hold nothing back. Elena Brower – Teacher, Author, Artist Mother, mentor, poet, artist, volunteer, bestselling author and host of the Practice You Podcast, Elena Brower graduated Cornell University in 1992, designed textiles and apparel for almost a decade before shifting her focus to yoga, meditation, writing and art. Teaching asana since 1999, studying and practicing Zen meditation since 2020, she 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 bestselling journals and books explore stages of life and listening. Her next book, Hold Nothing, just published by Shambhala Publications is available now.. Elena's Perceptive Parenting audio course is a key resource for parents; her signature course Simplify serves hundreds in reimagining priorities in order to experience more meaning every day, and she's also the founder of free global podcast The Matter of Menopause. 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's received an RIAA-certified Gold Record for her writing on "Don't Leave." Elena works to elevate bright futures for girls, women and children through her support for Girls on Fire Leaders, On The Inside and Free Food Kitchen. Scott Schwenk Scott’s teachings, courses and master coaching guide leaders, seekers and creatives to explore the embodiment of their deepest selves in service of thriving on all levels of being, both individually and relationally. You can receive a free guided meditation and explore Scott’s courses, workshops, retreats, training and master coaching at https://scottschwenk.com and can find him on Instagram @thescottschwenk.