You already know how good this is for you. Photo: Shutterstock.
Elena Brower has been teaching masterfully crafted yoga and meditation classes since 1998, which expanded to her book “Art of Attention,” online courses, and a website dedicated to yoga teachers. She sprinkles seeds of spiritual awakening all over the world to invite a deeper discovery of the connection between the body, mind, and heart.
Elena’s home base is in New York where she teaches weekly yoga and meditation classes, but she also hosts global retreats and trainings. She’s now working on a new book, “Practice You,” which makes this a great time to pick the author’s brain for more sparkles of inspiration. Here are some highlights of my conversation with her:
Amanda Kriebel: Do you ever wonder what you were doing in your life before you met yoga?
Elena Brower: I was a textile designer, a clothing designer, living in Italy and NYC. I was learning how to teach art to children. I was careless with my body and longing for a deeper connection.
AK: How were you introduced to yoga?
EB: I’d actually been introduced to yoga at Cornell, as one of my PE classes, although it was mixed with martial arts. Then I was brought back to it once more in 1994 in NYC at YogaZone, with Yogiraj Alan Finger. Alan showed me how yoga could have a true impact on my physiology.
AK: Your classes are skillful, eloquent and intelligent. How do you fill your creative spirit to invent such mindful and imaginative sequences?
EB: I let go, often. I study, I take notes, I plan, and then I let go. That willingness to go off the plan and outside the lines I’ve drawn is everything to me.
AK: I feel we are all beginners, and students of life, but what encouragement would you offer the readers and followers wanting to start a yoga practice?
EB: Start anywhere, anytime, with any length of time. Suss out a few teachers to try and find one that lights you up.
AK: “Abhyasa” in Sanskrit means having a dedicated spiritual practice over a long period of time. How does the practice of yoga and meditation help you organically practice life as a mama, entrepreneur, writer, and teacher off the mat?
EB: I keep it simple, I make sure I move, sit and listen daily, and that is helping me be a steady presence for my kid. I make sure to go to talks, shows, see art, so I can stay inspired. I am learning to keep things super organized and easy for myself. I plan ahead. I take my family on trips that make us happy, and keep us connected. These are all results of my years of yoga. Ritual, steadiness, inspiration, organization, simplicity, happiness – are all signs of a good practice.
AK: On Instagram/social media you are compassionately open and vulnerable about your sobriety journey. Talk about your experience with this evolution.
EB: It became apparent to me when I was trying to stop that I was embarrassed about my addictions, and I cared about what others thought, for better or for worse. So I chose to be public about it, and that helped. The public nature of my journey has catapulted me into the realm of service, and now I’m informally “sponsoring” several women across the globe – and that’s turned out to be the best part. Their daily check-ins help me stay in my heart, and remember who I am. They think they’re getting the gift of the assist – but I’m receiving the best gift of all.
AK: If you could give yourself a piece of advice ten years ago, what would it be?
EB: You don’t need to smoke ever again. Your body is a precious vessel.
AK: As women we sometimes look in the mirror and focus on our flaws. What do you love most about your body right now, and why?
EB: I am super glad to report that there are several things that I love about this body right now. I’ve been running and practicing regularly, so it’s all in order. If I had to choose one thing – it’s my belly. It’s real, it’s not super flat, but now that I’m running again there’s a nice tone to it. If I had to choose one thing that I am loving about my entire being, it’s my attitude. I feel steady and easy, consistently, and I attribute that to twice daily meditations. That second sitting makes all the difference.
AK: In your book “Art of Attention” you wrote: “Attention is what allows us to see ourselves, and see within ourselves, in order to learn how we can elegantly approach anything, everything.” “Practice You” is up next and we are looking forward to it, so what else is brewing for you?
EB: There is a quiet book project going on, called “Your Elegant Divorce,” that promises to have a huge and beneficent impact. A dear college friend Gabrielle Hartley and I are creating a road map for cultivating elegance and ease throughout even the most complex divorces, and we know it’s going to help millions of families.
AK: You’re the founder of @teach.yoga. How did this online community come about?
EB: This project created itself. My collaborator Michelle Martello @minimadesigns // http://minimadesigns.com saw a big need for a virtual home that includes all traditions and styles, written by teachers, for teachers. It’s been a delight to create free content for teachers worldwide, on several topics, and our weekly email is now being opened in over 75 countries worldwide.
AK: That’s awesome. As a teacher myself, I find it to be an inspiring resource. Any final thoughts, words of advice or a favorite quote?
EB: Stay close to yourself, honor the past, and remember that collaboration is good medicine for the future. Meet new people, listen well, learn from everyone, be grateful – and don’t forget to meditate.
With love and gratitude,
Amanda Kriebel
Editor’s Note: Elena is offering a free meditation you can download here. “FREEDOM” is a 22- minute audio meditation that will give you a taste of Energy Medicine, with a “Crown Pull” to let go of mental congestion, and free your creative inspiration.
You can also catch her classes without even leaving your home on yogaglo.com
