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Interview with Diego Perez | Yung Pueblo
Drawing from Elena's years of practice, Hold Nothing offers a rare synthesis of philosophical depth and lived experience. Strengthen your capacity to witness your inner life, attune to your heart's wisdom and cultivate grounded self-acceptance in this offering of humanity and respect.
In this conversation with dear longtime friend Yung Pueblo, we talk about why this project is his number one reading recommendation for the year, approaching our shared prioritization of practice, service and friendship.
A NEW BOOK BY ELENA BROWER
Hold Nothing
Hold Nothing is both poetic offering and a lived philosophy. It asks us to loosen our grip on the stories, identities, expectations and assumptions that keep us braced against life, and to meet each moment with presence. The book weaves reflections, practices, and hard-won wisdom into something deeply intimate and quietly radical. It is a companion for anyone navigating change, grief, love, or the ongoing work of being human.
Launched November 18th, 2025, over 7,500 books sold.
HOLD NOTHING
Peek Inside
Interview with Carrie-Anne Moss
In this talk with close friend Carrie-Anne Moss, we approach selected aspects of the book that are serving as reminders to us personally as well as professionally, landing on the importance and gift of listening.
“Elena Brower has once again offered us a radiant portal into inner realms.
Hold Nothing is not just a book—it is a transmission of presence, a quiet summons from the soul. With the grace of a mystic and the skill of the true spiritual Renaissance woman that she is (painter, poet, teacher, meditator, healer, mother, friend), Elena weaves together teaching, story, inquiry, and vision—inviting us to enter the liminal spaces where the sacred speaks. This is a book to sit with, to pray with, to dream with. It is both a sanctuary and a compass, whispering us back to the center of what is most essential, most holy, and most alive within us.”
—Elizabeth Gilbert, author of Eat, Pray, Love and All the Way to the River
“In a culture of achievement and personality, what a gift it is to be invited to unravel our story, drop our ego, and come home to our true selves. Elena’s vulnerability and her skill as a teacher are awe-inspiring. Her prompts and practices are meaningful rituals–easy to weave into real life, yet powerful enough to shift everything.”
—Gwyneth Paltrow, Academy-award winning actor, best-selling author and founder of Goop
"Every so often, I come across a book that feels less like something you read and more like something you experience. Elena Brower’s Hold Nothing is one of those rare gifts.””
—Dr. Mark Hyman
The Altar of Your Heart: A Free Virtual Workshop
When you sign up for my email list, you'll receive an invitation to the recording of my Altar of Your Heart Workshop, free. We'll sit together, savor the first readings of Hold Nothing, tour altars in my home, then turn to your space to create an altar of your own.
Hold Nothing
As an evolution of, and a departure from, best-selling journals Practice You and Being You, this book brings my memories, practices and experiences to life, through with yoga, Nonviolent Communication, and more recently, studies of Zen. Hold Nothing is a road map for living with presence and reverence.
Each chapter presents a short story, teachings, and prompts to contemplate on a single theme, such as:
• establishing presence in your daily life
• bearing witness to small moments of reverence
• embracing the art of not knowing
• invoking the wisdom of emptiness and stillness
• and more
As you explore each theme, Hold Nothing includes full-color artwork to inspire your insight and creativity. Please note: This is not a manual for self-improvement; it's a field guide for self-remembrance, for cultivating tenderness toward yourself, and for showing up to life completely, with purpose and heart.
“Having known Elena for two decades, she creates a field of attention and care through her work and relationships. Hold Nothing reflects her earnest path of empathy and inquiry, providing grounding and fortification whether you're in the midst of struggle or celebration.”
—Christy Turlington Burns, founder and president of Every Mother Counts
“With life’s most profound inquiries, I turn to sister and dearest friend Elena Brower for her listening and guidance. Hold Nothing drew me in, expanded my mind, and has me considering my work and life anew. Creating a true pause, this book is a gift, offering glimpses into her process, but holding no answers, only the questions we need to be asking of ourselves."
—Dr. Gabrielle Lyon, New York Times best-selling author of Forever Strong
“Hold Nothing is a soft and steady companion for the soul. With honesty and grace, Elena Brower reminds us that healing isn’t about becoming someone new—it’s about returning home to ourselves, again and again. This book is both mirror and medicine: it invites us to release what no longer serves, to soften into the truth of who we are, and to root ourselves in what’s real. A generous offering for anyone learning to let go with love.”
—Alex Elle, author of How We Heal
“Elena Brower is a national, no, scratch that, global treasure. It is a rare and miraculous thing when such deep wisdom, artistic vision, compassion, elegance, generosity, and grace meet up in the same capacious heart. I keep her words near me at all times, and I am better for it.”
—Dani Shapiro, bestselling author, host of the Family Secrets podcast
“Despite its title, this book holds many things: my attention, my admiration for its author, and even the softness and sweet sadness I feel when reading it. Don’t miss this opportunity to discover your own rich emptiness by savoring Hold Nothing like a delicious perfectly ripe fruit. Truly a treasure this weary world needs.”
—Judith Hanson Lasater, PhD, PT, C-IAYT, E-RYT-500
“Elena Brower’s words will nourish you in the deepest of ways. It takes courage to step back from the noise and step back into your true expression—Hold Nothing is not just a book, it’s your map and your companion for the practice of coming home to yourself, again and again.”
—Kemi Nekvapil, author of The Gift of Asking and POWER
2026 BOOK TOUR
AUSTIN
Wednesday Jan 28th | 6pm
First Light Books
Saturday January 31st | 10.30am -12pm
Sukha Yoga Austin, Oltorf location
BOULDER
Tuesday March 24th | 630pm
Boulder Bookstore
UK
May 9th-16th
Retreat at Broughton Sanctuary
NORTHERN CALIFORNIA
Tuesday-Thursday, June 2nd-4th
Zen and Yoga Retreat
Tassajara Mountain Zen Center
Tuesday, June 9th | 9pm
The Portal, Marin
2025 BOOK TOUR
November 2025
November 18th
Strand with Yung Pueblo - SOLD OUT
November 23rd
Conversation with Carrie-Anne Moss via Banyen Books, Virtual
Santa Fe
November 23rd
Reading and signing at Folklore | 5-7pm
Virtual
November 25th, 10:30am-12pm ET.
Hold Nothing: A Workshop for Real Life
Virtual offering for those who purchase 3+ books;
once you’ve purchased, fill the form at the bottom of the book page.
Southern California
November 29th
Reading + signing at Godmothers
November 30th
Reading + signing at Light and Space Ojai
December 2025
December 3rd
Reading + signing at Alila Marea
December 5th
Reading, practice, signing at Unplug Meditation
December 6th
Asana + meditation at Sol Seek
December 6th
6pm Reading + signing at Vroman’s
Hosted by Jennifer Pastiloff
December 21st
2:30pm Talk, meditation and signing
Breathe Studio, Houstonian Club, Houston
Audio Interviews
Love Is The Author
Jaymee and Elena meet for the first time and sparks fly discussing the link between Elliott Smith and Frank Ocean, the non-substantiality of praise and blame, the root causes and conditions of addiction, how to cultivate true joy without aggression, and the psychedelic dimension of Zen.
Sex Birth Trauma Podcast with Kimberly Ann Johnson
In this episode, Kimberly and Elena discuss and reflect on their life experiences through nearly two decades of knowing one another. They discuss radical forgiveness for our families of origin, the importance of stillness and meditation, children leaving the home, and menopause. They also discuss what led Elena to write her upcoming book "Hold Nothing," which offers stories and prompts as an artful contemplative guide towards personal, daily practice for self-discovery and self-wisdom.
Daphne Cohn's Slow Inside Podcast
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.
Interview with Bhakti Rose
In this interview, Elena invites us into her home, where she graciously shows us some of her sacred spaces and altars. She also shares her personal 'bedside table' reading list and speaks about her beautiful new book, 'Hold Nothing'. It is a gift to witness how Elena weaves devotion into her daily life, and I’m honoured to share a glimpse of her practice with you here.
She Thrives
Hold Nothing: A Conversation with Elena Brower on Yoga, Meditation, Service, Love and Impermanence.
Energized with Dr. Mariza
How to Find Stillness, Strength, and Soulful Connection Through Life’s Transitions with Elena Brower
Half-Dead & Fully Alive: Dissolving the Ego at Midlife with Elena Brower
Elena shares why she’s ready to let all her accomplishments dissolve, the difference between prayer and meditation (spoiler: maybe there isn’t one), and a simple exhale practice that serves humanity.
This isn’t your typical “graceful aging” conversation. It’s about ruthlessly re-prioritizing, slowing down radically, and preparing for death in the most relaxed way possible.
Radiant Rest with Tracee Stanley
"The moment of our death, all we have is our breath. The moment of our life, all we have is our breath," says Elena Brower. "So why not clue in with it now, get really relaxed around it, and learn who I am in this quiet."
In Elena's upcoming new book, Hold Nothing: An Invitation to Let Go and Come Home to Yourself, she shares how the Zen Buddhism practice of silence and stillness has landed in her heart and her life, bringing with it profound teachings.
Enjoy a cup of tea with this deep and inspiring conversation: In this episode, we discuss how this path of practice requires bravery, the deep-seated grief we experience on a daily basis, altars as beautiful thresholds, lessons from Elena's service work in hospice centers, and what it really means to practice letting go.
Connection is the Medicine Podcast
Mother, mentor, poet, artist, volunteer, bestselling author, and host of the Practice You Podcast, Elena Brower is a celebrated international yoga and meditation teacher on Glo, guiding transformative practices since 1999. Her debut book, Art of Attention: A Yoga Practice Workbook for Movement as Meditation, was published in 2012 and has since been translated into seven languages. Her bestselling journals Practice You and Being You, her collection of poetry Softening Time, along with her courses and talks, explore stages of studentship, practice, life, and listening.
Amy Landry's Living in Alignment Podcast
Elena's reflections on meditation, silence, and death. A heartfelt reading from her latest book, Hold Nothing.
The vision behind Hold Nothing & many more tender contemplations.
By Firelight
Impermanence and Surrender with Elena Brower
The Yoga Hour: Discover the Gift of Presence
How can we live life fully, with presence and reverence? Author and teacher Elena Brower helps us explore the many aspects of ourselves to get to the heart of who we are. She invites us to come home to ourselves with love.
Elena Brower on Recovery from Cannabis, Shame & Grief
Taryn Strong sits down with beloved teacher, writer, and artist Elena Brower to explore the layered realities of recovery—including cannabis dependency, tobacco addiction, grief, and shame. Elena shares the self-abandonment loop that kept her stuck, the moment of truth that helped her stop hiding, and the simple, powerful practices that helped her rebuild trust with herself.
"Hold Nothing is more than a book—it's an offering, a blessing, a quiet revolution. Elena Brower, who is so dear to me, has a rare and radiant gift: she transmits ancient spiritual wisdom with a clarity and grace that lands straight in the heart. In these pages, she weaves timeless truth with modern resonance, crafting something both grounding and elevating. This book is a soul companion, a steadying breath, a sacred conversation. There is no better gift for this moment—and no one I trust more to offer it."
—Laura McKowen, bestselling author of We Are The Luckiest and Push Off from Here
Interview with Anne Lamott
Once upon a time, my hero, Anne Lamott, tells me she hasn't the bandwidth to blurb my book, however she does have an idea. Let's record an in-person interview. We'll be in the same town at the same time.
I played it cool, but inside, oh-my-goodness-am-i-dreaming-right-now. We scheduled it. During our talk together with her retreat group as our generous audience, Anne offers acknowledgement, respect, care, and most importantly, love, along with instructive, hilarious, compelling stories from her own life. I'll never forget this night.
Heaps of gratitude to Iris Studio ( / iris.studio.cr ) for filming, editing and sorting the sound and lighting, which wasn't easy; and I'm forever thankful for your care, dear Anne. Wow.
Book Bonuses
ORDER PROCESS
1. Click below to pre-order Hold Nothing. Be sure to note your Order Number for step 2.
2. Once you've purchased, return to this page and fill out the form to receive your free Guidebook, to accompany you through the book with writing prompts, practices, and reflections.
TO RECEIVE YOUR GIFTS
Enter in your order number and details below.
Godmothers Books
Best-selling author Elena Brower visited Godmothers to present her latest, “Hold Nothing: An Invitation to Let Go and Come Home to Yourself,” a distinctive, artful, contemplative guide for self-discovery and self-inquiry, with wisdom, encouragement, and thought exercises. She was joined in conversation by Sara Bercholz of Shambhala Publications. Riley Reed, Godmothers‘ head of live and digital storytelling, moderated the conversation.
“Hold Nothing —yes to practice and respect. Yes to slowness and stillness. Yes to losing who we thought we were and unfolding into who we are. What a beautiful invitation this book is!"
—Rosemerry Wahtola Trommer, Poet, Author and Teacher
"Throughout her career, Elena Brower has consistently and generously opened the door to her innermost sanctum, offering us a mirror; an invitation to map ourselves more truly. Hold Nothing is the fruit of her deep apprenticeship to silence, her steady navigation of the inner landscape through the lens of Zen. This is a book of intimacy, with ourselves, with life, with the practices that call us home. Here, Elena weaves esoteric wisdom with the groundedness of lived experience, so that we too might, as she writes, “join with [our] own life in a new way.” Through her vulnerability, her story, her offering, she lets us glimpse the parts of ourselves that, when seen, can set us free. As a longtime friend, student, and witness to Elena’s work, I’ve watched in awe as she lives these teachings with complete devotion and grace. This book is, at times, a reflection of her journey, and at others, an invocation to a deeper version of our own."
—Ally Bogard, teacher and author, The Quiet Teachers
"Hold Nothing is a masterwork of soft power. Through its pages, Elena becomes our brilliant witness and guide, leading us through the sacred act of surrender. Not surrender as loss. But as liberation. Each page is a lantern for the darkened places within us, illuminating the subtle beauty that presence, pause, and release can offer. Her invitations, reflections, and insights are medicine for the soul, quietly waiting for us when our spirits need them most."
—Cory Allen, author of Brave New You and Now Is the Way
“Elena is one of my heroes and she has changed my life for the better. The wisdom and calm energy that Elena radiates is felt in these pages. Hold Nothing is the exact guidance all of us need as the world keeps changing. This is a must-read for anyone who wants to take their personal transformation work to a deeper level.”
—Yung Pueblo, New York Times best-selling author
“More than a book; Hold Nothing is a luminous braid of personal story, grounded guidance, and evocative contemplations. Elena’s words blossom from the depths of silence. With generosity and warmth, she guides us in cultivating an inner garden we can harvest to nourish our true self and feed the hungry world.”
—Mirabai Starr, author of Wild Mercy and Ordinary Mysticism
"Everyone has glimpsed this deeply held longing: we desperately want to be better friends to ourselves. As a consequence of our most vulnerable longing, the vice grip we put on shame, and the "protective" silence around it all, we search for external signs from those who truly know how to befriend themselves. Let that search end now. In Hold Nothing, Elena Brower shares her challenges and aspirations in a way that gently leads you back into yourself to find the friend you've always had."
—Pamela Ayo Yetunde, Th.D., author of Dearly Beloved: Prince, Spirituality, & This Thing Called Life
“Elena has a way of creating nurturing, contemplative spaces in which we enter and instantly feel safe, seen, and at home. Hold Nothing is a love letter about how we experience the world, full of questions and vulnerability, care and consistency. Open this book and come to know yourself better through Elena’s vision and heart.”
—Sara Szal, MD, New York Times best-selling author of The Hormone Cure
“Deeply spacious, reverent, and intimate—Hold Nothing is a soft landing for the soul and a steadying compass for this disorienting time. The structure is elegant and clear, while the writing is spacious enough to let the reader really feel themselves within the pauses.”
—Tracee Stanley, author of Radiant Rest and The Luminous Self
"Elena Brower's words, life, and wisdom are exactly what we need right now."
—Jessamyn Stanley, author of Every Body Yoga and Yoke: My Yoga of Self-Acceptance
"Elena's been a friend and teacher to us since the earliest days of mindbodygreen; her work has consistently evolved toward integrity and care. With Hold Nothing, she welcomes us into her formation, both personally and professionally, with maturity, warmth, grace, and clarity."
—Colleen & Jason Wachob, Co-Founders & Co-CEOs, mindbodygreen
“This is a personal and beautiful invitation to become intimate through mindfulness of body, heart, and mind. A guide to true belonging, asking us to face our deepest yearning and our greatest fears. No part left out.”
—Frank Ostaseski, author of The Five Invitations
"Somehow Elena has imbued her words with the peace of sitting beside a river, or walking along a shore. Somehow that same mystical space is here in the gentle eloquence of the way she leads us back to where we've never left, and to where most of us have never arrived; right here in this messy human heart—this holy body—holding the answers we seek."
—Meggan Watterson, best-selling author of Mary Magdalene Revealed and The Girl Who Baptized Herself
"With the kind of clarity that only comes from having walked through fire and come out the other side with grace intact, Elena Brower invites us into the radical act of returning to the place many of us fear going, back to ourselves.Through story, reflection, and exquisite stillness, Hold Nothing offers a blueprint for coming home—to presence, to purpose, to the parts of ourselves we’ve been too afraid to meet.Elena is one of the voices I turn to when I am lost and this book is filled with her wisdom which I trust so dearly."
—Amanda de Cadenet, host, photographer and advocate
"In her insightful book, my dear sister Elena Brower shares her journey, her process, and her profound reverence, gently yet irresistibly encouraging us to release and create space for what truly matters. True to Elena's style, her words and stories (which I adore!) as poetic, inspiring, meaningful and beautiful as a Zen garden. Hold Nothing serves as a reminder to approach and embrace our own lives with the same care, artistry, and love."
—Deva Premal, Grammy-nominated mantra singer
"Have you ever gotten very quiet and closed your eyes half-way, such that objects lose their edges and the world becomes mere shadow and light? Just playful shimmers. And then slowly turned that same quality of attention around toward yourself? What's there? I feel the same way inside of Hold Nothing. Light, unadorned, liminal. Neither here nor there. Elena bottles her own essence perfuming us into stillness and peace."
—Jeff Krasno, author of Good Stress, Co-founder and CEO of Commune
“Thank you, Elena, for your years of study, reflection and insight. Hold Nothing guides us to remain active in our own practice and inquiry. As your friend, it’s an honour to watch you learn, grow and gift us your experiences in this beautiful, art-filled book, moving us to keep learning, growing, and participating in this life.”
—Nadia Narain, co-author of Self Care for The Real World
“What happens when we appreciate the timeline of our own becoming, when we look at the poetic details that create our life story, and then let it all go? In Hold Nothing, Elena Brower reminds us that with practice, we are able to shed and change, to renew and grow. Each chapter offers us permission to build new pathways, each word is an arrow of illumination bringing us closer to the healing art of openness and release.”
—Jacqueline Suskin, poet and educator, author of The Verse for Now
“Having personally witnessed the extraordinary bloom of Elena Brower’s efforts in the world and the way she has positively impacted countless lives, it makes perfect sense that Hold Nothing shows up now to serve the considerable needs of the hour. This book is an invitation to walk the never-ending Path of Discovery…in a state of utter surrender.”
—Tommy Rosen, best-selling author and founder of Recovery 2.0
“With Hold Nothing, Elena Brower offers us a contemplative refuge—a space where presence, release, and remembrance meet. Through her words and luminous artwork, she invites us into an intimate dialogue with the soft, transformative power of letting go. This book isn’t just read—it’s felt. An essential guide for new and experienced meditators to cultivate lasting resilience.”
—Sierra Campbell, founder of Choose Nurture
“On these pages, Elena Brower whispers her graceful invitation to a life lived lightly. Full of poise, gentleness and effortless clarity, reading this book is like sitting down with Elena at her tea table, receiving her personal experiences and insights. Hold Nothing is for you if you’re tired of holding everything.”
—Geertje Couwenbergh, author and creator of 365 Days of Writing
“Hold Nothing is a poetic yet profoundly practical guide that conjures a delightful yearning to relish in solitude while refining our relationship with the world. Elena’s captivating, reflective style opens a portal to another realm. I could not put this gem down... Elena’s continued evolution and wisdom shine through on every page, offering tremendous healing and solace to all.”
—Amy Landry, Author and Teacher
“Hold Nothing is a gift from Elena Brower. Her ability to share profound teaching in a simple and exquisite way makes her one of our most prolific storytellers. This book reminds us of how attentive we can be to the details of this life.”
—Carrie-Anne Moss, Mother, Actor, Founder of Annapurna Living
"Having shared a friendship with Elena since our twenties has meant walking alongside her through seasons of growth, change, and deep devotion to becoming a more complete human. Hold Nothing is the embodiment of that path — an offering steeped in hard-won wisdom, humility, and presence. In a time when so many of us feel disconnected from ourselves, each other, and the living world, this book is a luminous, tenderly pressing invitation to return to what matters most: our aliveness, our inner knowing, and our attunement to the natural rhythm of life. I’ll be gifting this book often.”
—Amy Ippoliti, author of The Art and Business of Teaching Yoga
"Hold Nothing is a luminous act of devotion to the human spirit. With rare artistry, grace, and quiet courage, Elena Brower offers a tender remembrance—a map not toward more doing but toward a necessary unbecoming. This book is a gift for all who long to return to the sacred simplicity of being who they truly are."
—Megan Dalla-Camina, author of Women Rising and Simple Soulful Sacred
“Elena Brower, who—try as you might—cannot be categorized to fit into any one descriptive box, has once again graced us with the preternatural gift that is her voice. Hold Nothing, a loving invitation for us to remember who we are without all the noise, is filled with all the signature honesty and wisdom we’ve come to know from Elena. ‘Preternatural’ can be defined as being suspended between the mundane and the miraculous, and not only is this book exactly that, but it’s a reminder that we are too. This book is the North Star we desperately need right now.”
—Jennifer Pastiloff, best-selling author of On Being Human
Mother, mentor, poet, artist, volunteer, bestselling author, and host of the Practice You Podcast, Elena Brower is a celebrated international yoga and meditation teacher on Glo, guiding transformative practices since 1999. Her debut book, Art of Attention: A Yoga Practice Workbook for Movement as Meditation, was published in 2012 and has since been translated into seven languages. Her bestselling journals Practice You and Being You, her collection of poetry Softening Time, along with her courses, classes, and talks, explore stages of studentship, practice, life, and listening.
Her next book, Hold Nothing, will be published by Shambhala Publications in late 2025. Her column on Substack supports girls and women, through On The Inside, Girls on Fire Leaders, Women for Women, and Free Food Kitchen.
She hosts the acclaimed podcast Practice You, a series of deep, compassionate conversations with teachers, artists, and thinkers, designed to support you through life’s transitions, encouraging presence, care, and openness. Offering two new virtual weekly classes on Glo, Elena weaves body, breath, art, and contemplative mindfulness into practice. Bridging ancient yogic precision with creative depth and emotional intelligence, she serves individuals in cultivating resilience and inner alignment.
In 2023, she received Jukai (lay Buddhist vows) from Roshi Joan Jiko Halifax at Upaya Zen Center, and is a student in Upaya’s Chaplaincy Training. As part of her service, she volunteers in hospice and penitentiary settings, bringing yoga, meditation, and compassionate presence, aligning with Upaya’s commitment to local service and community support.