Trusting

that everything I’ve just experienced was
Exactly
My
Creation

that all the pain I ever feel is a doorway and a crucible and a chance to make real Light

that now, in my heart where it feels like it all might fall apart and crumble into
littletinybits
it is all actually Perfect, and I’m closer to G-d than ever

that I will know how to go forward only after I’ve told my truth—it has lived in here for way too long

that each time I’ve fully apologized and forgiven and stood up afterwards I am

Trusting.

~

Elena Brower:

Jonah’s mama, founder and co-owner of Virayoga in New York City, Elena has been teaching yoga for 14+ years.

After graduating from Cornell University in 1992 with a design degree, she worked in textile and apparel design for 6 years, living in both New York City and northern Italy. After completing a year studying Art Education at the New School and teaching art in two schools in downtown New York City, she trained with Cyndi Lee, subsequently met John Friend, and began studying Anusara. More than ten years of study with John Friend, Douglas Brooks and Hugo Cory led her to the Handel Group™, with whom Elena collaborates to bring practical, day-to-day relevance to the yoga. Elena’s classes are a masterful, candid blend of artful alignment and attention cues; they bring patience to your mind, articulation to your body and empowerment to your heart.

From the Museum of Modern Art to the Great Lawn at Central Park in New York; from the playa at Burning Man to the Eiffel Tower in Paris, she is honoured to offer larger-scale experiences of yoga, but Elena’s true service is in shifting awareness within the smallest interactions; one family, one household at a time. She holds Reiki Levels I/II Certification and practices Pranic Healing. She loves collaborative teaching, alongside colleagues such as Sianna Sherman, Christina Sell, Noah Maze, Christy Nones, Amy Ippoliti, Bill Mahony, Ross Rayburn, Elizabeth Rossa, Schuyler Grant, Nikki Costello, Kelly Morris, Leila Astarabadi, Seane Corn and Kathryn Budig. She’s been featured in the New York Times, Yoga Journal, Natural Living, the Element Yoga for Beginners DVD series, FitYoga, ABC News, NBC News and is the voice for Deepak Chopra’s groundbreaking video game LEELA, which blends meditation with game play. Elena is also the Executive Producer of ON MEDITATION, a series of short films regarding the reality of meditation, to be released in 2012. Recent classes are available online at Yogaglo.

Along with her own Art of Attention writings, Elena contributes to the Huffington Post, Kris Carr’s CrazySexyLife, elephant journal, TheDailyLove, and is an original board member of YogaEarth. Elena’s recently developed an essential oil blend called GIVE that proudly benefits her favorite global cause, Women For Women International.