Practice You with Elena Brower

On committing to your Quiet Age, microdosing emotions for authenticity, and becoming a beacon of insight, harmony and integrity. 0:00 - Introduction to Cory Allen 4:51 - Origins of The Quiet Age 16:07 - Personal Growth and Vulnerability 30:23 - Exploring Book Structure 38:51 - The Reset Phase 41:53 - Slowing Down and Discovery 56:29 - Embodying Authenticity Through Becoming 59:48 - Arising Toward Clarity Cory Allen is an author, mindfulness expert, speaker, and podcast host helping people slow down, think clearly, and live with intention. A daily meditator for over 25 years, his words reach millions of people each week on Instagram, where his daily insights have become a trusted source of clarity in an overstimulated world.  The Quiet Age: https://www.simonandschuster.com/books/The-Quiet-Age/Cory-Allen/9798881609849 The Pulse Mindfulness Ring https://www.pulsemindfulness.com/ Our prior interviews https://elenabrower.com/episode-196-cory-allen/ https://elenabrower.substack.com/p/live-with-cory-allen

On the clear connection between stoicism and empathy; the gift of learning to bear challenges with steadiness. 0:00 – Introduction 3:03 – Discussion on Shermin's Book "Stoic Empathy" 5:33 – Stoicism and Empathy: Personal Experiences 12:48 – Living with Uncertainty and Moral Decisions 27:10 – Strategic Empathy and Emotional Regulation 43:10 – Practical Applications of Stoic Empathy 50:19 – Closing Remarks and Future Plans Shermin Kruse is a globally recognized author, law professor, negotiation consultant, TEDx producer, and author of Stoic Empathy. Born in Tehran during political upheaval, she immigrated to Canada as a child and earned degrees in philosophy and neuropsychology from the University of Toronto, followed by a law degree from the University of Michigan. Her work lives at the intersection of ancient wisdom, neuroscience, and the art of negotiation; and her life is the proof of what she teaches. She spent nearly two decades as a partner at Barack Ferrazzano, a prestigious Chicago law firm, representing Fortune 500 clients in high-stakes negotiations, cross-border transactions, and corporate litigation. She is currently a professor at Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, where she teaches stoic empathy negotiations, leadership, and global transactions; her book Stoic Empathy is required reading for the advanced negotiation course there. As founder and executive producer of TEDxWrigleyville, she has produced and scripted over 80 TEDx and TED talks and performances with millions of views across dozens of countries, and has delivered three TEDx talks herself on advocacy, stoicism, and strategic empathy. She serves on the boards of the ACLU and RefuSHE, has founded multiple NGOs, and has been recognized as one of the nation's top 100 Women to Watch by BizWomen Magazine. She is also the author of the novel Butterfly Stitching and the textbook Global Transactions and Regulation. Shermin lives in Chicago with her four children.

Vital parenting practices to cultivate confidence, purpose and inner power in an increasingly anxious world. 0:00 - Introduction to Dr. Shefali 3:04 - Understanding Modern Boyhood 4:57 - Parental Control and Autonomy 9:15 - Addressing Male Isolation 12:20 - Digital Strategies for Parents 14:55 - The False Hierarchy of Men 17:14 - Emotional Intensity in Girls 22:11 - Social Media and Female Identity 27:25 - Mitigating Digital Damage 29:02 - The Science of Self-Harm 34:29 - Reclaiming Authenticity and Privacy 41:56 - Repairing the Parent-Child Bond Dr. Shefali is a clinical psychologist, New York Times bestselling author, and the founder of the Conscious Parenting movement. Blending Western psychology with Eastern wisdom, she has redefined how families understand selfhood, connection, and the inner life of children. Trained at Columbia University, Dr. Shefali has spent decades guiding parents beyond patterns of fear and control toward presence, authenticity, and inner transformation. Her groundbreaking work explores the hidden forces that shape identity, relationships, and the way we inhabit the world—creating a path for both children and the adults who raise them to awaken and evolve. "The greatest gift you can give your children is your own transformation."

On encountering and easing the past, creating the conditions to feel and offer compassion, and equanimity as practice.  (0:00) - Introduction and Guest Overview (2:20) - Table of Contents and Initial Discussion (7:17) - Belonging in Space and Emptiness of the Material World (16:05) - The Art of Lessening Thoughts and Emotions (24:57) - Parenting and Work-Life Balance (29:08) - Equanimity and Play (39:33) - Breathing and Equanimity with Success (42:49) - Forgiving and Being Forgiven (45:23) - The Art of Lessening the Ego Self (48:19) - Final Reflections and Closing Billy Wynne is a health and wellbeing entrepreneur, Zen Buddhist, mindfulness meditation teacher, and author of The Empty Path: Finding Fulfillment Through the Radical Art of Lessening, which was published by New World Library in March 2025. He founded Impact Health, a mission-driven consultancy, Awake, an alcohol-free bar, and other companies. Billy has served on several boards, including Operation Smile, 365Health, Cherish Children Adoption International, the Zen Center of Denver, and Colorado's Natural Medicine Advisory Board, which is implementing the state's psychedelic therapy program. He received a BA in Government and Religion from Dartmouth College and a JD from the University of Virginia. He is currently pursuing a Master of Arts in Buddhist Studies from the Institute of Buddhist Studies. Billy lives in Carbondale, CO with his wife, son, and two shih-poos, Oscar and Archie. Their daughter is in college.

On the wisdom of open awareness and the benefit of the simplest practices in our daily life.  0:00 - Introduction and Guest Welcome 1:57 - Machik Labdron and the Source Code of Life 7:47 - Mahayana and Vajrayana: Differences and Similarities 13:36 - Ground, Path, and Fruition: The Buddhist Path of Liberation 21:41 - Engaging with the Practices of Sky Mind 27:37 - The Paradox of Meditation and External Impact 36:31 - Sky Mind Meditation Practice Partners in life, practice, and parenting, Charlotte Rotterdam and Pieter Oosthuizen draw on decades of dedicated study and practice to share the rich teachings of Tibetan Buddhism and their application to modern life. They've served as faculty at Naropa University, are senior teachers at Tara Mandala Retreat Center founded by Lama Tsultrim Allione, and teach globally. Their recent book, Skymind: The Radical Path of Open Awareness (Shambhala, 2026), highlights the nature of mind teachings of the 11th century Tibetan yogini Machig Labdron and their relevance in our everyday lives. Amid life's relentless challenges, uncertainties, and endless striving, how do we find a sense of ease, clarity, and connection? Skymind offers a way to step back from life's constant push and pull and discover the spaciousness and wholeness that has always been within you. Inspired by the revolutionary teachings of Machig Labdrön, an 11th-century Tibetan yogini who pioneered a radical approach to inner freedom, this book introduces Skymind meditation—a practice that helps you cultivate clarity, compassion, and resilience by resting in the sky-like nature of your mind. Through simple exercises, contemplations, and Machig's powerful verses, you'll be guided to meet life's challenges with courage and radical acceptance. These teachings invite you to embrace every part of your experience—even the emotions and thoughts you'd rather avoid—and discover the freedom that comes from including everything in your awareness. Whether you are new to meditation or a seasoned practitioner, Skymind offers profound insights and practical tools to help you live with authenticity, ease, and a heart as vast as the sky.