From the Heart with Rachel Brathen

Latest Episodes:

A Covid Story: From Anxiety to Ease Feb 04, 2022

Show notes

We are two years into this pandemic, but many people are experiencing the virus for the first time. Rachel’s family included.

In today’s episode, Rachel shares her entire experience with covid over the past week. It wasn’t the experience she expected! From sharing her symptoms day by day, to the health protocols she followed, the fears she had, and how it all compared to her husband’s experience, you will get a sense of the full picture.

If you are looking for a little reassurance in uncertain times, today’s episode will remind you that you are always doing your best - and every decision you make is made out of love. Tune in to be held.

*Disclaimer: This experience was Rachel’s alone. Of course, not everyone has had this same experience. The health protocols that Rachel followed were in no way cures for COVID-19.

Covid Has Entered the Chat: Taking care of yourself physically, mentally, emotionally and spiritually Jan 28, 2022

Show notes

Covid has officially entered the chat. After a crazy day that involved Dennis’ covid test, an explosion of dog poop, chaos from a four-year-old, and a house left in disarray, Rachel sits down to record this episode from isolation and tell you the full story. Sometimes the best thing we can do for our health is just the next right thing.

But discussing anything about health has become a trigger for so many lately. It’s a complicated topic! Rachel takes the time to discuss her own health behaviors, and why it’s so important to support others on their own journey.

Ultimately, we are all just trying to feel good. Tune in for an episode that will remind you that whatever you are doing to feel good - is good! The loving things you do for yourself make a difference.

Family Life in Sweden: The Northern Lights, A Cozy Home, And A Happy Heart Jan 21, 2022

Show notes

In today’s episode of the Yoga Girl Podcast, you will get a glimpse into Rachel’s home life in Sweden. Enjoy a brief geography lesson of her home country, take an imaginative tour through their family home, learn Rachel’s (and Dennis’) morning routine, and hear the story of how they saw the Northern lights for the first time.

As we know, family life can get hectic! That’s why it’s so important to invite in a moment of presence into each one of your days. Whether that’s spending time in nature together, or simply enjoying a cup of tea by the window or watching a show with your loved one before bed, these are the moments that you work so hard for.

Tune in for an episode that will make you laugh, lift you up, and remind you to look for the magic in the day to day.

Seasons of Change, Gardens of Growth and the Balance of Life Jan 14, 2022

Show notes

Whether you are an avid gardener, interested in permaculture, or just curious about nature’s order and your place on this earth, today’s episode holds an epiphany for all. As Rachel plans her garden in Sweden, she shares the greatest lesson she has learned so far, in both gardening and in life: you cannot force growth. You can only surrender to the will of nature and bloom in your own time.

Recounting a hilarious story (that may or may not involve lizards, jalapeños and vacuuming plants), the intricate balance of all living things becomes clear - and the path forward becomes obvious. Grow where you are planted, align with your natural cycles, and let everything else be. Tune in for an episode that will remind you of your place in the balance of life.

It Takes a Village: Living with Nature, Building Community, and Starting from Scratch Jan 07, 2022

Show notes

Many of us agree that the way life is working right now isn’t actually working at all. We work long hours for little in return. Our food comes from boxes instead of the earth. If we run into any problem, we often feel alone. We don’t have a community to lean on. If you could build a brand new society, what would it look like?

After a long day skating with her family, Rachel reflects on the new life she is building in today’s episode. Sweden is not a new country to her - she was born there - but she is seeing it with brand new eyes. As she spends time getting acquainted with the land, she begins to dream of what her family’s future will look like. But are her dreams realistic in today’s society?

If you stay focused, keep your vision in your heart, and work toward it little by little, anything is possible. Tune in for an episode that will inspire you to shake up your life, change your priorities, start fresh, and begin to build the life you were always meant to live - no matter what society says!

The Journey Home: Moving to Sweden Dec 31, 2021

Show notes

It’s official: Rachel, Dennis and Lea are residents of Sweden! In today’s episode, Rachel shares the first update since leaving the Caribbean island of Aruba for a much more snowy landscape. After almost missing their flight, Lea being seated in a separate cabin, and none of their luggage making it (not to mention Dennis getting stopped by customs with Rachel’s questionable carry on…), they eventually made it home. And just in time for Christmas!

Sometimes the universe throws you a curve ball just before a big life transition. Keep your head up and move forward - you’re on the right path! Tune in for a hilarious tale of making your way home, no matter what the universe has up its sleeve.

A New Year’s Ritual: Calling In Your Intentions for 2022 Dec 24, 2021

Show notes

It’s time for the most important - and most anticipated - Yoga Girl Podcast of the year! With 2022 approaching, call in the year meant for you in this yearly ritual and intention setting ceremony.

Join Rachel to dance, shake, ground, and journal your way into 2022. Focusing on the four main areas of your life - your home, body, mind, and soul - you will close a chapter and define what comes next. What core needs do you have for 2022? What boundaries do you want to set? What self-care practices are coming with you? What is your dream life if you were free of all limitations? It’s up to you - and it starts right now.

Everything that came your way this year brought you to this place. Now the universe is waiting to see what you’ll make of it. It’s listening! Tune in to actively participate in the creation of your life.

To listen to People Everywhere (Still Alive) by Khruangbin, click here.

Processing 2021: A Ritual to Move Forward Dec 17, 2021

Show notes

As we near the end of 2021, it’s time to let the past year go. Before we set our intentions for the new year, we have to let go of this one. Today’s episode is a very important ritual on the Yoga Girl Podcast! You will process 2021 and all that came your way so you can move forward with clarity, ease and understanding. Grab your journal and let’s get started.

From the overall feeling of the year, to what you manifested and created, the lessons you learned, and the things you want to leave behind, you’ll move through a detailed timeline of 2021 over the course of this episode.

You can’t move forward if you’re stuck in the past. Tune in to get vulnerable, to alchemize your emotions, to burn what no longer serves you, and to move into 2022 focused on the future.

Come Home: Tend to the Earth and to Your Heart Dec 10, 2021

Show notes

We are all just trying to find our way home. Now, the time has finally come. If you’re lost, if you’re depleted, if you’re trying to figure out who you are, you need to drop everything and listen to this episode.

Today is the day that the Home Course is launched: a 7-week journey of nature based rituals and healing practices. Rachel has been manifesting this course for years now - and you’ve seen the hints over the past few months. Today, she shares everything it’s about from beginning to end, how the idea was sparked inside her, and what it looks like week by week.

Because when we align with the earth, when we walk barefoot, when we hug trees and take care of the land - we are automatically taking care of our hearts. There is no time to waste. Tune in to begin.

From Surrender to Support: Letting Yourself Be Held Dec 03, 2021

Show notes

Are you feeling alone? A little overwhelmed? You don’t have to do everything on your own. Today’s episode will hold you through that realization.

Rachel begins by sharing the peace of mind she has been able to find through her spiritual practices, in the midst of the chaos of getting ready to move across the world. Longing for a sense of overall calm in her life, she realizes - there is a place to land waiting for her. People who love her have been there every step of the way. In the hardest times, your people have your back.

But to allow someone to support you, you have to surrender. Accepting help from others may not be easy, but it’s worth the beauty found on the other side. We all need a community. Tune in to let yours in.