From the Heart with Rachel Brathen

Everyone Can Be A Yoga Girl

The wait is finally over. Welcome to Yoga Girl! In this episode, Rachel shares the news she has been wanting to spill forever - we have launched! All the secrets and hints are finally being revealed and this podcast is all about Yoga Girl - the lifestyle, the movement, the brand and the community. Rachel answers all the questions that come in and goes in depth into detail on why she created this platform and what it means for the future. How did this grow from an instagram handle into a commu...

Catching Up

Feeling emotional, Rachel begins her first solo episode in almost a month catching up on all the recent changes that have come about in her life – from launching her YouTube channel to getting steps closer to the big initiative she has been hinting at so much. With James Aspey visiting Rachel in Aruba, it is no surprise that veganism has also been a topic on her mind. She discusses her family dynamic; how Rachel and Luna are vegan while Dennis is not – and how Dennis was admittedly worried ab...

How to Be a True Ally to Women of Color with Rachel Cargle

In this episode, Rachel introduces her community to Rachel Cargle. A writer, speaker, and educator, Rachel Cargle’s work is centered around educating white women on how they can support women of color in genuine ways. Rachel Cargle begins this discussion by sharing how she began this journey of activism and how she didn’t have a choice as a black woman trying to exist in a world not built to support her. Oppositely, our host Rachel openly shares her ignorance and her fears as a white woman – ...

Cultural Appropriation with Susanna Barkataki

In this episode, Rachel invites Susanna Barkataki to discuss the topic of cultural appropriation. Susanna is a teacher, inclusivity promoter, yoga culture advocate and the author of the original article, “How to Decolonize Your Yoga Practice” that was widely circulated across social media over the past few weeks. The conversation begins with Susanna speaking on her personal history of experiencing racism and marginalization growing up in an Indian-British family in the UK and US. Using this a...

Life on Tour with Nathan Connelly

In this episode, Rachel is joined by the talented, humble and down-to-earth guitarist from Snow Patrol, NathanConnolly. First discussing how they randomly ended up in LA together through the connection of a mutual friend, Nathan then dives into how the first show opening for Ed Sheeran went, and what life touring is like (hint: he needs it). From his beginnings singing in a gospel choir to joining Snow Patrol overnight when he was 20, Nathan talks through the history and dynamic of the band, ...

Here, Now with Seal

In this episode Rachel is joined by none other than beloved international singer, Seal! True to the spirit of the From the Heart podcast, Seal begins the episode by giving a refreshingly honest answer to how he is feeling in his life now compared to a year ago. He shares how his perspective has changed from feeling helpless, victimized and isolated to feeling simply fantastic – and the incredible story that brought him there. After being forced to search for answers, Seal discusses the three ...

Staying in Alignment - How To Bring Yourself Back To Balance

What does alignment mean for you? What do you need to feel good? Recognizing what is truly important for you is the first step to living a life rooted in your own truth.  Rachel begins this episode speaking from the heart on how she has compromised her alignment over the previous weeks. Through being tired from working non-stop for too long and getting caught up in late-night Netflix episodes she lost her routine of getting up before sunrise. She speaks on the patterns of misalignment that ha...

My Favorite Books on Yoga and Spirituality

In this episode Rachel shares her all-time favorite books on Yoga and Spirituality. She dives into the words that came along with her on adventures, the stories that supported her, and the passages that changed her life. Books often represent so much more than the paper they are made out of. To Rachel, her books are sacred keepsakes that are filled with little notes, letters, and pictures that tell the story of what she was feeling as she held these books in her hand.  Do you have books in yo...

The Inner Critic (part 2)

In this episode Rachel continues sharing with the rest of her Yoga Teacher Training group on their Inner Critic. The group shares the judgmental, disapproving thoughts they harbour when that negative voice we all have in our heads is leading the way. Now hearing from 50 women from 15 different countries that have shared their most hurtful thoughts they carry about themselves, it becomes so evident that no matter where we come from or how old we are - we are all the same. Then turning toward t...

The Inner Critic (part 1)

In this episode Rachel invites her Yoga Teacher Training group to join her in sharing a piece of what their inner critic - that judgmental, disapproving voice we all carry in the back of our heads - speaks of, and what life is like when we live from that place. 52 women from 15 different countries share from a place of deep vulnerability and then turn toward the Inner Best Friend - a voice that speaks with unconditional love and support. What would life be like if I spoke to myself the way I ...

How To Improve Your Alignment and Find A Sustainable Yoga Practice with Lara Heimann

In this episode Rachel is joined once again by yoga teacher, physiotherapist and anatomy genius Lara Heimann. Currently leading a yoga teacher training together, Rachel and Lara discuss everything from their best mothering tips to Lara’s sustainable home. Diving into a deep conversation on the role functional anatomy plays in a yoga practice, Lara breaks down simple poses like downward facing dog, plank, and chaturanga, and notes the common misconceptions people typically bring with them to c...

Moving Through Pain and Holding Space For Growth

Rachel begins this episode by sharing the immense feeling of gratitude she has carried with her lately. Currently immersed in leading a yoga teacher training, she speaks of the deep bond of sisterhood that has been apparent since this new group stepped into the shala. Sensing an overall shift in the feminist movement, Rachel shares how inspiring it is to be surrounded by women that uplift and support one another.  As we all move along our journeys towards healing, it is crucial to have a comm...

A Wedding Anniversary and Making Things Work with Dennis Schoneveld

In this episode, Rachel is joined by her husband Dennis on their 4th wedding anniversary – after they both almost forgot it. They begin by diving into the intense Spring they had; traveling from country to country in Europe, with a toddler and a dog, while working towards a major business launch. Dennis touches on what traveling means to him after growing up on a tiny island. He also shares what it was like to be on his own with the baby, and his brave decision to travel across the Atlantic w...

Epiphanies, Self-Care and Being Alone

In this episode, Rachel speaks of her time away from her husband and baby girl and the epiphanies that accompanied her during this time alone. She recollects on her past, and how her childhood shaped her into a ‘fixer’ who always put other’s needs before her own. Now as a working mother, Rachel notices how her attention is pulled in thousands of directions, and still never on herself. After six days on her own, Rachel speaks of the shift she felt in her inner energy and how she reconnected to...

Project Alone Time

In this episode, Rachel speaks on the importance of taking alone time to rejuvenate and practice self-care. With the demands of everyday life, taking time for ourselves can be challenging but is so necessary if we wish to offer our best selves to the world. Rachel begins the episode by sharing the emotions that surfaced as she left her baby girl and husband back in Sweden and arrived to Aruba alone. She discusses what led her to travel home early and why leaving Lea Luna was especially challe...

Yoga with Usher and An Emergency Toolkit For Wellbeing

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OSHO Dynamic Meditation and Healing by Feeling

In this episode Rachel discusses the need to release stored emotions and the challenges that arise within us (and later reflected in the state of all of humanity) when we don’t have space to open up and release what’s inside.  Beginning with a guided 15-minute meditation to first find a place of silence before diving in, she moves on to sharing an experience she just had in Dynamic Meditation. Answering questions she often gets about this strange and somewhat wild way of meditating, she uses ...

Healing by Feeling

In this episode Rachel discusses the need to release stored emotions and the challenges that arise within us (and later reflected in the state of all of humanity) when we don’t have space to open up and release what’s inside.  Beginning with a guided 15-minute meditation to first find a place of silence before diving in, she moves on to sharing an experience she just had in Dynamic Meditation. Answering questions she often gets about this strange and somewhat wild way of meditating, she uses ...

Triggers and Teachings

In this episode Rachel dives into the topic of using relationships and challenges for growth, finding ways to express your emotions no matter what society says and the beauty of letting your inner child come out to play.  She begins by discussing the different place she is in this week compared to last. From feeling ungrounded and stagnant, Rachel talks about diving back into work-mode and the new energy that came with it. By moving away from the idea of feeling busy and more into the idea of...

Wedding Wonders and Tough Travels

In this episode Rachel talks about her latest European adventures at her best friend’s wedding in the South of France. Feeling like she was taking an intermission from life for the past couple of weeks, Rachel moved around at a high pace and speaks of a deep feeling of being uprooted. She discusses the changes she has seen lately, not only in her group of friends since her wedding four years ago, but in herself as well. Wondering whether this is a transitional feeling or a true personality ch...

Powering Through and Mellowing Out

In this episode Rachel reflects on her latest weekend trip to LA to teach a yoga class at a fitness festival. She talks about the different mindset she had being separated from her baby girl compared to previous solo trips, and how this allowed her to turn on the fiery side of her personality so she could tackle an intense weekend with a strict run of show. She shares how staying in the here and now reminded her why she travels to teach yoga for a living – to have fun and connect with her com...

On The Road Again

In this episode Rachel is joined by her husband Dennis while traveling through south of France. They talk about their adventures through Europe and their differences in terms of the kind of traveling they enjoy. Dennis shares what it’s like seeing the world from the eyes of a someone who grew up on a tiny island and Rachel shares how she has changed as a traveler since becoming a mom. They share their favorite parts of the journey so far, challenges that keep coming up and also talk about whe...

Mind, Body and Stories About Pain

In this episode Rachel shares her experience with training with a Naprapath for 8 straight days and learning new, unconventional ways of moving her body. She talks about how she has built a story around her back pain and an old injury and the epiphany that the story around the pain actually may have led her to more of the same. She shares some of the out-of-the-box exercises she has done over the past week, ignoring everything she has learned about yogic alignment, moving out of her comfort z...

Stress, Anxiety and Accepting The Present Moment

How can we practice being present in the here and now when the moment we are in is particularly challenging? In today’s episode Rachel talks about her latest travels to Europe and how parents should receive awards at the end of long travels with babies. She shares everything that went wrong and how, even with the best intentions, she lost her cool and spent almost two whole days overwhelmed with stress and anxiety. She talks about the power of making peace with the moment and how accepting th...

Movement as Medicine with Lara Heimann

In this episode Rachel is joined by Lara Heimann, physical therapist and anatomy genius. They talk about the dreaded P-word (P-A-I-N) and Lara gives great advice on how to deal with physical discomfort long term. They talk about the dreaded text-neck that’s impacting young adults all across the globe and what remedies to take to avoid it (listen carefully because this applies to us all!). They also discuss my official release, how to stay well-aligned and injury free working a desk job, and t...

Serenity, Now

In this episode Rachel is experiencing a few days of serious pain and tells the story of her latest project on her path toward peace: a bathtub. After being given the advice to soak in water as a practice of self-care, she sets out to install a bathtub in her house and what was supposed to be a 2-day project suddenly took on a life of it’s own and became 3 weeks of construction and, of course, disturbance. She shares the realization of how being on the path toward peace can often keep us on t...

From Suicide to Sobriety with Shama Persson

From Suicide to Sobriety

In this episode Rachel is joined by her mother! They talk about Rachel’s life growing up and Rachel shares their family constellation including every marriage and divorce and all the step dads, step moms, step siblings and half siblings… It’s pretty much the most complicated family history of all time! Her mom tells her life story and the struggles she went through in her childhood leading to her moving out to live on her own at a very young age, losing her father to cancer and her struggle w...

52 Weeks of Speaking From The Heart

This episode marks the 1-year anniversary of the podcast and Rachel celebrates 52 weeks of storytelling, epiphanies, tears and so much laughter. She shares how in a way, podcasting has become part of her personal development and allows her to in an honest way process her emotions every week... Sort of like therapy! She gives her gratitude to the community for listening and holding space and also shares her biggest inspirations and favorite spiritual teachers. To learn more about listener da...

Gratitude, Cloning and Turning a Bad Day Around

In this episode Rachel shares the love she feels for her dog and how the fear of losing him drove her to doing some very (very, very) irrational things (including the craziest story you’ve ever heard). She talks about deep soul connection with another being, fear of loss, the issue with “perfection” and how allowing yourself to be human brings the biggest relief. She also shares a recent experience with a bad moment and how it you’re not careful, it can snowball into a bad day and how at the ...

A Perfect Storm

In this weeks podcast Rachel talks about how she deals with social media drama and how more than anything, its a reflection of our inner world and can be a great lesson in sitting with your emotions. She talks about her deep longing of being of service and how it has evolved from moving snails across the road when she was a little girl to launching non-profit initiatives today, and shares a recent experience with online drama. When it comes to doing good, people will always judge and voice th...

Astrology - The Art of Aligning with Your Life’s Purpose with Debra Silverman

How does the full moon affect us? What does Mercury in Retrograde mean? Does each person really have a destiny? In this weeks episode Rachel is joined by Debra Silverman; psychologist and astrologer with over 40 years in the field. Debra has dedicated her life to helping people heal emotional wounds by aligning with their life’s purpose (she works with Madonna, Sting, Trevor Hall and many more - this woman is literally an astrologer of the stars... To the stars!). Rachel and Debra start off b...

Life After Death and Healing Emotional Pain

In this weeks episode Rachel talks about her experience with death and loss. After losing her best friend, her grandmother and her dog within the span of just a few months, her entire life was turned upside down. In this episode she shares little pieces of her experience and talks about emotional healing and how it’s not a linear process. She shares her experience writing her second book - on the topic of grief and death - and how it’s bringing to surface a pain she has been running from for ...

Social Media Marketing and Making Money With a Purpose

In this episode Rachel gets into the topic of social media marketing, ads and staying authentic in how you portray yourself in social media. She talks about her frustration with big corporations that take advantage of the yoga community to make big bucks and shares her own decision to never use her Instagram platform for marketing (and why that might be changing in the near future!). She also talks about the importance of making money to change the world, what being true in the online world a...

Sex, Sarcasm and The Meaning of Consent

In this episode Rachel is joined by her husband Dennis (who’s getting more candid and slightly more inappropriate for every episode!). They start off talking about a recent disagreemenGt they had and how they process things completely differently when they fight. They then dive into the sensitive topic of the #MeToo movement - Dennis shares some stories from his past and they discuss the true meaning of consent and then Dennis tells the hilarious story of their first night together (what!!). ...

Sex, Sarcasm and The Meaning of Consent with Dennis Schoneveld

In this episode Rachel is joined by her husband Dennis (who’s getting more candid and slightly more inappropriate for every episode!). They start off talking about a recent disagreemenGt they had and how they process things completely differently when they fight. They then dive into the sensitive topic of the #MeToo movement - Dennis shares some stories from his past and they discuss the true meaning of consent and then Dennis tells the hilarious story of their first night together (what!!). ...

Competition and Jealousy - The Business of Yoga

In this episode Rachel dives into the very sensitive subject of competition, jealousy and cattiness in the world of yoga and business. She shares her own stories of being on both sides of the spectrum - both having felt nervous about other teachers competing with her and having had other teachers create drama over competition. She shares specific stories from different times in her life as a yoga teacher and entrepreneur and candidly shares both the challenge and the learning of each situatio...

Believe In The Good Things Coming with Nahko Bear

In this episode Rachel is joined by her friend (and favorite musician!) Nahko Bear. Rachel shares the story of how she first connected to Nahko’s music and how it helped her move through the grief of her best friend’s passing, and Nahko shares what it’s like to write music that deeply impacts people all over the world. They talk about the importance of spiritual discipline and trusting that life brings you where you’re supposed to go (especially when things get really, really hard) and Nahko ...

Magic Happens Where Your Comfort Zone Ends with Chris Burkard

In this episode Rachel is joined by Chris Burkard: photographer, explorer, creative director, author and speaker. Chris has gained worldwide recognition for his photography and art over the past few years and is especially known for his travels to remote places and extreme weather surf photography. How do you turn your passion into your career? What’s it like balancing creative talent with running a large-scale business? Chris shares how he got started (and how, when it comes to pursuing a dr...

From Resentment to Kindness (with a Fever of 103)

In this episode Rachel’s talks about anger and resentment. When we feel wronged or hurt, instead of lashing out, is there a way we can use challenging situations as a way to grow? As something she’s personally dedicated to working on in 2018 Rachel gets candid and honest about her personal anger issues and how harboring resentment holds her back in relationships. While struggling through her baby girls first bout of sickness she finds herself feeling fearful and sleep deprived, eventually lea...

Turning Dreams Into Reality

In this episode rachel records live on Instagram with thousands of people tuning in! Over 100,000 people tuned in to listen and ask questions. Rachel starts off by sharing how she went out dancing with her little sister the night before and for the first time since pre-pregnancy woke up feeling the effects of a night on the town. Her conclusion? No amount of fun is worth it when you’re spending the next day with your baby! After sharing candidly about beating herself up and feeling like an ir...

Setting Intentions and Manifesting Love

In this episode Rachel shares her intentions for 2018 and invites her listeners to join in. Setting intentions for the new year is a deeply spiritual practice and to find out what we want to manifest we need to begin by looking at what we have struggled with during the year that’s passed! Rachel talks about how the idea of losing weight, starting a new exercise regimen and changing who we are is always doomed to fail and that to find long-lasting balance we need to look at what lies beneath w...

The Inappropriate Husband with Dennis Schoneveld

In this episode Rachel is joined by her husband Dennis for what might just be the most hilarious (and politically incorrect) episode ever. They have a conversation thats both relaxed, heated and slightly inappropriate at times about everything from meat eating vs veganism, living a privileged life, the challenges of running a yoga studio, parenthood and what it’s like to spend literally every hour of the day together. Dennis shares what he loves most about Rachel (hint: we should have edited ...

Family Business (and A Little Bit of Politics)

In this episode Rachel shares the story of how she left her baby for the first time ever to travel to Los Angeles for a photoshoot and how, inevitably, chaos ensued. From having an incredibly difficult time leaving Aruba in the first place to arriving to find LA on fire (literally!) she spent the weekend arguing with her brother about politics, fighting with her husband about how to care for the baby, going head to head with the airlines about getting home on time and even found herself in a ...

Best Friends Forever - with Olivia Rothschild!

In this episode Rachel’s best friend takes over as host of the show to interview Rachel! They start off talking about Rachel’s fears about leaving her baby for the first time and Olivia asks some very serious questions Rachel normally does not answer (like, “when was the first time you ever farted in front of Dennis?”) and they then venture toward more serious subjects (...like pooping during childbirth). After getting the many questions about bodily functions out of the way they dive into th...

#MeToo

In this weeks episode Rachel joins the #MeToo movement and shares her own stories of sexual harassment and abuse. She journeys back to the first moment she every felt objectified as a young girl and retells a few experiences with varying degrees of intensity where she felt violated, taken advantage of or abused. She also dives into the challenging topic of victim blaming and how speaking up and shedding light on our experiences can lead toward empowerment. To learn more about listener data ...

Relatable Feminism, Anti-Bullying and Loving Yourself No Matter What with Violet Benson

In this episode Rachel is joined by comedian and social media superstar Violet Benson, also known as Daddy Issues! Violet rose to stardom through her wildly popular meme account @daddyissues_ on Instagram where she highlights relatable and controversial topics through the eyes of the millennial woman. They talk about how Violet’s struggles with being bullied and having low self-esteem led her to create the social media alter ego that completely changed her life and Rachel shares her own exper...

Are We What We Eat? with Ella Mills

In this episode Rachel is joined by Ella Mills; creator of the insanely popular food blog Deliciously Ella. Ella healed herself from a devastating disease through plant based food and a healthy lifestyle and has since dedicated her life to inspiring the world through the art of cooking. They talk about how our eating habits affect our lives, the emotional connection we hold to the diet we were raised with, adding broccoli to your pepperoni pizza and how when it comes to making good choices fo...

Healing Physical Pain, Finding Your Core and Movement As a Spiritual Practice with Lara Heimann

In this episode Rachel is joined by Lara Heimann; physical therapist, master yoga teacher and anatomy genius. They talk about one thing and one thing only: THE BODY. Your body is a miracle! Yet we rarely treat it as such. In this episode you get to learn some of the many misaligned cues taught by yoga teachers all over the world and why the overly flexible yoga body, though so celebrated within the yoga community, is actually inching its way closer to injury with every downward dog. Lara shar...

Self-Love, Fear of Dying, Rose Quartz Spheres and a Crappy Day

In this episode Rachel gets real and emotional about her hardships in the midst of a particularly crappy day. She talks about her contrasting struggle with low self esteem and the huge fear she carries around the wellbeing of her daughter while simultaneously feeling content and happy in leading her first teacher training. She dives into the topic of teaching yoga the "right" way, what it means to find your true voice as a teacher, cursing in class and how fear can push us into arguments with...