From the Heart with Rachel Brathen

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 shares stories of working with patients with severe neurological injuries and how her MB in physical therapy helped shape a brand new form of yoga. Rachel shares her own history of jumping from teacher to teacher and, through practicing intensely, having ended up with injury or pain more than a few times in her life. They talk about movement as a deeply spiritual practice, how to form the essential habit of practicing yoga (mindfully!) every day and how to heal yoga-related pain in the lower back, shoulders and neck. They also dive into the topic of how tapping into your core can completely change your life (and how it has absolutely nothing to do with a six-pack!). To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

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 our loved ones. She also talks about the inner critic; that judgmental voice we all have at the back of the head telling us we're not good enough, and how to counter it by showing up with self compassion. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel is joined by Glennon Doyle; #1 NYT Best-Selling author, activist, philanthropist and founder of Momastery; an online platform that changes the lives of millions through storytelling. Glennon shares the story of how she found the love of her life in soccer player Abby Wambach immediately following the release of her #1 New York Times Bestseller Love Warrior (a tale of marriage redemption!) and the value of being truthful - even when it's inconvenient. They talk about the importance of allowing your children to feel everything life has in store for them (even when it's painful), building resilience through struggle, recovering from addiction and letting the other shoe drop. Glennon gives some beautiful advice on how to heal through story telling and how when shit hits the fan and you've found yourself in a pit of dispair, rather than trying to climb your way up sometimes the best thing to do is simply to sit down. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel is joined by James Aspey; vegan, animal rights activist and public speaker. James replaced drugs, cancer and bulimia with veganism, surfing and meditation and his story is an incredible inspiration to people across the globe. After being diagnosed with Leukemia which led him into drug addiction he changed his life drastically and started a journey in search of health and happiness. Through becoming vegan and experiencing first-hand the amazing ways it improved his life (and what it does for the planet!) he has since dedicated his life's work to spreading the message of loving kindness, peace and veganism. In this episode Rachel shares her struggle with having transitioned away from being vegan and how it's affected her life and together they dive into the topic of veganism, health, animals and what it means to live a life that aligns with loving kindness. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Sleep is a spiritual practice and without it, we cannot function (there is a reason sleep deprivation is used as a form or torture)! In this episode Rachel shares how she got her baby girl to sleep through the night - almost! After struggling with intense sleep deprivation for two months she decided to take charge and has since read eight books, had two sleep consultations, asked the world for advice through social media and googled her way to things that actually WORK. In this podcast episode she lists all the things she applied to help set healthy sleep habits for her daughter and how, finally, they are sleeping soundly. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel shares the story of how Yoga Girl came into existence! She talks about how her Instagram account came to be and recalls the first time anyone every recognized her from social media (not as much fun as you might think!). She tells the hilarious story of how she taught her first-ever yoga class abroad (it involves a Chipotle burrito and almost vomiting out of nervousness) after cold-calling studios and begging them to let her teach, and how that was the spark that launched her journey as an international yoga instructor. She shares what it’s been like to grow from teaching in small yoga studios to huge stadiums and concert halls, dealing with judgement from other teachers and finally harnessing her own power and allowing herself to truly shine. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel is joined by singer-songwriter Trevor Hall! Trevor shares his life story and get ready because this one comes with a TON of wisdom. He shares how a deeply rooted passion for music launched him into a successful career as an artist without ever actually setting out to become famous in the traditional sense of the word. They talk about the struggles he had to overcome to arrive at a place of living his truth, keeping up a spiritual practice while living on the road and redefining the meaning of success and abundance. Trevor shares how being dropped from a major label turned out to be his biggest blessing and what it's like being the yoga worlds favorite musician! They also talk about how to find your purpose in life, music as a true spiritual practice and Trevor shares how some very challenging health issues helped birth a brand new album. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel tells the hilarious story of how she flew from Stockholm to Aruba last week and how everything that could have gone wrong did (at the same time!). Prepare for some very disgusting but crazy funny storytelling! She also talks a little bit about anger and transforming it through comic relief. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel is joined by her husband Dennis and together they dive in to an honest reflection of their challenges as new parents. They talk about their recent fights over Dennis training for an Iron Man race, not having any alone time, masculine vs feminine roles and being a "modern family" with Dennis as a stay-at-home dad and Rachel as a working mom. They also touch on subjects like gender equality, feminism and learning how to make space for your own needs while co-creating partnership. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel talks about the magnificent power of taking charge of your emotional well being. When we feel whole and safe, we are able to harness that energy and take charge to make a difference in the world - in our own way. YOU have the power to change the world. You do! She talks about the challenge of staying away from gossip and drama and gives examples on how to continuously bring love into situations that try to pull us toward negativity and judgement. Rachel also dives into the topic of making vulnerability the new "normal", not letting frustration build up and stagnate and the positive cycle of choosing to show up with love - every single day. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel gets real about her in-the-moment struggles: dealing with some serious sleep deprivation. She talks about her greatest challenges as a mother, being sensitive about comments she's getting on Instagram, feeling overall crappy and the realization that she wants to be more than "just a mom". To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel is joined by Thordis Elva; writer, journalist, public speaker and crusader for women’s rights. Thordis shares the powerful and painful story of how she was raped by her boyfriend at only 16 years old, the downward spiral it sent her on and how she was able to eventually find healing by confronting her perpetrator (who she ended up writing a book with!). They talk about the widespread issue of rape and sexual abuse and how the blame is often places on the survivor instead of on the victim and most importantly: what we can do to change the conversation. Thordis also shares some beautiful advice and support for survivors listening in. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can we find self-love in a society that constantly pushes us toward non-acceptance? In this episode, Rachel talks about body positivity and loving her postpartum body while struggling with that little voice in the back of her mind telling her she isn't good enough. She shares a recent and fairly amusing story of how the insecurity sent her spiraling into some truly irrational behavior and gives tips on how to stop the vicious cycle of self-judgement. By directing attention away from the stressful chatter of the mind we can move toward feeling grounded in the body - but it's not easy! She also talks about bringing energy toward what we want to create versus what we don't need and learning to appreciate the quiet moments - all while struggling with sleep deprivation. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel opens up about feeling taken advantage of and how it's a pattern that continuously shows up in her life. She shares a few examples of some very hard lessons she's had to learn in the yoga industry over the years and how even though they helped her grow and learn, she still finds herself too trusting in an industry that's sometimes everything but "zen". She also dives into the concept of forgiveness after having been hurt and tries to make sense of learning how to balance output with input. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel talks about a new practice she’s incorporated into her life: the art of being vulnerable. She talks about how being vulnerable and feeling your feelings right away sets us up for a whole new lightness of being, the challenge of making and keeping girlfriends and how to tap into a sensitive place as a teacher so we can improve the quality of what we share with the world. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel is joined by Amelia Barnes; yoga teacher, artist, designer and author of the book Landon's Legacy. In 2014 Amelia's son Landon was born. He died four days later. This episode is the painful but powerful story about how Landon passed away and the gut-wrenching journey that followed. Rachel was moving through the loss of her best friend around this very same time and together they dive into the topic of death, loss, healing through sharing, grieving out in the open and finding purpose in pain. In this episode you can expect lots of tears, but also inspiration to continue on and begin again after the worst has happened. Keep a box of tissues nearby - this episode is truly from the heart. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel is joined by Matt Cutshall; actor, singer, comedian and social media influencer living in LA. Matt shares the story of how he started a pop/rock band and spent five years of his life fighting relentlessly for that dream only to have it all fall apart right at the cusp of success. He also shares the contrast of growing up in a trailer park to the life he leads now and how it instilled a longing to give back to the world. They also dive into the magical topic of love and relationships - Matt recently found true love in his best friend @arielle and shares the full story of how deep friendship evolved into romance. This might just be the most anticipated love story ever played out on social media! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel is joined by Waylon Lewis; environmentalist, meditation teacher and founder of elephantjournal.com. They talk about sustainable living, the current political climate and the Buddhist view on mindful relationships. Waylon shares how he risked it all for the sake of caring for Mother Earth and gives his best tips for living a green life. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How can we transform darkness into light? In this episode Rachel is joined by entrepreneur, mom and super-blogger Isabella Löwengrip. They talk about juggling a successful career with the responsibilities of motherhood, the importance of women supporting women, using hardships to fuel your fire and how to become your own best friend. Isabella shares how being bullied in school and leaving home at a young age inspired her to start her own business and the importance of making healthy choices every day - not just for your body, but for your mind. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode, Rachel talks about her travels to Sweden, feeling overworked, the challenge of running a business as a new mom and why trying to be "superwoman" and doing it all just doesn't work. She also talks about how opening up about pain is the first step to healing, failing the no-sugar challenge (ugh!) and what she and her husband are struggling with as parents. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel is joined by her best friend and co-worker Olivia Rothschild. They talk about going through pregnancy and childbirth together and Olivia shares the story of how a scary burn out led her to leaving the corporate world and founding the non-profit 109 World. They also dive into fun stories from growing up and traveling the world together and how life is changing as they are settling into motherhood. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Can meditation change your life? In this episode Rachel is joined by Bee Bosnak, meditation expert and yoga teacher from New York. They chat about growing up with asthma, learning how to breathe through yoga and meditation and finding tools to heal emotional pain through sitting in silence. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel shares her own experience with making the decision to vaccinate her baby girl, the backlash she received online when she shared it with the world and how she is navigating this very delicate subject. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel talks about her sweet tooth; something that used to mean enjoying dessert after dinner but that lately has become a full-on addiction. How can we make changes in our diet (or in our lives) and stick with them? Is there a way to find a loving approach to quitting bad habits? Join Rachel as she embarks on a journey of freeing herself from sugar and get inspired to look at your own life: is there something you need to surrender to make space for more love in your life? Let’s find out! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Is it possible to be so connected to another human being that their pain can be physically felt within you? What happens when we are unable to let go of emotional pain from our past? This, and much more is answered in this weeks podcast episode. Rachel gets deep and personal and touches on a few traumatic experiences from her past - the death of her stepfather, her mothers suicide attempt and a car accident she suffered through in her teens. She talks about the physical pain she has carried throughout her life and the realization that it’s all connected to past emotional pain. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel shares how she found the yoga practice and how she started the movement that is #yogaeverydamnday. She also shares her best tips for starting up or maintaining a daily yoga practice, what yoga is like after having a baby and why suffering from intense back pain in the early stages of her practice turned out to be her biggest blessing. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel is joined by her husband Dennis and their baby girl, Lea Luna! They talk about how they first fell in love, what it's like working together with your spouse, life as new parents, dealing with social media fame and much more. Dennis shares how he found his passion for yoga (it wasn't through Rachel!) and why he was reluctant to be a guest on the show. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel is joined by writer and yoga teacher Jen Pastiloff. Listen in as they dive into topics like how to deal with social media trolls, body image and eating disorders, the power of staying authentic online, keeping your sanity as a new mom, yoga and much more. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode Rachel shares her struggles as a new mom and the guilt and self-doubt that often comes with motherhood. She also talks about the practice of sitting with pain and finding growth and healing by learning how to not escape emotions when they come our way. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this episode of From The Heart, Rachel is joined by Ashley Albrand; yoga teacher and ex-professional hip-hop dancer turned modern-day medicine woman and healer. Ashley tells her amazing story about overcoming intense trauma and abuse and how she found healing through practicing yoga and living in tune with nature. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is the true meaning of success? Is it possible to manifest financial freedom and still stay true to who you are? How can we do business with a heart? To answer these questions we dive into the topic of money, success and manifesting abundance. In this episode Rachel shares stories from her past to find the secrets to how she built a thriving business out of nothing. Coupling spirituality with abundance, we explore the idea of using meditation as a tool to cultivate trust and with it, the life you've always dreamed of. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

In this first episode of "From The Heart”, Rachel gets intimate and personal, sharing her detailed birth story with the world for the very first time. On March 13, she gave birth to a beautiful baby girl: Lea Luna. Longing for an unmedicated water birth at home, she ended up going to the hospital after 18 hours of intense labor. In this episode, Rachel shares the full story and how even when things don't happen the way you've planned... Life tends to play out exactly the way it's supposed to. To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices

From the Heart: Conversations with Yoga Girl debuts Friday March 31st! To learn more about listener data and our privacy practices visit: https://www.audacyinc.com/privacy-policy Learn more about your ad choices. Visit https://podcastchoices.com/adchoices