From the Heart with Rachel Brathen

We have arrived at the end of another year. 2023 is almost behind us! Can you believe it? This week’s episode is the start of our New Year’s rituals. Grab your journal and pen, brew yourself some tea, and settle in for not just a regular podcast episode, but a beautiful practice that will prepare you for next week’s intention setting practice. Take a journey into the hard, the beautiful, the takea...

Welcome to another episode of From the Heart and another segment of Ask Rachel! In today’s show various listeners call in with a wide variety of questions, and Rachel answers them all from the heart. From lack of sleep, to temper tantrums, and how to navigate miscarriage and loss, a lot of the questions focus on family life and resources that can help. On top of that, Rachel takes questions on how...

Today’s episode is all about winter! Growing up in Sweden, Rachel had a hard time dealing with the darkness and cold so far north. But now, winter has become one of her favorite times of the year. If winter just isn’t your season, this episode will help you embrace, love, and appreciate all that it has to offer. Especially if you suffer from bouts of seasonal sadness, tune in to learn how to best...

This week’s episode features the return of a very special guest after a long break, Dennis Schoneveld! He is here to update us on life in Sweden, his experience with freebirth, and what it’s like being a dad of two. After talking family it’s onto business, with Dennis sharing what he does for a living, the three exciting projects he’s been working on… and of course, coffee! It’s a fun episode, tha...

Today’s episode is another segment of Ask Rachel. Rachel takes three random questions from three different callers - but the questions are all essentially the same. How can you connect to a place of self-worth without all the doing? How can you still feel lovable when you are not productive? How can you find peace without having to prove yourself to the world? These are big questions - and ones th...

Today’s podcast episode may not be the uplifting, inspirational one you are looking for - but it’s one we all need. It’s a dose of connection, community, and how to pull yourself out of deep, dark holes. Rachel is pondering a big life question we may all be asking ourselves right now: is the world inherently good? Still in the Maldives, Rachel shares a nagging feeling that she just can’t shake. Sh...

In today’s episode, Rachel is speaking to you directly from the Maldives! As the first family vacation with Bear, Rachel shares what the day to day life is like on a paradise island, how the baby has been adjusting, and whether she misses life on the beach. Being on vacation with 16 of your family members is always interesting, and she shares how her family dynamics play out before diving deeper i...

Life with a newborn is beautiful and simple; tiring but gratifying - it is everything all at once! In this episode, Rachel gives an update on life with Bear, his little personality, what her normal day looks like, and her thoughts postpartum. These easygoing days have become one of the most healing times of Rachel’s life, but at the same time, the world is collectively anchored in a place of mourn...

On this episode of From the Heart, listeners call in with questions for another segment of Ask Rachel. After a little update on family life, Rachel dives in. She answers questions from how to handle shifts in your identity, how best to balance healthy living without becoming obsessive, and how to stay grounded in your purpose no matter what life throws your way. This episode also features a very b...

In this episode, Rachel is speaking to you from her first week of being a lone parent in the house. Dennis now has a full-time job, so Rachel is on her own with the kids. With a big change in routine, things haven’t been going as smoothly as Rachel had hoped for. She shares about the challenging days she’s had as the lone parent, how she’s trying to find her groove, and how through it all, she kee...

The world as we know it was flipped on its head this week. In today’s episode, Rachel talks about the state of it all directly from her heart. In difficult times like this, not only should we keep up with our self-care practices - but it is crucial that we do. The world is asking something of you: ground yourself. Sometimes that may feel like you’re shying away from the pain, but in reality, that...

This week’s episode is a special one: it’s Rachel’s birthday week! With some big feelings in her heart, she reflects on the past couple of years and how her life has played out. Going from working non-stop in Aruba, to a pandemic, to illness and mold, and to finding her way to a farm in Sweden, it’s safe to say that things are very different now. And it was on her last birthday that she found out...

Ask Rachel: Repairing Relationships, Quieting the Inner Critic, and Returning to Love Welcome to another segment of Ask Rachel. On today’s episode, Rachel takes a wide variety of heartfelt and vulnerable questions from different listeners. She talks about how to repair relationships with your loved ones (and how important of a skill this is!), her inner critic and the negative thoughts that keep p...

As we know, life with a new baby often means the mother’s wellbeing gets left behind. So much of our lives are focused solely on our little one! But in this episode, Rachel shares a big revelation she has had over the past few weeks: all that matters is that you show up. The rest will follow. Right now, Rachel has found herself in a very good place when it comes to her self-care routine. She share...

Every single time you step outside there is so much medicine at your fingertips. In today’s episode, Rachel will introduce you to the world of herbalism. You will learn about different plants and how to live a life more connected to nature. The episode begins with Rachel’s origin story; from how she became interested in herbalism and her journey to deepen her knowledge. From there, a beautiful int...

In today’s episode, Rachel shares a heartfelt update on motherhood, which includes everything from sleep, to running a household, taking care of yourself, and being a working mom. After a really intense day alone with Finn, she finds herself coming to a big revelation: she needs help. It’s never easy to ask for or receive help. But maybe this craving deeply weaves into our longing for community. R...

Welcome to Ask Rachel, where you call in with your questions and Rachel answers from the heart. Today’s episode is a fun mix of questions from many different listeners. Rachel shares tips and advice on everything from home birth, to eating organically, and sharing your time as a parent of two. Then she gets personal, answering how Dennis and her discussed having kids and their future plans for the...

If you’re a human on this planet, you know just how important self-care is. That is especially true if you’re a mother. We give absolutely everything to our children: our bodies, our minds, our hearts and our souls. How can there be room left over for us at the end of it? In this episode, Rachel asks a pivotal question: does it truly take a village to raise a child? She shares a hard moment from m...

Today’s episode of From the Heart is a beautiful life update from Rachel to you. She talks about craving community, feeling pain and weakness in her body, and how she has been going through a challenging time with Finn throughout the past week. Having a newborn is hard!  But no matter how far you’ve been led astray, you can always find your way back. Rachel discusses the steps she has taken to ret...

If you are postpartum, or have just been in a rut lately when it comes to your physical health, today’s episode will inspire you to come back to movement - but not for the reason that you think. Rachel is back to her yoga practice after taking so many months off for pregnancy. She shares what her journey back to the mat has looked like; slow, steady, and with one clear motivation in mind.  The way...

Welcome back to From the Heart, where today we have a segment of Ask Rachel. In this episode, Rachel takes questions on ways to connect to our ancestral past, where to start when it comes to herbalism, and how to release the fears and anxieties we may feel about good things ending. It is a beautiful array of questions where no two relate, but all are just as important. Tune in for a deep and insig...

The first 40 days postpartum are thought to be the most sensitive and vulnerable (although of course, postpartum lasts much longer than this!). As Rachel has just passed the 40 day mark, she is here to share a step by step guide of her journey to replenish and heal herself after birth. If you are expecting (or plan to be soon), this episode will give you actionable advice on how to take care of yo...

Today’s episode is a hard one… so bring some tissues. This week, Rachel said goodbye to her first dog Quila, who died in her arms. Quila has been with Rachel since the very beginning. She was her very first dog. She moved from Costa Rica to Aruba and to Sweden as Rachel moved. Saying goodbye this suddenly is not easy. Rachel tells the story of Quila today, sharing how she adopted (stole) her, her...

In today’s episode, Rachel is speaking to you at almost four weeks postpartum. She shares what life has been like in the newborn bubble and how her physical recovery has went since birth. On top of that, you get to hear an update on the entire family: Finn’s sleeping patterns, Rachel’s worries about Lea as a mom of two, and how Dennis is handling the transition. Overall, it’s a big time for this l...

Just in case you didn’t know… Rachel had a baby! In this episode, she speaks with you at two weeks postpartum to tell you the entire story of free birthing Little Sun. From when she first realized she was in labor, to the mantra she used throughout, who was present, and how everything unfolded - you will hear it all. Rachel intimately shares her favorite moment with Lea, Ringo’s role in the birth,...