From the Heart with Rachel Brathen

As parents, we would stop at nothing to do what’s best for our children. But sometimes, what’s best isn’t black and white. If you’re navigating the difficult world of parenthood, today’s episode will help you intuitively recognize your child’s needs by honoring something that isn’t often given enough credit - your child’s own intuition. Rachel shares the story of how Lea slowly found her place in...

It is said that the first seven years of your life are crucial in the development of the person you will one day become. That inner child in you still lives on - in your nervous system, in your reactions, and in feelings you cannot always explain. Today’s episode will help you understand the language of your own inner child. Rachel shares a story of her experiences as a young girl, and how lingeri...

As multifaceted human beings, we are able to hold so much within ourselves at once. Our hearts guide us toward pleasure, joy, and rest. Our minds lead us to create, to work, and to find purpose. But what happens if these two parts of our being are at odds with one another? How can we find internal balance between the give and take? Today’s episode will illuminate the way. Rachel begins with some s...

You know those days where nothing seems to go right? Where your life feels like a manifestation of Murphy’s Law? Rachel sits down in the midst of a two-week long meltdown to record today’s podcast. From getting sick, to missing appointments, dropping tea on her keyboard, having no hot water, and Dennis almost giving up on Sweden, Rachel shares the entire story. It’s a doozy! If things seem hard fo...

When Rachel pictured her life in Sweden, she saw days in the forest, swimming in the lake, and getting her hands dirty in her own vegetable garden. But the late arrival of spring has made the last one nearly impossible. If you’re a struggling gardener, today’s episode will inspire you to continue the journey and have a few laughs along the way. As Rachel records today’s episode, there is snow comi...

In today’s episode, Rachel has just returned from the dealership after buying her first car in Sweden. Finally feeling like an adult in her home country, this sparks an epic story where Rachel shares a secret from her teenage years. It involves a scooter, a lot of alcohol, and two cops. You hear the full story, from everything that happened, to how it affected her and her history of driving.  Our...

Do you want to make a change in your life, but you can’t find the energy to actually do it? Do you think you’re only worthy of rest after you work to the point of exhaustion? Today’s episode will inspire you to reprioritize, find balance, and chase your dreams. As Rachel sits in the eye of the storm before a very intense week, she contemplates how her life got to this moment. A few years ago, she...

Being human comes with many emotions and even more fragile moments. If you’re having a hard time taking it all in lately, today’s episode will remind you that you’re not alone. Rachel begins the show with a much-needed check-in. Take some space to allow yourself to be the way you are before diving deeper into today’s topic. After receiving some personal news about her family, Rachel is feeling a l...

There is a lot going on in the world right now. If you’re feeling guilty for what you have while others are lacking, or if you’re not sure how to help, today’s episode will remind you of what’s really important. As Rachel gets some things off her mind, she shares how overwhelmed she has been lately with Dennis in Aruba, her work duties piling up, and the world seemingly in chaos. Feeling like she...

It’s a hard time to be human right now - or maybe it always is. If you find your anxiety levels rising from constantly checking the news, or if you’ve been unwilling to look at the news at all, today’s episode will help you find the balance between the give and take. Rachel begins by sharing the story of the service initiatives she has developed throughout her life. From saving snails, to rescuing...

Everything changed this week. With Russia waging war on Ukraine and European stability threatened, it’s no surprise that many of us are feeling shaky. If you’re trying to process confusing emotions, or if you’re not sure how you can help, today’s episode will guide your path. After saying goodbye to Dennis at the airport and dropping Luna off at school, Rachel had a shaky morning even before learn...

Do you feel powerless in your life? Are you stuck in certain situations and patterns with no end in sight? Kind of like your life is a freight train speeding out of control? Today’s episode will empower you to critically look at the moments you abandon yourself and make conscious decisions that are in alignment with your soul. Never again will you forget your ability to choose. After recognizing a...

Joining the Yoga Girl Podcast for the first time since the big move to Sweden: it’s Rachel’s husband, Dennis Schoneveld! A Trans-Atlantic move is no joke, but at least there is Dennis’ sense of humor to bring out the best of it. Tune in as him and Rachel answer all of your Instagram questions. Does Sweden feel like home? Does he miss Aruba? What is the weirdest thing that Swedes do?  From building...

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,...

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...

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...

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. Recoun...

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 lif...

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 eventu...

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....

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,...

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...

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...

If there is one truth, it is this: we are nature. Today’s episode begins with a meditation to remind you of that. You will physically connect with the ground below you and energetically imagine your roots going deep into the earth. Rachel then continues to discuss the craving she has had lately to fully immerse herself in nature: to grow her own food, to drink water from a natural spring, to spark...

The creative process is tricky, elusive, and completely different for everyone. If you’ve been feeling uninspired lately, today’s episode will anchor you into your unique creative qualities - and maybe stir within you your next big project. Joining Rachel from her tea table today, she shares her own creative process. It is one that has shifted since a major burnout and a worldwide pandemic, but on...