From the Heart with Rachel Brathen

In today’s episode, Rachel is one month into having some space away from social media and her phone. She shares the realizations and insights that have come from that. Suddenly, life feels more spacious, more calm, and more peaceful. Suddenly, there are hours in the day that can be spent doing the things she enjoys, instead of losing hours she doesn’t even notice in front of a screen.How much time do you spend on your phone per day? How often do you reach for your phone without even thinking about it? At the end of it all, we should be actively trying to do more of the things we like, less of the things we don’t, and reminding ourselves that building community - meeting face to face and heart to heart - is what ultimately matters. Tune in for a reality check you may need today.

What We Spend is back for another season of diving into the financial questions you never get to ask. In Season 2 we’ll ask a brand new set of people from across the country and the financial spectrum to open their wallets — and their lives — and share what they make, what they want, and, for one week, what they spend. If you want to be on What We Spend, we’d love to hear from you. Write us at: [email protected] Available now: link.pscrb.fm/f0281/WWS_FTH 

We are so close to Halloween now, and in today’s episode, Rachel talks about how she can actually feel the thin veil between the realms of the living and the dead during this time. She shares her personal experiences surrounding loss - and the fear of loss - that has had such an impact on her life. From her beloved pets to her best friend, Rachel touches on the aspects of loss we don’t usually focus on. She also shares a beautiful story of grief and completion about someone close to her.As we age, we are going to get more and more familiar with loss. We can either shy away from it, or learn from it. Right now is a beautiful time to invite the people and animals that you have lost into your life, through conversation, through lighting a candle, and through bringing their presence into your day to day. With loss comes pain, grief, and sadness, but it also brings the opportunity to reflect on just how much love can be present, even after our loved ones pass on. Tune in for an episode that will help you navigate this time of year.

In today’s episode, Rachel has just returned back from Path of Love, and she is still in the process of integrating back into everyday life. She shares a little bit about her experience at the retreat this year, but also what was different this time when it comes to her home dynamics. One of her greatest takeaways is how badly she just wants to live in her body - and how difficult that is in our regular lives.How often do you leave yourself? How often do you slip into a state of disengagement? How often do you pretend to feel one thing, when really you are feeling something completely different? Rachel shares an example of this that she experienced with her kids, and she also shares a very powerful lesson. The moment you realize you have left yourself, is the moment you are returning home. Tune in for a tender and open-hearted episode that will stir some things inside you.

Is Rachel secretly a right-wing tradwife? A raging, anti-vaxxing liberal? Both? Does she get handouts from her family? Is she controlling in her marriage? Does she have ADHD and endless help at home? Does she do gentle parenting perfectly? In today’s episode, Rachel asked her followers what their biggest judgements and pre-conceived notions were about her. There were many! Some made her laugh, some were triggering because they were incorrect… and some were triggering because they were true. After almost 15 years on social media, Rachel is used to people having many ideas about her online. But who is the real Rachel Brathen? In this episode, she shares her journey of accepting criticism and incorrect perceptions online and unpacks some of the repeated ideas about her. One thing is for sure - a lot of questions are going to be answered! This episode was both uncomfortable and liberating for Rachel to record. But, at the end of the day, do you know who you are? Can you let go of the boxes that other people place you in? That is the most important question.

It’s time for an Ask Rachel on this week’s episode of the podcast. While the episode started off on a high note talking about pottery and balance, it descended into what is on every woman’s mind right now: our collective rage. Rachel has lost a lot of faith in society. Do the men even want to change? Do they even care about us? She answers questions from listeners on this subject and shares her own thoughts. For her, instead of asking herself how she can talk to her daughter about this issue, she is now wondering how she can make sure her daughter is armed and prepared. She also opens up about how we need to raise our boys and the tools we need to give them. The responsibility shouldn’t be on us, but we can’t sit around waiting for men to change. Tune in for an episode that will help you let the rage through and channel it into something productive.

Listening to your inner voice takes work - especially if you are a female living in this world. We have been raised in a society that expects us to mold ourselves to fit it. We have to look a certain way, act a certain way, and think a certain way. But now, we are trying to raise our kids differently. Is it possible to raise them differently if we grew up being molded and changed ourselves? And if we can, how do we actually teach our children to listen to their own authentic voice? What if their inner voice goes against what we are teaching them as their authority figure?In today’s episode, Rachel tackles these difficult questions. It’s a never ending healing journey - but parenting can be so healing in and of itself. Maybe the answer lies in breaking free of society’s expectations together. In some other fun news, Rachel is headed to Path of Love soon and she has a fun episode coming up that you won’t want to miss! Tune in for all the details.

In today’s episode, Rachel has just gotten back from a night of camping in the forest with her kids. Was it a successful camping trip? Yes and no! Rachel had a hard time winding down and letting go of control, so she didn’t sleep a wink. But it was great to connect with nature with her family. She shares the entire experience and everything that happened.How much of your life do you spend outdoors? And if the answer is not much, can you bring more of your life outside? Rachel shares some ideas in today’s episode, from cooking outside, to playing outside, sleeping outside, and just being present with yourself outside. Tune in for an episode that will inspire the outdoorsy adventurer within you - we are all craving a deeper connection with nature.

When you really think about it, there are so many parallels between healing trauma and knitting. If you find a hole or a knot in your project, you have to work backwards. It feels like losing a lot of progress - but you’re actually building something more beautiful in the end. In today’s episode, Rachel opens up about the trauma work she’s been doing lately and how it has brought her to a new chapter in life. Now, more than ever before, she chooses things for joy. She reaches for what her inner child wants. She does things simply because they make her happy. It may seem simple, but it feels like a big revelation. The world is full of potential, and we can make choices with joy at the front of our minds. How are you choosing joy in your own life? Are you crafting? Are you taking care of your inner child? What do you reach for when joy is calling to you? And can you do more of it? This episode will remind you that sometimes the simple things are really what life is all about.

It’s time for another episode of Ask Rachel! Today Rachel takes a beautiful and very relatable question from a listener on how to speak more kindly to your body. She shares her history of struggling to speak kindly to herself, and a moment when she was nine years old where she first felt like her body wasn’t good enough. Ultimately, this is a practice! Rachel gives some little things she does in her day to bring out the voice of her inner best friend and quiet the inner critic. There are always resources we can use to find more self-love. And that is especially important when it comes to our children! Rachel talks about things we can teach our kids so they speak kindly to themselves, and gives examples of conversations she is having with Lea right now. On top of that, she takes a question on how to pick up new skills and start new projects, and relatedly, some advice she has for learning new languages. Your body can do incredible things! Tune in for a reminder to be kind so it can work its magic.