From the Heart with Rachel Brathen

Happy Summer Solstice! This week’s episode is a time of celebration and Rachel’s family is deep in it: it’s Swedish Midsommar and Bear turned one! Rachel talks about celebrating this time of year in a way that aligns with nature. She shares the meaning behind Midsommar and rituals you can do (especially a beautiful ritual to dream about your soulmate). On top of that, you’ll learn typical foods and drinks for the occasion and fun games played in Sweden that you may want to try with your own family. At the end of the episode, Rachel discusses the everyday chaos of family life, especially now that Bear is one, which is something almost everyone can relate to. Tune in for a fun, family-filled episode that will remind you the reason behind everything we do. 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

Think about the time before iPads, smart phones, and other devices. You came home from school and played outside. You went on a road trip and sang songs with your family. You did arts, crafts and other activities when you were bored. Today’s episode discusses the sensitive topic of smart devices, the internet, and how excessive screen time can affect the health and wellbeing of our children. Have we lost the ability to be bored? Can we still find presence in the moment? Rachel shares stories from her own family life and offers ideas to limit screen time and raise well balanced kids. The internet can offer us so much - can we learn to keep the good and get rid of all the rest? Tune in to find the balance. 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

So many of us live our lives burnt out. We work, we provide for our families, and we spend the rest of the time managing our never ending to-do lists. Or is that just an old story we tell ourselves? If this sounds like you, today’s episode ponders a very big question: is it possible to change who we are at our core? Rachel has always been someone who puts work first, who never stops moving, and who always has a million projects on the go. She reflects on why this might be the case: is this all she witnessed and experienced as a child? If life had turned out differently, would she have been different? And if so, how can we unlearn any generational trauma and unhelpful thought patterns to get back to who we truly are within? Today’s episode will help you reframe your past and learn to prioritize rest. There is hope in the beautiful mundane moments of life, and the dishes can wait. Tune in to begin. 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 often does your inner critic tell you that you’re not good enough? How often do you feel the urge to poke, prod, fix, and change yourself? In today’s episode, Rachel is coming out of a few hard weeks with bad body image. She unpacks that negative voice within and how to walk the fine line between authentic self-love and obsessing over what you look like. After a triggering experience in a changing room and a comment from a stranger, Rachel was feeling the pressures of society to look a certain way - especially as a postpartum woman. But there is a true path to loving the skin you’re in, and it has nothing to do with your appearance. It’s all about finding embodiment and peace in the moment. You can choose joy, kindness, and self-love - right now. Tune in to realize it. 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

Do you have a morning routine? This practice can be absolutely life changing - but can also feel so impossible when we have little kids. Rachel has been having such a hard time with sleep and parenthood lately that a morning routine - and a lot of self-care activities in general - have been absolutely impossible. In today’s episode, she discusses how to navigate your mornings in a way that works for you.Whatever phase you are at in parenthood, know that it is all fleeting. Our job is to take care of ourselves through all of life’s ups and downs the best we can, and cherish the special moments we have with our kids along the way. It won’t last forever.Maybe it’s time for a whole new era! One filled with sleep, self-care, and no guilt. And of course, Rachel also discusses her recent experience at the Taylor Swift concert. It’s a fun episode filled with transition. Tune in to embrace it all. 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

It’s time for Ask Rachel! Today’s show features a fun mix of questions from various callers. If you’ve been wondering how to deal with drama taking the joy out of beautiful moments, or struggling with mom burnout and the overwhelm that comes from spending all day with your kids, or if you’re interested in different modalities of healing - today’s episode is for you.Join Rachel as she discusses balance, boundaries and healing, and even a book she has been working on! It’s sure to leave you feeling uplifted, inspired, and set on your own unique path forward. If you have a question for Rachel, call +1 720 443 1771. 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

f you’re having a difficult week, today’s episode will help you make it through - in any way that you can. After having a low week herself, Rachel sits down and opens up about everything unfolding at the farm. She talks lice, mice, and through some twists and turns she discusses more serious issues, from the environmental crisis to the genocide in Gaza. How can we navigate knowing that there is so much terror unfolding in the world? Are we allowed to take care of ourselves when others are experiencing such pain? What direction are we headed as a society? And maybe most importantly, can we do anything about it? This is an emotional episode that asks some big questions, so bring tissues and always remember to hold your heart first. 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

For all mothers out there, today’s episode offers comfort, solidarity, and a true chance to build a village. Rachel and her family are celebrating spring after a long Swedish winter. Bear is taking in all the new things, the weather is beautiful, and the days are magical. However, nights are a different story. Rachel shares a day in the life of Bear; his sleep schedule, his nap schedule - and where things just keep falling apart. For humans with little ones, motherhood is all consuming. It’s tiring, intense, and way too much - and also the most beautiful and precious time that we have. Rachel has been living in both worlds, and she discusses the duality of it all, and most importantly, the need for a village. Everything would be a lot easier if we held each other a little closer, and Rachel has a plan. Tune in to know you’re not alone. 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

Whether you’re a gym person or not, today’s episode holds a beautiful message and some funny stories along the way. Rachel shares the surprising news that she has become… a gym person? She discusses the complicated relationship she has had with the gym in the past - stemming from serious body image issues, the gym used to be a place where she felt inadequate, awkward, and driven by her inner critic. After a spiritual experience while strength training, she had a shift in perspective. Maybe you don’t need to take yourself so seriously in a place where others typically do. Maybe the gym can be a place where you find deep, internal self-love. And maybe, finding strength in your body brings it to other areas of your life as well. Tune in for an inspirational episode that will show you the magic of movement, strength, and doing things your 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

It’s time for Ask Rachel on the show! In this episode, Rachel takes four very heartfelt and passionate questions from listeners. How can we change bad family dynamics to invite more vulnerability and closeness into our relationships? What is the best way to repair a relationship after we have made a mistake and are filled with shame? Is it possible to set boundaries in the workplace? How do we know when to follow our hearts versus our heads?For all your relationship questions, this episode has an answer from the heart. Life may be full of tricky scenarios, but there is always a way through. Tune in to find it. If you have a question for Rachel, call +1 720 443 1771. 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