From the Heart with Rachel Brathen

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.