From the Heart with Rachel Brathen

Welcome to our last podcast of 2025, where, as usual, it’s time for our big Intention Setting Practice. This is our biggest and most sacred practice of the year. We will dance, move, feel into our hearts, and spill it all out on paper. Who do you want to become in 2026? This practice will guide your way there. You will set goals in four different areas of your life (home, mind, body, and soul) and you will also set a clear intention, affirmation, and word of the year for 2026. This is not about ‘new year, new you’. This has nothing to do with who society wants you to be. This practice is all about becoming the most authentic version of you. All you need is a journal and a pen. Let’s dive in! The song Rachel dances to in the practice is called Township Krishna by Krishna Das and can be found here. To do this practice, make sure you have first done Processing 2025: A Ritual to Move On. This will clear the air of anything still lingering from 2025. And, From the Heart Podcast is now on Patreon, where you will find bonus content and ad-free episodes. Available as a support for the Intention Setting Practice, you will find a Guidebook as well as a Bonus Episode: Embodying Your Intentions for 2026 on Patreon.  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

Somehow we have arrived at the end of another year - and with that, it’s time to say goodbye to 2025. Today’s episode is one of our most popular of the entire year. We are going to process the year that has now passed. Before you can sit down and set your intentions for the new year, you need to ask yourself: what did 2025 bring you? What was beautiful? What was difficult? What lessons do you want to bring with you into 2026? And what are you leaving behind in 2025? This is a very emotional practice that you actively do. You will create space and freedom inside your body, you will meditate, you will integrate big lessons, and you will work through various journaling prompts. So, 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 what’s to come. Take a journey into the takeaways, the blessings, the friendships, and the love that shaped the past year. From the overall feeling of the year, to what you manifested and created, you’ll move through a detailed timeline of 2025 over the course of this episode. It’s time to put away the past so we can move forward. Don’t forget to tune in next week on December 26 to set your intentions for 2026 in our biggest episode of the year. On top of that, we have some exciting news! From the Heart is now available on Patreon, where you will find ad-free episodes and extra content. Out today on Patreon only is a bonus episode: Processing 2025 - The Embodied Practice where you can continue today’s work in a physical practice. Join the patreon at patreon.com/rachelbrathen. 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

With the internet at our fingertips, are we losing our critical thinking and problem solving skills? And if so, where are we headed as a society if we can’t think for ourselves anymore? In today’s episode, Rachel talks about how to tell the difference between deep integrated knowing versus information we just copied and gathered online. It is imperative that we feel rooted in knowing who we are and where we come from. This episode will help you stand tall, determine resources that help you when you’re anxious, and keep you steady through any storm.  Next Friday is the start of our big end of year practices here on From the Heart. Be sure to tune in December 19 to process 2025, as well as December 26 to set your intentions for 2026. 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 many epiphanies will we come to in our lives? How many cycles of the spiritual journey will we go on? Well, maybe that’s the point. In today’s episode, Rachel talks about feeling lost again and again. With her husband away, her to-do list is overflowing, she has lost her voice, her daughter has gotten sick, and her son has the chicken pox. But maybe it’s not about having a perfectly peaceful life all the time. It’s about the moment where we catch ourselves, realize we are off the path, and work toward venturing back. It’s a practice! I’s learning to love the journey as much as the destination. Rachel opens up about it all. And whatever journey you may be on right now, this episode will remind you to keep your eyes on the horizon. You’re living life, and you’re getting there. 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

Your inner critic tells you a lot of things. Usually it’s just trying to keep you safe, but sometimes it’s completely untrue and harmful. In today’s episode, Rachel talks about her inner critical voice and how that is amplified in the online space. Sometimes the voice inside your head can sound a lot like the voices of the trolls online. After considering this, the conversation shifts toward our children. Do we really want to subject our children to everything that the internet brings with it? But how can we find a balance between keeping our children safe and not letting them feel left out among their peers? This is a tricky conversation and probably the biggest obstacle we will face as our children get older. Tune in for some heart felt advice. 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

Today we have an episode of Ask Rachel on the show - and somehow, all the questions beautifully relate and come full circle. In the first question, Rachel openly discusses her relationship with her husband and how they were able to fall deeper in love and grow into a new dynamic in their marriage. She shares an actionable practice that all couples should do every week. Then, she talks about healing from burnout and the single most impactful thing that helped her on this journey - connecting with nature.  All of this ties into the last question: how does it feel to manifest a dream? Going from burnout, mold and the most difficult time of Rachel and Dennis’ relationship, they are now flourishing on their land in Sweden and living in tune with nature. Things have come full circle, and today’s episode will remind you that no matter where you may be right now, life is leading you somewhere beautiful. If you have a question for Rachel, you can call her at +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

No matter how much we wish it to be so, balance is not something we arrive at one day and remain there forever. Finding balance is a daily practice. In today’s episode, Rachel shares her eternal struggle for balance when it comes to sleep, her diet, and taking care of herself in general. How can we choose the most grounding, loving thing for ourselves? And on the other side of the spectrum, how can we not indulge so much that we take the magic out of those special treats? This episode will help you recognize what you need more of, what you need less of, and how to tune into your nervous system and ground before succumbing to that old story that maybe you just aren’t disciplined enough. A little support can go a long way. Tune in to find it. If you are able to right now, please consider donating to an important cause dear to Rachel’s heart. Click the link here. Link: https://chuffed.org/project/lifeline?fbclid=PAZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAc3J0YwZhcHBfaWQPMTI0MDI0NTc0Mjg3NDE0AAGn-v_qz3-_MEHTuMe3qn7HtmVKxuRlEotWVwuqZL-JAR8zyDjEiDOb6jJTLTE_aem_oXDN5542GeQmfD4IphAQNQ  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

Today’s episode begins with Rachel talking a little bit about their family vacation to Tenerife. It was a nourishing time spent doing nothing but reading and lounging on the beach. And sometimes that is exactly what you need in a vacation. As Rachel goes down memory lane, she starts telling the story of how she fell in love with her husband 15 years ago in Aruba. Their origin story is one for the books! It has it all, from chance encounters to moving abroad on a whim. And here they are all these years later, still more in love than ever. Tune in for an episode that will make you believe in fate, fighting for what you love, and the beauty of coming out on the other side. 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

Today’s episode is a tender one that was difficult to record. Rachel opens up about her fear of death. She discusses how this fear has shaped her throughout her life, from her childhood when it was formed, through motherhood, up until this very moment. And after a traumatic experience in her home and losing her entire flock of chickens - it seems death has been surrounding her a lot lately.  But there is a truth that exists: there is no life without death. How can we navigate the uncertainty of life and still let go enough to enjoy it? How do we know when to listen to our intuition and act versus when to accept that we have no real control? Tune in for an episode that will break your heart open and remind you that while everyone dies - not everyone truly lives. 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

In today’s episode, Rachel opens up about a big, beautiful expansion happening in her marriage right now. For the first time in a long time, Rachel is able to lean more into her feminine side. Her husband has been taking the lead, and she has actually been able to accept letting go of control. How did these changes come about? It wasn’t from nagging or expecting someone else to become a new person - it was from recognizing barriers Rachel had put up over her own heart. Whenever we are struggling with something, we are quick to jump to external factors as the cause. But maybe we can’t rely on everyone else to change, and instead we have to recognize our own patterns in keeping people out. Tune in for a big episode of storytelling and finding change the only way it’s possible - through love.  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

In today’s episode, Rachel has just returned from a Path of Love Retreat, although retreat isn’t quite the right word for it. This is Rachel’s third Path of Love experience, and they have all been the most transformational and healing journeys of her life. She comes home with a newly found understanding of herself and the world. Rachel talks a little bit about Path of Love (but not much because the experience is secret!), and she also shares the lessons she has learned during each retreat. This is a process that will help you shed the layers that your upbringing and society have placed on you since you were little - to return to who you are meant to be. Tune in to hear Rachel’s experience from the heart.  If you are interested in learning more, or in joining a Path of Love Retreat, you can visit pathretreats.com and use code RACHEL. 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

This week on the show Rachel is away at a Path of Love Retreat, so she took some questions from listeners. It’s time for another segment of Ask Rachel! The questions today revolved around finding your place in the world, finding what truly makes you happy, and finding your purpose. So, it’s a pretty big episode! Is it romantic to live on a farm by the lake or is that just the filter of social media? How can you find your purpose in life if you are lacking a sense of direction? How do you know whether you should stay where you are or move? Tune in for an episode filled with storytelling, inspiration, and a light energy that will carry you through the day. 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

On today’s episode of From the Heart, it’s almost Rachel’s birthday! She shares her plans for the weekend and something big happening next week. Birthdays are usually a time to contemplate where you’ve been, where you’re going, and where you are right now.  But this birthday, Rachel feels like she is wearing her heart on her sleeve. A lot is moving around her and inside her - and it’s a beautiful and difficult time to be alive! She shares everything weighing on her, and discussions she has had with her daughter around body image and how to love yourself. Here’s to asking yourself big questions, big answers, and birthday weekends. Tune in for an uplifting episode that will remind you it is a gift to age. 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

In today’s episode of the podcast, Rachel talks all about toddler tantrums. Her two-year-old son is in a phase right now where he doesn’t like to wear pants, or sit in his car seat, or brush his teeth, and this often leads to some big emotional releases. But what if we shifted our views around? What if we could see a tantrum for what it really is - an intelligent little body learning how to hold and release anger? We all need big emotional releases. We all need an outlet to feel the anger, pain, frustration, and despair we are encountering on a daily basis. If we don’t have that, our anger is going to lead to some hurtful places. This episode will teach you some valuable lessons, like where does your anger go? Tune in to figure it out. 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

We are all connected to this earth, and we are all connected to each other. But whether we feel that connection or not depends on us. There are ways to strengthen this bond and bring it to life - and there are ways to dull it and cut ourselves off. So much of the suffering we see began with a sense of separation. In today’s episode, Rachel shares actionable ways you can deepen your connection to the world around you. It will help you feel more compassionate and empowered to take action against suffering. Tune in for a reminder that there is no such thing as other people’s children - and other people’s suffering is our suffering too.  If you have the ability to help those in Palestine, please visit here, here or here for the fundraisers that mean a lot to Rachel.  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

Can you hear your inner voice when it speaks? Do you know what feels like a yes to you, and what feels like a no? In today’s episode, Rachel is transitioning into the fall season. She opens up with a discussion on the chickens, her coming plans for her farm and garden, and her family life. This is a time of year where many of us feel the need to get more organized and structured. And to do that - we need to set boundaries. What is your experience with setting boundaries? Are you in a deep, connected relationship with yourself, where you can stand up for what you need? Or do you shy away from confrontation and keep the peace at the expense of your wellbeing? The first step is to learn who you really are. Tune in for an episode that will help you hear your inner voice loud and clear.  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

What if the difficult thing you are going through is bringing you to an important learning? What if the pain you are feeling is there because it needs to be felt? Today’s episode is an emotional one, with Rachel opening up about difficult family dynamics, old wounds, and things that just aren’t working for her anymore. With the past weeks feeling really heavy and dark, Rachel has decided to see a coach with her husband, and she has been having some difficult conversations with family members.  Sometimes there is nothing to be done but feel the feelings coming your way. And sometimes the real peace is found in letting go. Tune in for a vulnerable episode on the balancing act that comes with holding everyone around you while trying to protect your own heart at the same time. 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

Today’s episode brings us another segment of Ask Rachel! Rachel answers four questions from listeners and they were all very deep and thoughtful. First she takes a question on how to slow down time as parents. Is that possible? And if so, what does it look like? Next, Rachel answers a question on the intention setting ceremony we do every year. How can we make our intentions stick throughout the year - or how can we give ourselves space to mourn if they are no longer relevant? Going deeper, Rachel answers a question about influencers who remain quiet on important social issues and injustices in the world - and what we can do about it. Finally, to end the episode, Rachel answers a lighthearted question on the story of her tattoos and what each one means. It’s a rollercoaster of an episode that will bring you through so many different emotions and back. Tune in for the conversation! If you have the ability to help those in Palestine, please visit here, here or here for the fundraisers that mean a lot to Rachel.  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

In today’s episode, Rachel shares a very difficult, dark and vulnerable story of what happened to her in a plant medicine ceremony she did once. Before getting into it, she opens up about an ayahuasca ceremony from her early twenties and how that changed her life. Then she dives into this ceremony and everything that happened.  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 is it that we live in a world full of sunflowers, bumblebees, sunshine, toddlers, and delicious cups of coffee - that also has genocide, war, starvation and suffering? How can our minds handle switching between two extremes, holding many emotions at once, and feeling helpless through it all? Is there anything we can really do about it? On today’s episode, Rachel does her best to share how she is navigating the bizarre reality of the world right now. She opens up about how she has been able to find new avenues to be of greater service to those in Gaza, and how it brings all the emotions at once: from heartbreak, loss and grief, to hope, compassion and gratitude. There are things we can do. This episode will help you hold everything at once. After all, it’s all we can 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