Yoga Girl: Conversations From The Heart

We’re almost done with 2020! But, in order to move into 2021 with clarity, it is so important to process everything that happened this year; the lessons, the hardships, the practices, the blessings, the relationships, and the gratitude. In this week’s episode, Rachel will guide you through a practice to summarize 2020. Give yourself the space to journal, feel, cry, yell, contemplate, and come home to yourself so that you can set your New Years intentions from a clear, peaceful, conscious place. Bring a journal and pen to today’s show - you will move through several journaling prompts, and hear many personal examples shared by Rachel. This is the year that changed all of our lives. But, you made it through! Remember to congratulate yourself for making it through to this point, and give yourself the gift of clarity, of gratitude, and most of all, of processing and letting go. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you struggling to find boundaries with your phone, your apps, or your devices? Are you constantly scrolling with no actual purpose? Your phone should be a tool to connect, find inspiration and communicate with loved ones. If it is controlling your life or stealing your energy, you may need to change things up! On this week’s episode, Rachel shares tips and tricks to help disconnect from our phones and the apps we use most, and reconnect to a more present place in our lives. Our phones have stolen some very important things from us: our presence, and our boredom! We all want to be present and truly here. And it is through the quiet space that opens up in boredom that we discover our interests, our genius, and who we really are.  If you can become conscious of your behavior and addiction to your phone (it’s not your fault, they were designed that way!), then you can set limits and draw boundaries. This episode shares concrete steps you can actually take in your life to put your phone down. Tune in to be fully present for your one precious life. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s episode may be uncomfortable, but it is a conversation we need to have again and again. Joining us on the show is Emmanuel Acho, former NFL linebacker, Fox Sports analyst, and New York Times bestselling author. After the death of George Floyd, Emmanuel found himself mourning, unsure what to do with his grief. After sitting down for some hard conversations with his white friends, he was inspired to launch a video series: Uncomfortable Conversations with a Black Man. Seen by millions of people across the world, the series continues to educate and spark conversations around the uncomfortable and crucial topic of race. Join the conversation as Emmanuel shares the lightbulb moment that began his journey, how he questioned his own Blackness growing up in a predominantly white culture, his take on white privilege and how to use it to help others, spirituality and race, implicit bias and more. Guilt and avoidance will not end racial inequality - only love can do this. The way to truly love others is to listen to them, to put ourselves in their shoes, and to acknowledge the struggles, injustices and harm they face. Tune in to find strength and hope, and to walk the path toward a world that is more equitable, kind and loving for all. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Do you remember what it felt like to be a child before the world got to you? There was a time in your life when you were totally present, moving with the rhythms of your natural essence, allowing your being to be exactly as it was. When did that stop? Somewhere along the way, we start to become separate from our bodies. Maybe for you, this shift happened slowly, or maybe something unbearable came your way that forced you to grow up too fast. Did you feel unsafe in your body? Were you convinced your body was not good enough? Most importantly, what coping mechanisms did you learn along the way to shield you from this pain - and how do they show up in your life still today? We all live with various coping mechanisms that we have learned in response to trauma, hardship and pain, and they played a crucial role in our development. When we were younger these learned behaviors kept us safe, they protected our nervous system, they tucked away our worries and fears so we could deal with them at a later time. That time is now. If you are experiencing the same patterns over and over again, if you check out, if you dissociate - it is likely happening because you are being triggered by something that reminds you of the real pain from your past. The difference now is that you finally have the tools to heal and process. The universe may be hitting you on the head with the same problems over and over again, and that means it is time to find the underlying causes and to truly let them go. We often think healing takes a grand gesture - a trip to a mountaintop or an intense yoga retreat on the beach. But the first moment of healing happens when you realize you’ve left yourself, and you bring yourself back. That first moment of awareness is all it takes. Over time, you leave yourself less and less. In today’s episode, Rachel shares her own recent and personal experience of physically letting go. It’s hard, it hurts - but when you heal now you heal what was then. At the end of today’s episode, Rachel shares some valuable journaling prompts so you can dive into an actionable practice on your healing journey. Tune in to return home to what you’ve always been at your core. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

When life brings you difficulty, what can you do? If you feel held back, sluggish, or stuck in a rut, where can you turn? First, you can be kind to yourself. Second, you can make actionable changes in your daily routine and watch your world transform! In today’s episode, Rachel is joined by Robin Sharma. A world leader in personal mastery, best-selling author, and the genius behind The 5am Club, Robin has inspired millions, including Rachel, to rise at 5am and experience the magic hour. This year has been challenging for so many of us, and we are all impacted by the struggle all around. But, there is hope! Periods of destruction and disruption bring an opportunity to leave with more wisdom, more creativity, and more healing. Will you take advantage of it? Remember that all change is hard at first, messy in the middle - but beautiful at the end. It comes with knowing when to work, when to rest, and when to rise.  Don’t miss out on this powerful time of transformation and healing! Tune in as Robin shares the benefits of rising at 5am, how to create long-lasting change in your life, and the way you can feel the magic for yourself. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Join us today for a special bonus episode as we continue the conversation on cultural appropriation with Susanna Barkataki. This conversation began 2 years ago when Rachel and Susanna were first introduced - after Rachel was accused of cultural appropriation herself. Rachel has come a long way since then, and she shares the realizations and changes she has made in her business and in life. But - there is always more work to be done!  Continue this important conversation with us today. You will learn how to come into your power by embracing the history of yoga on a deeper level, why creativity is the solution for cultural appropriation, and how you can use your power to uplift others instead of causing them harm. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

What is cultural appropriation, and how does it relate to yoga? Is yoga political? Should you say Namaste at the end of a yoga class?  In today’s episode, Rachel is joined by yoga diversity advocate Susanna Barkataki to deepen our knowledge and understanding of how to properly honor yoga’s roots. There is a misconception in the Western world as to what yoga is. Yoga is not only a physical practice that happens on our mats but an ancient system of ethics and philosophy - a system that has become altered and diluted as it spread to the west over time. Colonization and commercialization have had a big impact in shaping what we perceive yoga to be, which unfortunately now has strayed a long ways away from what the practice truly is about. While India may no longer be under British rule, historic oppression and the white washing of yoga has lasting effects and is still causing harm today. It is our responsibility to recognize the harm that takes place, to notice where we are complicit with it, and to do the work to ensure we are honoring the roots of this practice. Susanna helps us weave through this complex topic by defining cultural appropriation and offering real-world examples and stories. This may be a challenging conversation to begin having with ourselves and our teachers, but fortunately the practice of yoga is one that teaches us to sit with discomfort and offers the potential for a deep awakening. How can you be more inclusive to all? Where are you in a position of power? In what areas can you deepen your understanding of yoga? Tune in to dive deep and find the answers you have been waiting for. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Couples who do therapy together, stay together! What do Rachel and Dennis do to deepen their relationship? How does Dennis feel about the practice of sharing? Why does Ironman make Dennis emotional? All of these questions and more answered in this week’s episode of the Yoga Girl Podcast as Rachel is again joined by our favorite guest, her husband Dennis. Rachel and Dennis are in the midst of a 9-week couple’s course and Dennis is currently in the US, so they share everything from intimate communication (and how Rachel and Dennis do it differently), supporting each other’s self-care practices, why communication and intimacy is the most important thing, parenting, traveling to an Ironman in Florida during the election and a pandemic, and more!  Rachel and Dennis’ self-care practices differ immensely, but it’s all coming full circle in this episode as Rachel actually gets Dennis to open up about his feelings and doing the inner work. It’s through open communication that they recognize the need for their own individual self-care practices that will bring them closer as a couple. But ultimately, how does Dennis feel about it? Tune in to find out! Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

How are you doing? It’s a question we get asked all the time, but when was the last time you answered that question from a place of raw, honest truth? Let’s check in. In this moment, how are you doing – REALLY? Instead of answering on autopilot, drop deeply into your body. Close your eyes. Place to hands to your heart. Breathe deeply. Feel. What is it like for me to be here, as I am, in this moment? Checking in - becoming fully present in your own body - is a practice that will completely transform your life. Our days are a roller coaster of ups and downs, thoughts, experiences, and triggers that impact both our state of mind and our emotional heart. If we don’t recognize a trigger when it comes our way, we will not understand why we feel the way we do, and we usually end up turning to coping mechanisms without knowing what lead us there in the first place. This is why we must consistently and dedicatedly check in with ourselves - not just once a day on the yoga mat, but as often as we can. In today’s episode, Rachel shares the important practice of checking in (and exactly how to do it), over and over again. This is the practice of coming home to your heart, taking deep breaths, and listening to what is really there. Over time you will gain the ability to make sense of your feelings, understand your reactions, and feel at home in your body. This practice also allows you to notice where and how you tend to numb and check out (without judging yourself!) so that with time, you can choose differently. Tune in as Rachel shares her own personal triggers, the causes and reactions behind them, and the impact this simple practice has had on her life. By creating the space to check in, you can begin to live a more conscious, present life, and figuring out what you really need becomes a little easier every time. Tune in to come back home to you. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Welcome to the much-anticipated YOGA episode of the Yoga Girl Podcast! Tune in today as Rachel takes questions from the Yoga Girl Community about the practice of yoga, how to start your practice, finding a teacher that resonates, honoring the roots of yoga, common misalignments and more! Wherever you are at with your practice, if you’ve never stepped onto a yoga mat or if you are an advanced practitioner, this heartfelt episode from Rachel is a step-by-step guide not only into the practice of yoga, but what it means personally for you as well. Hint – it’s not really about the asana, it’s adapting the practice to fit your needs while simultaneously creating a routine that works for you. The Yoga Girl community wrote in some amazing questions for Rachel, and these are some of the golden truths that we need to hear right now. Yoga is so sacred and personal, and this episode will guide you through the ways to choose a practice, teacher, habit, lifestyle and resonance that works for you. Life is cyclical, and we all go through ups and downs - it’s the same with our practices! But if we keep our hearts aligned with the true roots of yoga, then we are able to make a shift in our internal lives and open to the abundance of the true roots of the practice. Tune in to continue on the journey. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

The best way to have a great day is to start your day off GREAT! On this week’s episode, Rachel shares her sacred morning routine in 10 steps, why you absolutely should cultivate a morning ritual and how carving out time for self-care first thing in the AM can (and will!) profoundly change your life. What’s the first thing you do when you wake up? Many of us reach for our phones or hit the snooze button. A great day begins from the inside out, so before you dive headfirst into what the day has in store for you make sure you are feeling grounded and ready! The Yoga Girl Morning Routine is designed to bring body, mind and heart into alignment. With a dedicated space to feel, move, dance and breathe every single morning you set yourself up for success, no matter what the rest of the day brings. Even if rising at 5am isn’t possible for you, there are definitely small (and big!) changes you can implement that will turn your world around. This episode will inspire you to create change around how you wake up, guide you through the 10 steps to have an epic morning, and inspire you to implement changes that create long-lasting growth. Tune in to create your own epic morning routine!  Rachel’s 10 steps are as follows: 1. RISE! 2. READY 3. MOVE 4. DANCE 5. FEEL 6. PRACTICE 7. SIT 8. WRITE 9. READ 10. PREPARE Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Today’s episode has the power to propel your healing process to an entirely new level as Rachel shares five simple – yet radical – steps to alchemize and process your emotions.  The first years that we spend on this earth are crucial when it comes to our development and the ways that we relate to the world around us. Were your feelings validated as a child? For many of us growing up, we were shamed or punished for being angry, sad, frustrated, or any feelings that as a society we have labelled to be “bad”. As we grew up, we may have internalized that shame, which leads us to avoid our feelings, to deny our lived experiences, and ultimately, to think there is something wrong with us. But now the ball is in your court… And you have the chance to heal! The next time you find yourself feeling anxious, depressed, stressed, sad, angry, or frustrated, sit with the five steps Rachel shares in this episode (Pause, Notice, Name, Track and Validate!). Over time, you may realize that your old wounds don’t trigger you anymore, your harmful patterns show up less, your mind has more space, you are less reactive, and more steady. The practice really isn’t about avoiding what is hard, but to learn how to honor what is real and true in every moment. One thing we know for sure is that we could all use a little more peace in our lives. Tune in to feel - and heal. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are you wondering what exactly you are here to do and what the actual F is going on in the world? Congratulations! You are not alone; we are in this together. We are ALL feeling lost and wondering the same things as the global pandemic plays on. What we can do is anchor into our day to day rituals and practices that make us feel good. Instead of overthinking the past or feeling anxious about the unknown future, we can spend our energy and our time doing something that makes us feel really GOOD, like an absolute 10 out of 10.  In this week’s episode, Rachel expresses the importance of anchoring into day to day rituals, relationships, people, places, and experiences that charge you up, and make you feel really good. By identifying behaviors in your day to day life that you would like to let go of and taking steps to implement habits that will fill your soul, you are taking your power back, and creating 10/10 experiences for yourself every single day.  This episode will inspire you to sit with the light of the Aries full moon to use the illuminating intuition and courage to get really clear on where you spend your energy, what changes you can make to improve your daily habits, and what you can release from your life. In order to make space for the things you DO want in your life, where can you let something fall away that doesn’t contribute to your highest potential? Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Have you been having a hard time implementing day to day habits that lead to you feeling really good, throughout the day and throughout your being? We are all struggling somewhere, and there are little changes in our self-care we can make that can help to get us out of a rut and into a more centered, clear, connected place.  On this week’s episode, Rachel shares the 3 changes she has made in her life that finally got her out of a rut and back into a lightness of being. As good as it feels to sit on the couch, eat homemade baked goods and watch Top Chef, it feels a lot better to watch the sunrise at 5 am, and start the day from the inside out.  Starting the day by exploring your inner world and cutting out that which does not serve you can do wonders for your wellbeing. This episode will inspire you to really give yourself time to be alone, to meditate on what it is that you can bring into balance into your life, to get outside into nature, and to make the commitment to implement small daily changes in order to feel good deep inside of your soul.  Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices

Are we all going to be ok? This is one of the most heartfelt questions that Rachel answers on this week’s episode. It has been a while since she sat down to take questions from our listeners – and ultimately, we are all wondering about the same things. As we navigate this new world, we are not feeling grounded, centered, safe or secure. We are swinging from high to low, trying to find some type of normalcy and balance during a global pandemic – and we are starting to develop a new reality of actually not being ok. But, Rachel shares inspiring advice that gives us all a reason to move forward. Tune in as Rachel opens up about the deeper questions of finding peace during global panic, how to take care of yourself as an empath, accepting our pain, and also things like her LEAST favorite yoga pose, how day to day life is going in Aruba, if her family will leave the country, and how Lea Luna desperately wants a sibling. This episode will remind you to honor yourself first, to care for yourself first, to lean into and own uncomfortable feelings, and to contemplate what it is that you need to be doing on a daily basis in order to take care of YOU. Learn more about your ad choices. Visit podcastchoices.com/adchoices