Yoga Girl Rachel Brathen, Pseudo Guru, Real Cash Grab

[QueenBW]

Hi all (actually, is anyone out here?)

I looked here on Tattle, and even on Reddit and there doesn't seem an active, dedicated, place to discuss "Yoga Girl" aka Rachel Brathen. Which is odd considering she has 2 million followers on Instagram and is one of the OG Yoga Influencers. And also, she's kind of a mess.

There have been so many dramas in her life. So many.

Most recent ones?

- Stirred up a tit storm in Aruba, where she lived with her husband Dennis and her daughter Lea Luna (who has no privacy thanks to her mommy dearest), when she suggested that people should stop traveling to Aruba for tourism during the pandemic. Arubans got MAD at her, and she made a whole thing out of it, claiming to have been up all night for days out of concern people would go and do something to her/her house. THEN her husband traveled to Florida for an Ironman race, hardly a life or death situation, still in the middle of a pandemic. Hypocrite much?
- Her house in Aruba had mold, she made a whole drama about how she had felt it in her bones for months and had been sick as a dog for months (funny, sick but not sick enough not to travel a lot even in the pandemic). The house did have lots of mold, so they had to throw away most of their possessions. Sad, no doubt, but the way she handled it was the most privileged thing in the world. You'd think no one in the history of humanity had ever lost their home to nature.
- She used the mold and the Aruban drama to force her husband's hand and finally accomplish what she'd been planting the seeds for in ages: a move to Sweden. She framed it as a "return to her roots" and "being home."
- As another aspect of this "home" thing she keeps drumming up, she set up an online course that's going to cost somewhere around 2,000 USD around the idea of "HOME" and nature as our home.... this was of course entirely lifted off other people, especially indigenous activists. Does she, in any part of her website, acknowledge indigenous cultures and wisdom? Of course not.

So. Those are kind of the main points. Anyone out there care to join the discussion? I didn't even touch upon all the pseudo science she pushes out.

I used to like her. Isn't that how we all end up in Tattle? We used to like an influencer, until they showed their true colors.

 

[Winkle]

I follow her, maybe for the aruba/Sweden voyeurism, she certainly doesn't post much to do with yoga anymore. Interesting to hear someone elses viewpoints anyway. Anybody read her books?

 

[Karen4eva]

I follow her, maybe for the aruba/Sweden voyeurism, she certainly doesn't post much to do with yoga anymore. Interesting to hear someone elses viewpoints anyway. Anybody read her books?

I read an excerpt of her most recent book regarding the sad death of her best friend. It was really off putting to me, she was in hospital herself for appendicitis or the like and made her friends death about herself. Like she could feel her dying and she knew at that exact moment!! It gave me the ick.

 

[QueenBW]

@Karen4eva Yeah, that was the beginning of the end of Yoga Girl as a relatable, positive social media figure for me. She wrote about it on her instagram when it happened, pretty much word for word what she put in the book, and it was just so... odd to me at the time. But I figured it was her way of processing her friend's death. But then the whole book was just as bizarre. She kissed the dead friend's boyfriend while she was in Costa Rica for the funeral, even though she was very much with Dennis. Just bizarre stuff.

@Winkle I totally get that. She has lived in perfect looking houses/places. She obviously has loads of money, which is kind of insane when you think about how she's just some woman who got millions of followers cause she posted photos of her attractive body in a bikini on beautiful beaches. She didn't go to university, she doesn't seem to have any real qualifications besides being a Registered Yoga Teacher.

It's just wild to me who we, as a society, decide to enrich and bolster. There's not a single influencer who hasn't let me down :S

 

[Cocomelonmom]

Hello! I'm new here and suddenly thought ooh yoga girl, I wonder if there's a thread for her... Amazed there's not more here!
So I used to love yoga girl, really really loved her. A few things she's done has put me off her over the years...
The way she acted at the beginning of the pandemic when she thought lea had covid was atrocious I thought, verging on munchausen syndrome by proxy, it was almost like she got off on the fact her daughter could be one of the first children to get it, all very narcissistic and unnecessary. The poor child would have been worse off because of Rachel's behaviour around it. I also don't agree with putting your children out there to millions of people on the Internet I find that very unsettling.
Yeh she apparently comes from a wealthy family

 

[Cocomelonmom]

@Karen4eva Yeah, that was the beginning of the end of Yoga Girl as a relatable, positive social media figure for me. She wrote about it on her instagram when it happened, pretty much word for word what she put in the book, and it was just so... odd to me at the time. But I figured it was her way of processing her friend's death. But then the whole book was just as bizarre. She kissed the dead friend's boyfriend while she was in Costa Rica for the funeral, even though she was very much with Dennis. Just bizarre stuff.

@Winkle I totally get that. She has lived in perfect looking houses/places. She obviously has loads of money, which is kind of insane when you think about how she's just some woman who got millions of followers cause she posted photos of her attractive body in a bikini on beautiful beaches. She didn't go to university, she doesn't seem to have any real qualifications besides being a Registered Yoga Teacher.

It's just wild to me who we, as a society, decide to enrich and bolster. There's not a single influencer who hasn't let me down :S

Where did you read/hear about her kissing the friends boyfriend?!

 

[QueenBW]

Where did you read/hear about her kissing the friends boyfriend?!

She wrote about it in her book, To Love and Let Go. Framed it as some sort of "grief" thing but it just left a bad taste in my mouth.

And yeah, her attitude when she thought Lea had Covid at the beginning really contrasted her behavior when they actually DID have Covid and she was all "I'm fine, we're fine, Lea probably has it, but not gonna test her. This is Sweden."

 

[Winkle]

@Karen4eva Yeah, that was the beginning of the end of Yoga Girl as a relatable, positive social media figure for me. She wrote about it on her instagram when it happened, pretty much word for word what she put in the book, and it was just so... odd to me at the time. But I figured it was her way of processing her friend's death. But then the whole book was just as bizarre. She kissed the dead friend's boyfriend while she was in Costa Rica for the funeral, even though she was very much with Dennis. Just bizarre stuff.

@Winkle I totally get that. She has lived in perfect looking houses/places. She obviously has loads of money, which is kind of insane when you think about how she's just some woman who got millions of followers cause she posted photos of her attractive body in a bikini on beautiful beaches. She didn't go to university, she doesn't seem to have any real qualifications besides being a Registered Yoga Teacher.

It's just wild to me who we, as a society, decide to enrich and bolster. There's not a single influencer who hasn't let me down :S

yeah I hated the book - i skipped through parts of it which is not like me. She really pushed home the idea that she is a pre-ordained healer and very special etc. just rubbed me entirely the wrong way. I still follow her though - just fascinated by her lifestyle, and how she always seems happy/laughing/amused/loving life in her stories.

speaking of her wealth, it also amazes me that followers are driven to spend thousands on the home program for example. just boggles my mind

Hello! I'm new here and suddenly thought ooh yoga girl, I wonder if there's a thread for her... Amazed there's not more here!
So I used to love yoga girl, really really loved her. A few things she's done has put me off her over the years...
The way she acted at the beginning of the pandemic when she thought lea had covid was atrocious I thought, verging on munchausen syndrome by proxy, it was almost like she got off on the fact her daughter could be one of the first children to get it, all very narcissistic and unnecessary. The poor child would have been worse off because of Rachel's behaviour around it. I also don't agree with putting your children out there to millions of people on the Internet I find that very unsettling.
Yeh she apparently comes from a wealthy family

i actually missed all this with the covid at the beginning - did she overreact?

 

[QueenBW]

i actually missed all this with the covid at the beginning - did she overreact?

She did and in a very performative way. She was crying on stories and drove Lea to the hospital in a panic and kept talking about it like it was a sure thing Lea had COVID-19 and she'd be one of the very first kids to get it and it was extremely dramatic. I don't know, maybe it's because I'm not a narcissist, but when my dad was in hospital I wasn't posting stories with my over-mascara-ed lashes bleeding black tears down my cheeks, and sobbing. I was just... there. Present.

Now she's whining about how Lea refused to go to school today because she hates it and Rachel feels like a bad mother, cause everything is about her of course. But yeah, what did this enlightened healer thought would happen when she decided to uproot her kid? That child hasn't had stability in well over a year, but hey, Rachel wanted to go back to Sweden, everything else be damned.

 

[Cocomelonmom]

@Winkle yes! I have always been fascinated / incredulous at her ability to be constantly upbeat and loving life... I used to be inspired by her but since having kids I'm completely bemused by it and cynical because how can anyone be like that 24/7...

@QueenBW perfect round up of that whole episode! It was awful to watch, poor lea was subjected to that, if Rachel was as worried as she made out then get off your bloody phone!!

 

[LittleBluebird]

When did they move back to Sweden?

 

[Karen4eva]

When did they move back to Sweden?

Only about a month or two ago. It seemed quite quick to me, but I think she’s wanted out of Aruba for a while, as they don’t like her anymore.

 

[Cocomelonmom]

How come the arubans have gone off her?!
Also what's Dennis saying to the evacuation?!

 

[QueenBW]

How come the arubans have gone off her?!
Also what's Dennis saying to the evacuation?!

In 2020 she posted a lot of stories upset that people were traveling to Aruba in the middle of the pandemic. She had some good points, like how the Aruban hospital infrastructure isn't built to sustain a lot of pressure, so it could have collapsed due to COVID-19. But she just posted frantically and it sounded like she was telling her 2 million audience NOT to travel to Aruba, and Aruba obviously largely depends on tourism. Some Arubans took offense and started commenting on her posts telling her if she didn't like it she could leave. She said she'd received threatening DMs. She spent the entire night posting, saying friends had had to come over to protect them, essentially implying the locals were going to harm her.

After that, she started saying she didn't feel safe in Aruba anymore, that this had solidified a feeling of wanting to leave. Soon after that, the mold happened and she got her perfect excuse.

As for Dennis he seems to be okay, I guess he thinks it's only fair since she lived in Aruba for so many years for him? But it's only been a month and a half, so who knows. She did say that last year had been the hardest for their marriage, so maybe he isn't as happy a camper about the move as she makes it look on her stories.

 

[Cocomelonmom]

How interesting, yeh it's funny I don't know anything about the guy but for some reason I get a feeling he is a full on island lad, like it's in his bones, and I just don't see him living anywhere other than tropical climes long term
...which as I say I don't have the faintest idea but I really feel that way, like he needs to be in his homeland more than she needs to be in hers if that makes sense. I guess I get the impression she's such a floater (as it were) a nomad, that she could sort of live anywhere and she's not particularly tied to or deeply rooted anywhere, I don't feel her connection to Sweden is that strong for whatever reason, when she gushes about it, somehow I just don't feel it's that genuine and authentic, does anyone else feel this?

So I'm just seeing her new home for the first time... Trust her to get a bloody gorgeous place with bloody phenomenal views and sunsets to rival Aruba's!!! Fgs

 

[Karen4eva]

How interesting, yeh it's funny I don't know anything about the guy but for some reason I get a feeling he is a full on island lad, like it's in his bones, and I just don't see him living anywhere other than tropical climes long term
...which as I say I don't have the faintest idea but I really feel that way, like he needs to be in his homeland more than she needs to be in hers if that makes sense. I guess I get the impression she's such a floater (as it were) a nomad, that she could sort of live anywhere and she's not particularly tied to or deeply rooted anywhere, I don't feel her connection to Sweden is that strong for whatever reason, when she gushes about it, somehow I just don't feel it's that genuine and authentic, does anyone else feel this?

So I'm just seeing her new home for the first time... Trust her to get a bloody gorgeous place with bloody phenomenal views and sunsets to rival Aruba's!!! Fgs

The views are stunning!! Do you think she bought that property? I’m such a nosy person, but Yoga Girl must be making them serious money for that kind of property, even renting.

 

[Lamy]

Lea is a joyful little girl so she probably miss to be surrounded by joyful kids. It’s probably hard to adapt to a Swedish school. Rachel should put her in an international school imo!

As for Dennis, it’s the honeymoon for him in Sweden. Let’s see when he runs out of vitamin D and crave for sun.

 

[Winkle]

The views are stunning!! Do you think she bought that property? I’m such a nosy person, but Yoga Girl must be making them serious money for that kind of property, even renting.

she said a few times that its her family's land and her brother has a property beside theirs. Is there no end to her luck

Rachel should put her in an international school imo!

that would make sense. I think she sent her to a steiner school

 

[Lamy]

she said a few times that its her family's land and her brother has a property beside theirs. Is there no end to her luck

that would make sense. I think she sent her to a steiner school

She is in the countryside though so it’s cheaper than in the capital city.
But yeah, as if she needed a free land as well.

So now she is going to lead “home” workshops? How to display a feather and a piece of branche to make it homey? 1666$ for 7 weeks

And now she is rambling again about being a bad mother and moving to Sweden was a terrible mistake. It probably is!! Pack up and go back to Aruba!!

 

[Winkle]

And now she is rambling again about being a bad mother and moving to Sweden was a terrible mistake. It probably is!! Pack up and go back to Aruba!!

i usually don't listen to her stories but my God that was irritating. She went so hard about going easy on herself but I somehow doubt she was that hard on herself in the first place. and in the middle of talking about how her family might be so unhappy she is still laughing ?!