Yoga all day, traveling the world and living on a tropical island with her new husband and dogs; Instagram celebrity Rachel Brathen is living every girls dream. Brathen, born and raised in Sweden, began practicing yoga as a teenager. Her love for yoga really began after a trip she took to Costa Rica at the end of high school. Her relationship with yoga developed even further and she moved to Central America in order to uncover the wonders yoga has to offer. Today, Rachel lives in Aruba and is a full time yoga teacher. Her classes focus on both the spiritual and physical aspects of yoga and is one of the leading teachers in stand up paddle board yoga. “Each class is designed to energize the body, cultivate a meditative consciousness, and give greater vitality and health,” she said. She teachers workshops around the world and has about eight yearly yoga retreats.
Brathen’s popularity skyrocketed thanks to Instagram. She has 1.1 million followers and with her endless pictures of yoga positions, beach sunsets,and juicing recipes, it is not hard to become obsessed with her account. Brathen was even written about in Esquire magazine in the article, “The Women We Love of Instagram: A ‘Yoga Girl’ Who Loves the Beach” by Dan Hyman. She has been called, “the yoga instructor who inspires more than 1 million followers on Instagram everyday.” In addition to her classes and Instagram followers, Brathen is also the author of her own book Yoga Girl. The book explores Brathen’s journey from her difficult teenage years to her “bohemian” lifestyle of practicing meditation and yoga on the beaches of Aruba.
Brathen feeds into the “yoga crazy” attitude in which many young people have taken interest. She spreads the gift of yoga through her Instagram pictures of herself doing a headstand on a paddle board and videos of backbends and downward dogs. Yoga is both an exercise and spiritual activity that allows people to receive physical benefits as well as mental benefits. Yoga increases flexibility, improves muscle strength and tone, and benefits cardiovascular health. In addition to the apparent physical benefits, yoga also allows people to connect with their body, focus on breathing, live in the moment and rid the mind of all judgement and negative energy. The more we do yoga that more we become aware of what we put into our bodies and how we handle ourselves, which leads to an overall healthier lifestyle. Brathen exemplifies this healthy lifestyle by posting pictures of veggie smoothies, fresh fruit and homemade granola.
Rachel Brathen exemplifies girl power. Her self-made journey from a girl from Sweden to a yoga celebrity goes to show that a determination and faith can make any dream come true. She is an inspiration to girls everywhere and shows that a little hard work and determination pays off. Not only does she show her followers the magic yoga has to offer, she promotes a healthy lifestyle and empowers women to feel comfortable in their bodies. Go follow her on Instagram account! You won’t regret it!