Lately, though, Brathen has also been posting a bit about politics and social justice.
And some of her fans are extremely unhappy about it.
Back in March, Brathenposted a picture on Facebookwhere she expressed her opinions about Donald Trump.
We don’t need more separation, more fear, more hate.
This world needs to UNITE, not divide!
It’s understandable that she feels a bit dismayed.
Which is a really weird thing, if you think about it: Shes a person, after all.
And it makes sense that she has political views and feelings about whats going on in the world.
And why exactly is wellness considered so separate or distinct from politics anyway?
Brathen isnt alone in navigating these murky waters.
As a human being, Brathen is a whole lot more complicated than that.
It’s just that some people dont want to know about it.
With all this in mind as a backdrop, we called up Brathen to have a conversation.
Additional reporting by Carolyn Kylstra.
Brathen:I live in Aruba, a small island in the Caribbean.
It’s really broadened my reach.
Brathen:Sometimes I do.
SELF: Why do you think that is?
Brathen:Specifically with social media, I think people get used to the same thing.
SELF: It sounds tough.
So, what made you decide to be vocal about your beliefs in the first place?
But there’s so much happening these days politically.
Every day there’s something new.
We shouldn’t close our eyes to the state of the world.
I didn’t know what I was getting into.
I wasn’t expecting this huge, negative backlash.
I even got death threats.
Some of it was also really enlightening.
But most of the reaction was completely hateful.
I posted in support ofBlack Lives Matteron my personal Facebook.
All lives matter!"
But that’s taking attention away from the urgency of this challenge.
One thing doesn’t negate the other.
That’s just not really the issue at hand.
So I started getting a little more vocal again.
Brathen:It really comes down to us all being human beings.
It’s all so connected.
In March, we supplied a whole community in Nicaragua with potable water for the the first time.
That trip changed everybody’s lives.
It’s so much easier easier to love yourself if you feel connected to the world.
Brathen:It’s both.
After my posts yesterday, I lost a couple thousand followers.
Every time I share anything like that, my engagement as a whole goes down.
We can make a big difference.
It doesn’t mean you have to change your whole persona or brand.
It doesn’t mean I’m not going to be yoga_girl anymore.
But I can insert this aspect of humanity and politics and speaking up about things that matter into that.
I think there’s a way to make it fit.
This interview has been condensed and edited for clarity.
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