Community Highlights: Meet Rachel Browning

Today we’d like to introduce you to Rachel Browning.

Hi Rachel, thanks for joining us today. We’d love for you to start by introducing yourself.
I’ve had my fair share of health challenges throughout my life. I’ve had lifelong issues with my gut, and it took years to get properly diagnosed. I had an accident that resulted in a severe back injury when I was 20 years old; at one point, I couldn’t hold my purse, sit up or lay down. Whenever I tried to get answers or find help, I was met with a vague answers and a lack of compassion. I even had a doctor yell at me after my back injury, telling me I have to “find a way to stop being ridiculous and hurting myself.” Countless doctors told me my stomach problems were “in my head.” I developed a horrible relationship with food and my body. I thought every ache and pain was “my fault,” every stomachache was because I must have “eaten something wrong.” Every issue I believed was because I was causing it, because I wasn’t good enough, because I couldn’t exercise enough or eat less. Apparently in the game of life, I just wasn’t good enough, wasn’t fast enough, didn’t have enough self-control. I used to eat once every three days, and I thought that was “discipline” One day when a doctor was being really nasty, I decided to try and change my mindset a bit. I had taken the bus a long way get to my appointment but I was close to a cute neighborhood in Venice I had always wanted to visit. If anything, I could take advantage of the day and try to reset myself. I got off the bus, and staring me in the face was a sign “Chiropractic Care and Massage,” it read, “Worker’s Comp Accepted.” I was confused, my boss had (incorrectly) insisted I go to the doctor he had referred me to.

So I wondered inside…sitting there was the chiropractor and massage therapist. “Um, I’m sorry to bother you, it just says you take Worker’s Comp, and I’ve injured my back, and…” The chiropractor and CMT immediately jumped up, “Oh my gosh, you’re walking like your in so much pain! Why are you carrying that bag? Let me take that, have a seat! Do you want some hot ginger tea?” I was totally floored, this was the exact opposite of how I had come to expect treatment at a health facility. They got me my tea and sat, leaning towards me, listening to every word I said. They had such genuine concern and understanding, and they helped me come up with a plan. In the months that followed, they had me feeling like myself again! And they even referred me to someone to help with my digestive issues and got me diagnosed for the first time in my life. Not only were they personal, understanding, and helpful, but the entire office had an aura of health. Quiet music, wooden rafters, beautiful decorations…I literally looked forward to my appointments. And instead of looking me over for 2 minutes and refusing to give me any information, they educated me on so many aspects of my spine and my tissues.

I spent my whole life wanting to be in the medical field but had become quickly disillusioned with its allure. But this, this I loved. I loved that they had created a beautiful space, that they gave me time, that they listened to me instead of telling me I was always wrong about my body.

I knew that this was the only way I ever wanted to interact with clients. This was the kind of person I wanted to be for them. It’s not a linear journey, I’ve taken many courses and changed directions many times. The thing that always remains; is that I want to create a non-judgmental space for my clients. I listen to them, and I believe them when they tell me something is off. I take their pains and their concerns seriously. And I never, ever encourage them to demonize food or blame their body. Our bodies, no matter what form they’re in, are wonderful vessels that have supported us and done amazing things. I see so much judgment and intensity in the fitness industry today, and I will fight back against it every step of the way. We all deserve to be heard. We all deserve to look at ourselves and feel love. No matter if it’s burpees, stretching, meditating or getting a massage, all of it should be there to support YOU, in whatever form that takes.

We all face challenges, but looking back would you describe it as a relatively smooth road?
I am suspicious if any entrepreneur tells me their path has been “easy.” There’s so many mistakes, assumptions, and challenges along the way. I had managed to quit my day job and go fully freelance, then the 2008 financial crisis hit, and I had to start from scratch (and take a minimum-wage job in the process.) I’ve made lots of little mistakes as well; using the wrong apps, misquoting prices when I’m in a hurry, trying new business ventures that went nowhere…taking on business partners that dropped out halfway through a project. Recently, the pandemic was a huge blow since I had a 100% was an in-person hands-on business. Oddly enough, I was less stressed than past experiences. If you stick with something long enough, you know that there are always roadblocks. So it was not an easy time, but I’ve been able to shift my business into being mostly virtual. It’s not as simple as the internet will tell you, but I was able to take the time to adapt, and because I’ve jumped so many hurtles in the past, this time I knew I could figure it out.

Alright, so let’s switch gears a bit and talk business. What should we know?
I am a Certified Health Coach. This means I guide my clients along their wellness journey in whatever area they need or want help in. Some clients I lead them through workouts strengthening their muscles and joints (I’m a Certified Personal Trainer and Orthopedic Exercise Specialist ), or I help them with stretching and mobility (I’m a Certified Yoga Instructor), or by teaching them self-massage techniques for their aches and pains, or with manual therapy (I’m a Certified Massage Therapist). I also advocate for them to their doctors to help them get the correct tests and referrals that they need.

What sets me apart is that I’m extremely well educated on a variety of modalities, so I can look at my clients’ wellness from a holistic approach. Each client is unique, and every program is specially formulated for each individual. I work with a variety of people, including seniors and disabled clients. Now that I can work virtually, I’m able to see clients from anywhere in the world. This had been a great addition to my current clientele, which pre-pandemic was purely local.

I educate my clients so that they can take away information to be used in their daily life. I want them to be able to do things on their own when they want to feel better! It’s so empowering to have tools to use when something is awry.

Risk taking is a topic that people have widely differing views on – we’d love to hear your thoughts.
In my personal life, I’m definitely an adrenaline junky. I’m always seeking novel experiences…I love trying new things! I like rock climbing, cliff jumping, backpacking, and travel abroad. I’ve swam with sharks, jumped out of an airplane, gone bungee jumping, hitch-hiked through Colombia, went up in a hot-air balloon, slept on a wooden floor in Myanmar, and just about anything else you can think of. New adventures are what I live for, they’re what fuel me!

Oddly enough, I tend to be risk-adverse in my work-life. I had to built everything myself from scratch, so I’m careful with my finances and try not to divert my client’s energy on trying every new exciting thing. There’s a lot of snake-oil in the wellness space, and I don’t to mislead my clients to waste their time and money on every new shiny thing.

But, some of my successes were from my greatest risks. I gave up my only stable job to take a Yoga Teacher Training and travel for seven months. I paid for massage school with all the money I had in my account at the time and was sleeping on a couch when I did it. After the 2008 crisis, I had gone back to school and gotten my degree…only to decide I wanted to do what I loved (opposed to the office job I was setting myself up for), so I put the fee for my Personal Training Certificate on a credit card after I had been laid off when a studio went under. So sometimes, the right risk can have a huge payoff. But I’ve also lost countless hours and dollars investing in things that didn’t pan out, so risks don’t always turn into success stories.

Contact Info:

• Email: [email protected]
• Website: www.RachelBrowningWellness.com
• Instagram: www.instagram.com/rachelbrowningwellness
• Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/RachelBrowningWellness
• Yelp: https://www.yelp.com/biz/rachel-browning-wellness-los-angeles?utm_campaign=www_business_share_popup&utm_medium=copy_link&utm_source=(direct)

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