Meet Rikki Van Brackle

We recently connected with Rikki Van Brackle and have shared our conversation below.

Rikki , so good to have you with us today. We’ve always been impressed with folks who have a very clear sense of purpose and so maybe we can jump right in and talk about how you found your purpose?

I didn’t find my purpose in a textbook or retreat. I remembered it—through my body, breath, and bloodline.

I’m a native New Yorker, born of Queens grit and Brooklyn resilience. I served as an NYPD officer specializing in domestic violence until a life-altering injury on duty forced me to pause. That rupture—painful and unjust—became my turning point. I chose myself. I had spinal surgery to rebuild my body and began the deeper healing work to mend my Spirit.

As I walked the sacred path of recovery, I discovered holistic medicine: breathwork, reiki, ear acupuncture, dance, hula hooping. At first, it was just about survival. But over time, I realized—this was ancestral. This was ritual. This was liberation work.

From that remembering, The Butterfly Hippie was born. A reflection of the transformation I’ve lived through—and the joy-centered, spirit-led freedom I now guide others toward.

I created The Free Woman Project as a love letter to our healing. Through our pop-up “Hoop, Dance + Heal Portals,” I’ve brought sacred movement and energetic medicine to precincts, parks, block parties, community centers, and beaches.

This isn’t performative wellness—it’s Spirit-led, street-rooted work. My purpose is to be a vessel of joy, remembrance, and transformation. I don’t fix what’s broken. I free what’s sacred.

Thanks for sharing that. So, before we get any further into our conversation, can you tell our readers a bit about yourself and what you’re working on?

What I do lives at the intersection of Spirit, embodiment, and liberation.

I am the founder of The Free Woman Project — a Spirit-led, street-rooted nonprofit reclaiming joy, movement, and ancestral healing for Black and Brown communities. Through our signature “Hoop, Dance + Heal Portals”, we offer hula hooping, reiki, AcuDetox (ear acupuncture), EFT tapping, and sacred ritual in parks, precincts, community centers, shelters, and sacred spaces across NYC and beyond. We serve survivors of carceral harm, domestic violence, and generational trauma. We move. We heal. We rise.

I’m also the heart behind The Butterfly Hippie — my creative and spiritual brand devoted to energetic medicine, embodiment, and remembrance. My sacred transformation sanctuary Casa Mariposa in Costa Rica offers retreats, sessions, and healing experiences rooted in joy, nature, and radical softness.

My published works are extensions of this mission:
• Ancestor Angel Numbers: A Guide of Divine Alignment + Ancestral Wisdom helps readers decode the divine messages our ancestors send through number sequences. It’s spiritual confirmation, reimagined through a culturally-rooted, intuitive lens.
• The Free Woman Path is a ritual workbook for Black + Brown women ready to exit the matrix, reclaim freedom, and reawaken their magic — especially abroad. It’s an invocation. A liberation manual. A love letter to those walking the wild path of remembrance.

I also host The Margarita Room Podcast — a YouTube livestream activation space where I guide chakra alignments, movement meditations, ancestral channeling, and live healing rituals, often with my sacred hoop and the sound medicine of artists past and present. It’s a space to come home to your body, joy, and truth.

Right now, I’m expanding The Free Woman Project with new citywide collaborations, sports partnerships, and hoop donation drives to reach more people who deserve access to this medicine. We’re building something sacred — rooted in joy, powered by purpose.

Healing doesn’t have to be hidden in a studio. It can happen on the block, in a hammock, in a hoop.

I don’t just do this work — I live it.
This is sacred, ancestral, and deeply alive.
And the people are ready.

If you had to pick three qualities that are most important to develop, which three would you say matter most?

1. Embodiment as Truth-Telling:
The body never lies. One of the most powerful tools on my journey has been learning to listen to and trust the wisdom of my body. Whether through breathwork, movement, or intuitive rest, embodiment is where I return to my truth. It also means embodying release—letting go of people, places, and things that no longer serve me, even if that means ending a 30-year friendship or family members. My advice? Slow down. Put your bare feet on the earth. Let your body speak before your mind takes over.

2. Spiritual Discernment:
There’s a difference between noise and guidance. Developing my relationship with Spirit — through ritual, meditation, and ancestral connection — has sharpened my discernment. I don’t move just to move; I move when Spirit says yes. My advice? Cultivate stillness. Build altars. Talk to your people — the ones seen and unseen.

3. Courage to Choose Myself:
The entire journey changed when I chose myself — radically, unapologetically. That courage created the space for my healing, my artistry, and my leadership. My advice? Stop waiting for permission. Choosing yourself isn’t selfish — it’s revolutionary.

How can folks who want to work with you connect?

Yes—I’m calling in aligned collaborations rooted in joy, justice, and healing. I’m especially open to working with people, brands, and organizations who believe in embodied liberation, community care, and accessible spiritual wellness for Black + Brown communities.

Let’s connect if you’re:
• A community organization, shelter, school, or mutual aid collective seeking healing pop-ups
• A purpose-driven brand ready to support ritual-based offerings
• An artist, musician, or creative whose medicine activates the Spirit
• A fellow healer, movement guide, or wellness facilitator ready to co-create magic
• A venue, event host, or festival looking to offer transformative joy activations—yes, even stadiums!

I offer pop-up Hula Hoop, Dance + Heal Portals, energetic medicine, embodiment practices, and Spirit-led guidance in parks, block parties, beaches, community centers, and more.

To collaborate, email me at [email protected] or visit www.thebutterflyhippie.com to learn more.

Let’s make healing irresistible.

Contact Info:

Image Credits

Ocean Morisset

Suggest a Story: BoldJourney is built on recommendations from the community; it’s how we uncover hidden gems,
so if you or someone you know deserves recognition please let us know here.
Mental Health
Mental Health: Inspiring Stories of Perseverance and Resilience

As the prevalence of mental health issues increases and affects an ever larger number of

Leadership Development
Finding & Living with Purpose

Over the years we’ve had the good fortunate of speaking with thousands of successful entrepreneurs,

Leadership Development
How did you find your purpose?

Core to our mission is helping our audience and community reach their full potential and