This week, we're joined by one of our dream guests, Kathryn Budig- someone we've wanted to have on the podcast for years!
What starts as a conversation about Kathryn's shoulder injury quickly unfolds into a much bigger discussion about what it means to evolve. We talk about changing our practices, embracing Western medicine, redefining strength, and letting go of the idea that yoga has to be difficult to be meaningful. We reminisce about the era of Yoga Journal, the teachers and communities that shaped us, and how the landscape of yoga has transformed over the past decade.
Together, we explore the realities of teaching in today's world: shrinking memberships, the challenge of filling workshops and retreats, and why community, not asana, may be the future of yoga. Kathryn shares how Haus of Phoenix has intentionally prioritized connection and why she's become less interested in making asana the center of everything she teaches.
The conversation also dives into the emotional side of being a public-facing teacher. Kathryn and Bradshaw unpack parasocial relationships, people believing they know you through social media, the anxiety of showing up to teach, and the pressure of wondering whether people will like you before you've even walked into the room. We discuss boundaries, people-pleasing, and why choosing what and how much you share is one of the most important forms of self-care.
We also talk about Kathryn's Substack, writing as a way to reclaim your own voice, her experience navigating divorce, and why the customer isn't always right, especially when it comes to protecting the integrity of retreats and communities.
Finally, Kathryn opens up about her experience as a queer woman, what she's learned from coming out later in life, being \"straight-passing,\" and how queerness has invited her into a deeper exploration of identity, authenticity, and belonging. It's a thoughtful conversation about finding yourself, questioning who you've been taught to be, and creating a life that feels genuinely your own.
This is a conversation about reinvention, resilience, community, boundaries, identity, and what it means to keep evolving, both on and off the mat.
Find Kathryn Budig Online:
WEB: https://www.kathrynbudig.com/
PRACTICE: https://www.thehausofphoenix.com/
IG: @KATHRYNBUDIG
SUBSTACK: https://kathrynbudig.substack.com/
Want to support our podcast? Join our Patreon for extra content
🌊 Upcoming Retreats
📚 Read the Podcast Blog:
The Funny Thing About Yoga on Substack
📲 Follow Us
Podcast: @thefunnythingaboutyoga
School: @cayayogaschool
Hosts: @gianagambino & @bradshawwish
🌐 More Links
","author_name":"C.A.Y.A. Yoga School"}