The Funny Thing About Yoga

In this episode, we’re recording live from Nicaragua while hosting two retreats back-to-back retreats. Over the course of two weeks, nearly 50 teachers joined us from all over the world, creating one of the biggest and most dynamic retreat experiences we’ve ever facilitated.After sharing a few updates from retreat life (including what it’s been like), we dive into a topic many teachers are curious about: the foundations of hosting a retreat.We talk about the building blocks that actually make a retreat successful, beyond the dreamy photos and beach views. From choosing the right location and pacing your schedule to creating a container that fosters connection, rest, and meaningful learning, we break down what really matters when bringing a group together.We also reflect on lessons we’ve learned from years of hosting retreats around the world, the mistakes we’ve made along the way, and why retreats can be one of the most transformative experiences for both teachers and students.If you’ve ever thought about hosting a retreat or simply want a behind-the-scenes look at what goes into creating these experiences, this episode is a candid conversation about what works, what doesn’t, and why retreats continue to be such a powerful part of the yoga community.Want to support our podcast? Join our Patreon for extra content** CHECK OUT OUR 300-HOUR PROGRAM **🌊 Upcoming Retreats Amalfi Coast Yoga Retreat: July 25 - August 1, 2026  Portugal Relax by the Sea Retreat: August 4-10, 2026📚 Read the Podcast Blog:The Funny Thing About Yoga on Substack📲 Follow UsPodcast: @thefunnythingaboutyogaSchool: @cayayogaschoolHosts: @gianagambino & @bradshawwish🌐 More Linksgianayoga.combradshawwishyoga.comcayayogaschool.com

In the first episode of Giana’s Corner, Giana sits down with Joe to talk about the decision to start trying (or not try) for a baby and what actually happened once It all worked out. From the shock of finding out about the pregnancy to the unexpected reality of the first trimester, they share the honest, messy, and sometimes chaotic side to early pregnancy.They talk about everything from their decision to try, how quickly things changed, and what those first few weeks really felt like. Nausea, extreme hunger, shifting identity, and the strange in-between space of holding a big secret while your body is going through something huge. Plus, news about potentialy having twins!Joe chimes in throughout the conversation, offering his perspective on supporting a pregnant partner and navigating the transition into parenthood together.This episode is a candid look at the beginning of a major life shift. The funny thing about the first trimester is that no one really prepares you for how much it changes you before anyone else can even see it.

In this episode, we’re talking about sequencing mistakes - the common ones, the subtle ones, and the ones we definitely made ourselves.Of course, sequencing is subjective. But after years of teaching, training teachers, leading retreats, and building classes that actually retain students, we’ve noticed patterns. Certain choices tend to create stronger classes, deeper learning, and more trust in the room. And certain habits… quietly work against you.We unpack what happens when you do too much too soon, move too quickly, or walk into class without a clear intention. We talk about over-sequencing one side, changing your class every single week, teaching from ego instead of awareness, and why nervous system regulation matters more than flashy transitions.We also dive into:• Warming up slowly (and why most teachers don’t)• Having a plan without being rigid• Simplifying instead of stacking endlessly• Setting a pace that actually matches the breath• Not disorienting your students (they want to feel held, not confused)• Why demoing the entire class might be disconnecting you• How to keep things balanced without overdoing one theme or peakThis episode is honest, practical, and slightly confrontational in the best way. If you’re a teacher who wants stronger classes and more grounded students, or a student curious about what’s happening behind the scenes, this one’s for you.Want to support our podcast? Join our Patreon for extra content** CHECK OUT OUR 300-HOUR PROGRAM **🌊 Upcoming RetreatsAmalfi Coast Yoga Retreat: July 25 - August 1, 2026 Portugal Relax by the Sea Retreat: August 4-10, 2026📚 Read the Podcast Blog:The Funny Thing About Yoga on Substack📲 Follow UsPodcast: @thefunnythingaboutyogaSchool: @cayayogaschoolHosts: @gianagambino & @bradshawwish🌐 More Linksgianayoga.combradshawwishyoga.comcayayogaschool.com

In this episode, recorded a few weeks before our Denver trip, Bradshaw shares about reaching his one-year sober milestone. We talk about it all — the struggles that led him to drinking, what shifting away from alcohol looked like, how friends can truly support someone in recovery, and the tools that have helped him stay sober. We even reflect on retreats and running a business before and after drinking, and what has changed along the way.Giana steps into more of an interviewer role, creating space for Bradshaw to share openly, and he does so with honesty and vulnerability. This conversation is real, sensitive, and deeply human. If you or someone you love is navigating addiction, please know you’re not alone. There are many paths and tools available, and we hope this episode helps you feel supported. And if you’re the friend walking alongside someone in recovery, we hope this offers insight into how individual and personal that journey can be.Join us in celebrating Bradshaw’s one-year anniversary, and thank you for listening with an open heart.Want to support our podcast? Join our Patreon for extra content** CHECK OUT OUR 300-HOUR PROGRAM **🌊 Upcoming Retreats Amalfi Coast Yoga Retreat: July 25 - August 1, 2026  Portugal Relax by the Sea Retreat: August 4-10, 2026📚 Read the Podcast Blog:The Funny Thing About Yoga on Substack📲 Follow UsPodcast: @thefunnythingaboutyogaSchool: @cayayogaschoolHosts: @gianagambino & @bradshawwish🌐 More Linksgianayoga.combradshawwishyoga.comcayayogaschool.com

Before we get philosophical, we debrief our throuple weekend in Vail after teaching at The River in Denver, including a podcasting mishap we absolutely did not plan, what we learned from a full weekend of workshops, and everything coming up next. Giana is dreaming up a new retreat, Bradshaw is diving into a restorative training, and we share more about upcoming collaborative events and teacher trainings.Then we get into it. What does “advanced” actually mean in yoga? We look at it from both the teacher and student lens and unpack how our definitions have shifted over the years. What makes an advanced teacher? Is it complexity, or the ability to create class-to-class without ego? What makes an advanced student? Is it flexibility, or nervous system regulation?We talk about the current inclination to move fast in yoga and the power of the pause. We explore teaching and practicing with versus without music, and how sometimes removing layers can create more depth. Giana reflects on how not needing music anymore feels like a personal marker of growth, especially since it once felt uncomfortable. We also explore the subtle internal markers that signal a deeper experience unfolding within the practice.Because maybe advanced is not about harder shapes. Maybe it is about subtler awareness.We also speak to those who love a sweaty feel-good workout and why that can be great, while also asking how we use practice to feel more, question more, and expand our capacity. Advanced evolves. It is personal. It is different for everyone. And it rarely looks the way we expect it to. Want to support our podcast? Join our Patreon for extra content** CHECK OUT OUR 300-HOUR PROGRAM **🌊 Upcoming Retreats Amalfi Coast Yoga Retreat: July 25 - August 1, 2026  Portugal Relax by the Sea Retreat: August 4-10, 2026📚 Read the Podcast Blog:The Funny Thing About Yoga on Substack📲 Follow UsPodcast: @thefunnythingaboutyogaSchool: @cayayogaschoolHosts: @gianagambino & @bradshawwish🌐 More Linksgianayoga.combradshawwishyoga.comcayayogaschool.com

In this episode, we talk about mindful dating. Bradshaw is out in the world, dating with intention and looking for a primary partnership. Giana is deeply intrigued by his process and asks a lot of questions, while also reflecting on what she did differently when she met her partner, Joe.We hear about Bradshaw’s recent dates, the challenges of navigating gay dating culture, what he’s actually looking for, and how he decides who’s worth meeting up with. Giana reflects on her first meeting with Joe and the soft rules that helped her stay present and open-minded, including cutting out alcohol, waiting to be intimate, and getting to know people beyond looks by paying attention to values and how someone makes you feel.Plus, plenty of hilarious dating stories, from mansplaining yoga businesses to walking into a truly messy home.Want to support our podcast? Join our Patreon for extra content** CHECK OUT OUR 300-HOUR PROGRAM **🌊 Upcoming Retreats Nicaragua Yoga Teachers Retreat: February 2026  Starved Rock Retreat: June 12-14, 2026 Amalfi Coast Yoga Retreat: July 25 - August 1, 2026  Portugal Relax by the Sea Retreat: August 4-10, 2026📚 Read the Podcast Blog:The Funny Thing About Yoga on Substack📲 Follow UsPodcast: @thefunnythingaboutyogaSchool: @cayayogaschoolHosts: @gianagambino & @bradshawwish🌐 More Linksgianayoga.combradshawwishyoga.comcayayogaschool.com

This week we welcome Margo Lightburn back to the pod after two years away, and a lot has changed.Since we last spoke, Margo has retired from teaching yoga and opens up about her complicated, sometimes bitter goodbye to the industry and everything that followed. We talk candidly about grief, including the loss of her mother, undergoing a hysterectomy, and the deeply personal healing journey that ultimately led her to begin writing a book.We reflect on a time when yoga felt like the end-all, be-all, the constant push for flexibility, the pressure to do more, and how overdoing it quietly led to injury. We talk about teaching from an unhealed place, tending to childhood wounds, and what happens when ambition outpaces care.As always, the conversation wanders through tangents, hilarious moments, and big questions. We glaze on finding community, the state of the world right now, hot yoga, pelvic floor health, abuse in the industry, and the many ways to go deeper in your healing. We also hear about Margo’s new episodic podcast series coming soon and what leaving the yoga industry helped her reclaim and conquer.This episode feels less like an interview and more like old friends catching up, losing track of time, telling the truth, and letting the conversation unfold where it wants to go.It’s honest, funny, messy, and deeply human.Settle in and enjoy the listen!Find Margo Lightburn Online:Web: https://margolightburn.com/IG: @margolightburnWant to support our podcast? Join our Patreon for extra content** CHECK OUT OUR 300-HOUR PROGRAM **🌊 Upcoming Retreats Nicaragua Yoga Teachers Retreat: February 2026  Starved Rock Retreat: June 12-14, 2026 Amalfi Coast Yoga Retreat: July 25 - August 1, 2026  Portugal Relax by the Sea Retreat: August 4-10, 2026📚 Read the Podcast Blog:The Funny Thing About Yoga on Substack📲 Follow UsPodcast: @thefunnythingaboutyogaSchool: @cayayogaschoolHosts: @gianagambino & @bradshawwish🌐 More Linksgianayoga.combradshawwishyoga.comcayayogaschool.com

In this episode, Bradshaw and Giana dive into one of the most deceptively hard practices in yoga (and life): surrender- on the mat, in the classroom, and everywhere in between.First, they begin to unpack this concept and what it really means to surrender in the physical practice- speaking of things like the ego, finding your edge, and creating balance of steadiness and ease, or f sthira and sukha. You’ll hear stories from their early “ohhh… this is surrender” moments, plus what they notice most often in students- when ambition disguises itself as self-harm, and how honoring your body can be the most disciplined choice.From a teacher’s perspective, they reflect on the idea of surrender from tackling internal battles around perfectionism- including surrendering the plan, letting yourself be seen as a real or flawed human in front of a room full of people, and, of course, the ego. They also share how non-attachment or vairāgya, can be its own kind of freedom or form of surrender.As they shift the conversation off the mat and into real life, Giana shares her experience with health anxiety and uncertainty, and how her surrender practice became more important than ever. It has now taken on new meaning as she steps into pregnancy and the beginning of motherhood. And Bradshaw offers his own approach to anxiety, which looks different than Giana’s… but they both keep landing in the same place: the practice of releasing control- again and again, in tiny moments, in big ones, and in the ones you didn’t see coming.Giana closes with a sweet reflection on faith, and in true funny-thing fashion, they lighten the air with funny stories. Of course, you can also expect tangents, and the kind of honest laughter that only happens when you stop gripping so tightly.Want to support our podcast? Join our Patreon for extra content** CHECK OUT OUR 300-HOUR PROGRAM **🌊 Upcoming Retreats Nicaragua Yoga Teachers Retreat: February 2026  Starved Rock Retreat: June 12-14, 2026 Amalfi Coast Yoga Retreat: July 25 - August 1, 2026  Portugal Relax by the Sea Retreat: August 4-10, 2026📚 Read the Podcast Blog:The Funny Thing About Yoga on Substack📲 Follow UsPodcast: @thefunnythingaboutyogaSchool: @cayayogaschoolHosts: @gianagambino & @bradshawwish🌐 More Linksgianayoga.combradshawwishyoga.comcayayogaschool.com

In this episode, Giana Gambino and Bradshaw Wish record live from YogaRenew in Hoboken, NJ with Kate Lombardo and Patrick Franco.Together, they get real about yoga partnerships—how clear communication, shared values, and a mission rooted in community can create a collaboration that actually lasts. These four longtime teachers bring equal parts honesty and hilarity as they pull back the curtain on what it’s like to be in a male–female platonic partnership: finding the right fit, defining roles, balancing responsibilities, and knowing when to call in backup.Expect behind-the-scenes stories, ridiculous retreat moments, and a few tangents (including a dog left out in the cold). If this industry has ever felt lonely or hard to navigate, this conversation is a reminder that with consistency, trust, and a willingness to try new things, you can carve out your niche, find your people, and build something bigger than yourself.Check out YogaRenew: @yogarenew | https://yogarenew.com/Patrick Franco Jr.: @patrickfrancojr | https://www.patrickfrancojr.com/Kate Lombardo: @kate.lombardo | https://www.katelombardo.com/Want to support our podcast? Join our Patreon for extra content** CHECK OUT OUR 300-HOUR PROGRAM **🌊 Upcoming Retreats Nicaragua Yoga Teachers Retreat: February 2026  Starved Rock Retreat: June 12-14, 2026 Amalfi Coast Yoga Retreat: July 25 - August 1, 2026  Portugal Relax by the Sea Retreat: August 4-10, 2026📚 Read the Podcast Blog:The Funny Thing About Yoga on Substack📲 Follow UsPodcast: @thefunnythingaboutyogaSchool: @cayayogaschoolHosts: @gianagambino & @bradshawwish🌐 More Linksgianayoga.combradshawwishyoga.comcayayogaschool.com