The Funny Thing About Yoga

We start, as usual, with some wandering banter touching on astrological shifts for Aquarius, shrinking brains, talking to sisters, and whatever else comes up along the way.

Then we settle into the heart of the episode: “Listen to Your Body”- a cue used constantly in yoga spaces, but what does it actually mean? And more importantly, is it really landing?

We unpack how disconnected many people are from their bodies, and how vague cues like listen to your body can miss the mark when students don’t yet know what they’re listening for. Giana shares an example from a semi-private session that highlights this disconnect, sparking a bigger conversation around the difference between discomfort and pain, comparison in class, overriding your own internal compass, and how easily students become further detached from themselves. We also explore how distractions, from external pressure to even the music in class, can pull people further out of their embodied experience.

From there, we talk about what it actually means to cultivate connection. As teachers, how do we offer language and options that help students tune in rather than tune out? How do we give permission for what they’re genuinely feeling?

We also dive into nervous system work and embodiment. Giana shares how years of deep flexibility were, in part, tied to an inability to fully feel sensation in her body, and how reconnecting through different healing modalities completely changed her relationship to movement. She can still access the same range, but now from a place of awareness rather than disconnection.

The conversation expands into what embodiment really means- mind, body, and spirit- and how pregnancy has added layers of distraction, discomfort, and change that have made feeling fully embodied more complex.

And because this is us, we wrap up with funny stories about Bradshaw’s unique gifts and the humbling experience of taking public yoga classes while injured.

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🌊 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 Us
Podcast: @thefunnythingaboutyoga
School: @cayayogaschool
Hosts: @gianagambino & @bradshawwish

🌐 More Links
gianayoga.com
bradshawwishyoga.com
cayayogaschool.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

This episode starts with some major life updates. Bradshaw shares the story behind his collarbone surgery, and Giana opens up about navigating iron infusions during pregnancy. As usual, one tangent leads to another, and we somehow end up talking about the Venice Biennale, tattoos, being emo, queer allyship, sugar addiction, and what it’s like to lose friends far too early in life.

Nearly 20 minutes in (classic), we finally settle into the heart of the episode, what to do when your yoga practice stops feeling good. We talk about pregnancy, injury, burnout, plateaus, and losing passion, those seasons when a practice that once felt nourishing starts to feel frustrating, stale, or disconnected.
More importantly, we offer ideas for how to navigate it, including nervous system regulation, taking intentional breaks, exploring other movement modalities, finding new teachers, shifting your goals, reconnecting to what first drew you in, and giving yourself permission to let your practice evolve with you. Bradshaw also shares his experience with SI joint dysfunction and how pain reshaped his relationship to movement.

We close with a bigger question. Did you love yoga, or did you love the transformation phase, the honeymoon phase of becoming someone new through it? Because even a “good addiction” can become unhealthy, and sometimes the path back is less about pushing harder and more about learning a new way to practice.
We also share funny stories about getting the ick before the ick was a thing, and trying to impress doctors with our anatomy knowledge.

Want to support our podcast? Join our Patreon for extra content

🌊 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 Us
Podcast: @thefunnythingaboutyoga
School: @cayayogaschool
Hosts: @gianagambino & @bradshawwish

🌐 More Links
gianayoga.com
bradshawwishyoga.com
cayayogaschool.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

After two intense weeks of our 300-hour immersion in Chicago, we’re finally sitting down to catch up, and a lot has happened.
Bradshaw shares the story behind his unexpected collarbone surgery and what it’s been like navigating recovery, forced stillness, and the mental challenge of slowing down. Giana opens up about eloping, celebrating at her baby shower, and stepping into a season of major life transition all at once.
From there, the conversation unfolds into something deeper- how life has a way of interrupting our plans, what happens when you stop forcing and start listening, and the strange little signs, synchronicities, and moments that make you wonder if something bigger is at play. We talk about trusting timing, finding love on your own timing, embracing change instead of resisting it, and the quiet wisdom that can come when life makes you slow down.
And because we can only stay serious for so long… we wrap things up with a little yoga game and start firing off our yoga hot takes- calling out trends, and truths from the yoga world that might ruffle a few feathers.
Part life update, part philosophy, part chaos- just the way we like it!
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 Us
Podcast: @thefunnythingaboutyoga
School: @cayayogaschool
Hosts: @gianagambino & @bradshawwish

🌐 More Links
gianayoga.com
bradshawwishyoga.com
cayayogaschool.com
Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

We recorded this one live with our 300-hour trainees right after a full week of deep diving into anatomy, and it had us thinking:
“Okay… I know stuff now… so how do I actually make my teaching better?”

In this episode, we unpack the gap between knowing anatomy and being able to teach a strong, effective class.

We talk about:
– why over-cueing and rigidity often come from too much anatomy focus
– the trap of trying to prove you know what you’re talking about
– when anatomy actually matters (and when you can let it go)
– how to use your knowledge within “peak pose” classes
– how to translate what you know into a clear, intelligent class

Then we get into what it actually looks like to use anatomy well—how it informs your sequencing, supports your intention, and creates a strong through-line from start to finish.
Lots of real examples, plenty of sequencing talk, and some really great questions from the room.

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 Us
Podcast: @thefunnythingaboutyoga
School: @cayayogaschool
Hosts: @gianagambino & @bradshawwish

🌐 More Links
gianayoga.com
bradshawwishyoga.com
cayayogaschool.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.

What matters more: being liked… or being effective?
In this episode, we unpack the pressure yoga teachers feel to be liked and how that quietly shapes the way we teach. From over-cueing and over-explaining, to chasing compliments or trying to prove we know what we’re doing, we explore the subtle ways insecurity shows up in the room.

Bradshaw shares what it’s been like to evolve his teaching while still wanting approval, and how that tension can make change feel uncomfortable. He reflects on his early days, when he relied on personality, music, and intensity to win students over.

Giana talks about choosing to teach the way she actually believes in, even when it’s less popular, and the many subtle ways she tried to be liked early on: over-cueing, not correcting, and kicking people’s butts for compliments.

We get into what it really means to be effective: teaching in a way students actually retain, creating consistency, having a clear plan, and being willing to let people be uncomfortable without micromanaging every moment.

Of course, it wouldn’t be us without a few tangents- we also get into little brother syndrome, yoga trainings, restorative classes, teaching without music, hot yoga, and some very real (and funny) stories about texts and boundaries.

Because at the end of the day, teaching what you believe in requires tuning out the noise and being okay with not everyone liking you.

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 Us
Podcast: @thefunnythingaboutyoga
School: @cayayogaschool
Hosts: @gianagambino & @bradshawwish

🌐 More Links
gianayoga.com
bradshawwishyoga.com
cayayogaschool.com

Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.