The Funny Thing About Yoga

This week on The Funny Thing About Yoga , we're joined by Bay Area yoga teacher, intuitive coach, and astrologer Susannah Freedman for a conversation that spans yoga, astrology, purpose, and what it means to live in alignment. Although we'd been hearing each other's names in the yoga community for years, this was our first time sitting down together, and it quickly became one of those conversation...

This week on The Funny Thing About Yoga , we start with a little life update: Bradshaw's healing journey, summer finally arriving, daily dog walks, Giana navigating late-stage pregnancy while caring for a dog with kidney disease, Joe experiencing a bit of sympathy pregnancy himself, and, as usual, plenty of tangents along the way. Then we dive into this week's topic: Why do we all think something...

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 diffi...

This week on The Funny Thing About Yoga , we sit down with Chhavi Sahal, a yoga teacher, strength coach, and sleep consultant based in New Delhi, India, to explore a side of yoga that often gets overlooked. Chhavi shares how she discovered yoga at a young age through school competitions, how her teaching unexpectedly grew within her gym community, and why so many older adults began seeking out her...

What separates a workshop that people simply attend from one they remember for years? In this episode, Giana and Bradshaw dive into the art of creating meaningful, engaging, and impactful yoga workshops. Drawing from years of teaching, hosting, and attending workshops around the world, they share what works, what falls flat, and how to elevate an experience from good to truly great. Together, they...

This week on The Funny Thing About Yoga , we’re joined by Charlotte Muller of Breathe Strength — yoga educator, studio owner, social media creator, and, like Giana, a fellow Long Islander. This conversation felt easy, heartfelt, and deeply relatable, beginning with nostalgic hometown connections and bonding over the experience of young parental loss. We talk about Charlotte’s path to yoga through...

You start with a sore back, a little anxiety, or a desire to feel better… and somehow end up spending thousands of dollars on supplements, questioning your cookware, tracking your nervous system, and wondering if your WiFi is destroying your mitochondria. In this episode, we unpack the wellness pipeline - the slippery slope from genuine healing and self-care into misinformation, obsession, perfect...

We start with life updates: Giana’s baby shower and travels to California, Bradshaw reflecting on how Giana’s family reminds him of his own, preparations for the baby, and an update on Bradshaw’s shoulder recovery. Naturally, the conversation spirals into dogs, consciousness, and the complexity of the human condition before we finally arrive at today’s topic: “Why Yoga Communities Don’t Feel the S...

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...

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 minute...

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...

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 – t...

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...

This week we’re joined by Danielle Barbeau, owner of The River Yoga in Denver, CO. We first met Danielle virtually during a team meeting, and later in person when we traveled to Denver to teach at her studio, where we also recorded an episode that (tragically) didn’t sound great. But the conversation stuck with us… so we’re back for round two. At the center of this episode is a deceptively simple...

This week, we’re joined by psychotherapist, up and coming author, and Giana’s sister, Maria Gambino, for a conversation on emotional maturity, pain intolerance, and why most of us aren’t as “emotionally evolved” as we think. We unpack the difference between emotional intelligence and true emotional maturity- and how living in a pain-intolerant culture keeps us disconnected from our bodies, our bio...

Erika Scribner is back on the pod, and we’re diving into all the things- we talk studio ownership, myofascial release, yoga therapy balls, yin yoga, fascia, dissecting bodies, and deeper somatic connection. Erika is such a joy to talk to, bringing lightheartedness alongside real depth as she breaks down the science behind myofascial release and the differences between a yoga therapy class and yin...

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 curiou...

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 d...

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 t...

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 dri...

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 tra...

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 loo...

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 u...

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...

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...