The Funny Thing About Yoga

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 peak

This 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

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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.

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 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.

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 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.

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 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 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: @margolightburn

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 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.