The Funny Thing About Yoga

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.

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 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, 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 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.

Season 4 is officially here. 🎙️

After a few weeks off around the holidays, Bradshaw and Giana are back together- this time recording from a hotel room in NYC while filming content for YogaRenew. In this season premiere, they reconnect after time apart, catch up on nonstop travel, teaching, and work, and reflect on what it means to come back together after a pause.

But there’s also something else in the room… a big secret Giana has been holding onto, and a surprise that will shape what comes next.

They talk honestly about how the business is evolving, how roles and plans are shifting, and why this moment feels like a massive opportunity for growth, creativity, and deeper collaboration. Along the way, they share wild stories about how the secret was revealed, a double-trouble scare, and plenty of laughter as they let you in on a turning point behind the scenes.

It’s a reunion, a reset, and the beginning of a new chapter- welcome back!

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 (2 SPOTS)
• 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.

In our Season 3 finale, we’re getting real about the year, the highs that lit us up, the lows that taught us things we didn’t expect, and everything in between. We share the moments that shaped us, and the ones that stretched us, and share many new reflections on what we’re taking with us into a brand-new year.

We talk about what we’re calling in (both personally and professionally), what we’re ready to leave behind, and the surprises that showed up along the way. It’s candid, cozy, a little emotional, and the perfect wrap to a big year for both of us and our community!

Thank you for being here through all the twists, laughs, tears, and yoga tangents. We love you. See you in the new year.

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 (2 SPOTS)
• 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.

Today on the podcast, we’re joined by Lizzie Lasater - teacher, writer, creator, and daughter of Judith Hanson Lasater, who has built her own vibrant path in the yoga world from her home in Austria. Lizzie shares how a chance meeting with her now-husband led her to move across the world, learn German as an adult (“why is this so hard?!”), and build a global online teaching career rooted in rest, clarity, and presence.

We discuss what it was like growing up around yoga before it became popular, how she eventually discovered her own path into the practice, and how she deepened it with the help of her mom - from seeking early sequencing advice to eventually collaborating on online courses, books, and shared experiences. We explore continued learning, evolving as a teacher, and the strange, beautiful blur between being the student and being the teacher.

We also dive into real-life stuff:

• staying grounded while traveling

• balancing teaching and social media work

• her Sunday Reset newsletter & setting “rest buffers”

• writing a book on Savasana + the restorative lifestyle

• practicing what you preach when you’re tired

• making time to take care of yourself as a teacher

• cultivating inner wisdom + knowing when to use external resources

Lizzie also shares her philosophy on what students actually need, including the idea that “restorative yoga is a subtractive practice.” And stay tuned for a hilarious story about her and her mom recording content in a studio they shared with rappers.

This is a warm, honest, and funny conversation about teaching, rest, growth, and finding your own way. Enjoy!

Lizzie Lasater Bio:

Lizzie Lasater shares the pleasure of lifelong learning through online and live workshops in creativity, functional movement, and Restorative Yoga.

+ Follow Lizzie on IG: @ Lizzie.Lasater

Support the podcast on Patreon & Substack

Our Upcoming Programs:

• APRIL 300-HOUR PROGRAM 
• 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

Web: cayayogaschool.com

IG: @thefunnythingaboutyoga | @cayayogaschool | @gianagambino | @bradshawwish

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

November's bonus episode brings you two heartfelt questions from listeners overseas - but before we dive in, we catch up on all things Patreon, the holidays, and the general chaos of this time of year.

Then we get into the real stuff:

✨ What do you do when you have a crush on a yoga student? We talk boundaries, ethics, awkward moments, and how to navigate human feelings while still being a professional teacher.

✨ How do you keep your teaching inspired? We share honest tips, burnout confessions, and the practices that help us stay connected, creative, and excited about the work.

It’s a short and sweet episode with plenty of honesty, humor, and those classic Giana-and-Bradshaw side tangents. Real talk, good laughs, and advice you can actually use.

Enjoy!

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 (2 SPOTS)
• 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.

Step inside an afternoon of truth-telling, humor, and the conversations every yoga teacher wishes happened more often. This 75-minute live podcast experience pulls back the curtain on the yoga world - the myth of a yoga teacher, perfectionism, the burnout, the healing, the comparison traps, the joy, and the deeply human journey behind It all.

Through stories, laughter, honest reflections, and audience participation, Giana and Bradshaw explore what it really means to teach, practice, and evolve in a wellness industry that often expects teachers to be serene, sculpted, and endlessly wise.

What We Dive Into:

- The Myth vs. Reality of Yoga Teachers

- Perfectionism & Comparison

- Burnout: The Unspoken Epidemic

- Authenticity & Finding Your Voice

- The Path of Healing & Growth

- Rediscovering Joy

PLUS Audience Q&A: Featuring questions from Kaushik Dash, Danny Peterson, and Fiorella Drozd.

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 (2 SPOTS)
• 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.

Today we have Jenni Rawlings on the podcast, and we had so much fun diving into the technical side of the yoga practice- cues, anatomy, alignment, and how to update your practice to fit your own body so things actually feel good. We talk about her beginnings, how she built her career, and what it’s been like teaching online. We even discovered some Chicago crossover and shared training experiences.

We get into movement science, Yoga Alliance requirements, and why there’s so much more to learn beyond a 200-hour training. We talk about the importance of self-inquiry, the structure of Ashtanga, strength, and adding load to the body, and whether we ever believed yoga was the end-all be-all. Jenni also shares about her time running a yoga clothing store, and we look at exercise science, pain, and what strength really means in a yoga context.

Find Jenni Rawlings Online:

Website: www.jennirawlings.com

IG: https://www.instagram.com/jenni_rawlings

YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/@jenni_rawlings

Join us at the Castro Room, November 15th from 1-3 PM!

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 (2 SPOTS)
• 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.

A chaotic hello from Bradshaw and Giana, podcasting in person from Giana’s apartment! We kick things off with all the tech issues and our ongoing attempt to be jacks of all trades: filming, editing, and learning to create more professional content. We chat about the purpose of Bradshaw’s visit and how we’re preparing for our upcoming 300-hour online program, along with what we’re most excited to teach and share. We talk about confidence, fandom, mentorship, and all the ways we’re evolving our joint programming and offerings as we grow.

We also reflect on the last time we podcasted together in San Francisco and how much has shifted since then. There’s talk about time, settling, and the importance of giving something a year to see how it lands. Giana opens up about teaching in SF for 10 months, and feeling grateful for the opportunities (and her partner!). She also reflects on pulling herself out of a dark place after long COVID and a period of isolation.

We reflect on the pandemic years, from the funny to the hard to the life-changing, including how tough it was to be friends back then. Reflecting on the psychological impact of that period, the importance of community, and how wild it is that 2026 is almost here. We share random stories about colorful jumpsuits and standing out, plus a frustration with making a film set!

Upcoming Retreats

• Todos Santos, Mexico Retreat: December 4-8, 2025
• 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

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

Read the Podcast Blog: The Funny Thing About Yoga on Substack

Follow Us: @thefunnythingaboutyoga | @cayayogaschool | @gianagambino | @bradshawwish

More Links: gianayoga.com | bradshawwishyoga.com | cayayogaschool.com

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