Show Notes
This week, Giana and Bradshaw sit down with Jenny Clise, a San Francisco yoga teacher and author of The Complete Guide to Yoga Props. They dive into everything from moving and settling into new cities, finding community, and managing studios to carving out your niche wherever you are.
You’ll hear fun “get-to-know-you” stories from Jenny’s time teaching in New York (including her favorite class with septuagenarians) to stepping into a San Francisco class formerly led by a beloved Bhakti teacher, only to disappoint students when they discovered she couldn’t sing.
The conversation then turns to pandemic-era shifts that sparked growth, including Jenny’s pursuit of yoga therapy training and the creativity that led to her block-based eBook, which eventually became a full book deal! She shares insights into the process: researching prop uses, mapping it out, getting friends to demo poses, and weaving together years of experience into a valuable resource.
They also explore using props in fun, approachable ways, flipping the script so props are not just “modifications” but can be both supportive and deepening. The episode wraps with lighthearted stories of frantic moments before restorative classes, chaotic retreat travel, and COVID-era travel challenges. Jenny is full of wisdom, warmth, and humor: you don’t want to miss this one!
Jennys Book: https://amzn.to/46BTNSo
Find Jenny Clise Online: Web: https://jennyclise.com/ Ig: @jennyclise_
About Jenny Clise: Jenny Clise (C-IAYT) is a certified yoga therapist with over 1,000 hours of training and has been teaching since 2012. She completed her yoga therapy training at Prema Yoga Institute, integrating therapeutic principles to make yoga accessible and inclusive. Jenny emphasizes mindful movement, breath work, props, and alignment tailored to individual needs, helping students cultivate physical and mental strength. An avid traveler, she leads retreats worldwide and writes for Yoga Journal on yoga, meditation, and wellness. She began with her ebook Blockasanas and later authored The Complete Guide to Yoga Props, empowering others on their yoga journey.
Want to support our podcast? Join our Patreon for bonus content!
CHECK OUT OUR 300-HOUR PROGRAM: https://cayayogaschool.com/pages/300-hour
🌊 Upcoming Retreats • Todos Santos, Mexico Retreat: December 4-8, 2025 • Nicaragua Yoga Teachers Retreat: February 2026
🌐 More Links gianayoga.com bradshawwishyoga.com cayayogaschool.com Hosted on Acast. See acast.com/privacy for more information.
More from The Funny Thing About Yoga
If we could go back and give our younger yoga teacher selves some business advice, we'd have A LOT to say. But first, naturally, we need to discuss some very important matters: Giana failing to acknowledge Bradshaw's social media post, his latest snack obsessions, the magic of Chicago Aldi, sour candy, fiber, and the ridiculous amount of phone tag we've been playing. We also catch up on our upcoming Costa Rica retreat for yoga teachers, because apparently we can squeeze a little business into even our most unhinged tangents.
This week, we're talking about the surprisingly lonely side of being a yoga teacher and why having friends who actually understand this weird job is so important. From studio politics and unspoken competition to professional jealousy, burnout, and the pressure to always be the one holding space, we're unpacking the challenges of finding genuine friendship in an industry that's supposedly all about community.
Have we reached the ultimate level of yoga snobbery… becoming snobby about Flowy Yoga Girl? This week, we’re calling ourselves out and asking: have we become yoga snobs?
This week, Bradshaw is back from teaching abroad and sharing stories from Prague and Oxford- from cultural differences in the yoga room to the things that surprised his students most. He reflects on how travel teaching has changed him as a teacher, what he’s learned from continually walking into rooms full of people who have never practiced with him before, and one universal observation he’s made about students no matter where in the world he teaches.
After a two-week break (and a whole lot of pre-recording), Giana and Bradshaw are finally back together for a much-needed catch-up episode, and a lot has happened! Giana shares reflections from giving birth and the first weeks of motherhood, from letting go of expectations and slowing down to putting nervous system regulation into practice when there’s a screaming baby in your arms. She talks about releasing the pressure to do things “right,” staying present through the unknown, the myth of having it all, and why she refuses to look back with regret. Meanwhile, Bradshaw catches us up on a summer of travel and retreats in Italy and Portugal. He reflects on the importance of letting go of control, choosing opportunities from a place of passion, and what it’s been like watching the community they’ve built through the podcast and Instagram come to life through real friendships and experiences around the world. This episode is less about having a lesson to teach and more about reflecting on the season we’re both in- birth, travel, change, community, surrender, and learning how to simply be present. We missed you. It feels good to be back.