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Giana and Dee are back together, reflecting on their recent 30-day Deepen Your Practice yoga challenge and the lessons that unfolded—on and off the mat. This isn’t just a conversation about yoga postures—it’s about the kind of transformation that starts with intention and ripples into every area of life.

They kick things off by talking about mindful consumption—from collagen to coffee—and how being more intentional with what we buy, eat, and support can become a powerful practice of wellness.

Then, they dive into what made this yoga challenge so impactful, including the unexpected ways it brought them (and nearly 50 participants) back to the heart of the practice. Giana and Dee share how even experienced yoga teachers walked away with brand-new insights, reminding us all that we’re never done learning or growing.

This experience has sparked something new: The Embodied Yogi, a 12-week mentorship for teachers and students who want to live their practice beyond the poses. If you’ve been craving more depth, more connection, and more real-life integration, you’ll want to hear what’s coming.

This episode is for anyone who’s curious about what it means to practic yoga beyond the poses, make conscious choices, and plant seeds of change—starting from the inside out.

✨ Want to deepen your practice?

The 30-Day Challenge is now available as a self-paced journey. Click here to start now!

The Embodied Yogi Mentorship opens for applications soon. Click to join the waitlist and be the first to find out when doors open!


Let’s walk this path—together.

Collagen & Coffee use code "GIANA97872"

Nearly Enlightened Podcast
Your high-vibe toolbox to connect with your body, mind, and spirit. Empowering you to uncover your Inner Wisdom.

Subscribe & Listen on your favorite platform.

Explore More: Meditate to Elevate | Blog | Free Guide
Let's grow together: @nearlyenlightened | Nearly Enlightened

We want to hear from you! Send us a text message.

What happens when the birthday girl doesn't want to celebrate? In this raw, unfiltered conversation, Giana confesses her unexpected anxiety about turning 34, while birthday enthusiast Kat Parks tries to reignite her excitement. Together, they peel back the layers of what makes birthdays both magical and terrifying as we age.

The discussion ventures into unexpectedly deep territory as both women reflect on how COVID disrupted our celebration of major life milestones. "I didn't even have time to process turning 30 because the world was on fire," Giana admits, capturing the disorientation many felt during those years. This leads to a broader exploration of how millennials are rewriting the rulebook on traditional life markers like marriage, careers, and family planning.

Birthday horror stories bring both laughter and winces – from Kat's traumatic seventh birthday (complete with knocked-out teeth and only one friend showing up) to Gianna's bedbug-infested 30th that left her sobbing in Target aisles. These experiences reveal how birthdays often carry outsized expectations and the potential for both profound disappointment and unexpected joy.

The conversation takes a powerful turn when addressing beauty standards and authenticity. Both women candidly critique the prevalence of filters, especially among wellness influencers preaching self-acceptance while presenting digitally altered versions of themselves. "If you're telling people to love themselves while using filters – what exactly is your message?" Giana challenges. They discuss finding aging role models like Cameron Diaz and the revolutionary act of simply looking your age in today's world.

Whether you're dreading your next birthday or wondering why turning another year older feels so complicated, this episode offers solace, humor, and a powerful reminder that accepting ourselves exactly as we are might be the greatest gift we can give ourselves. Check out Kat's "Find Your Face Freedom" program if you're ready to see yourself in a new way by summer's end.

Nearly Enlightened Podcast
Your high-vibe toolbox to connect with your body, mind, and spirit. Empowering you to uncover your Inner Wisdom.

Subscribe & Listen on your favorite platform.

Explore More: Meditate to Elevate | Blog | Free Guide
Let's grow together: @nearlyenlightened | Nearly Enlightened

We want to hear from you! Send us a text message.

In week four of the Deepen Your Practice Challenge, Dee and I are going inward—way inward.

This episode is all about the subtle (and often skipped) limbs of yoga: pratyahara, dharana, dhyana, and samadhi. These advanced practices invite us into stillness, deeper awareness, and connection to the Self. And honestly? In today’s overstimulating, always-scrolling, burnout-on-the-rise world… these might just be the most important tools yoga has to offer.

I’m joined by the brilliant Dee, and together we unpack what it really means to withdraw from the senses (pratyahara)—and why this can feel nearly impossible in our notification-filled culture. We get real about what happens when we finally pause long enough to hear ourselves again.

From there, we flow into dharana, the art of one-pointed focus. In a society that glorifies multitasking, this practice is a game-changer for the mind and nervous system. Think of it as a pathway out of overwhelm and back into presence.

We explore dhyana (meditation) not as something you “get right,” but as something you experience—a chance to witness your thoughts without gripping them. Giana offers a visual comparing thoughts to passing clouds or a freight train you don’t have to board. This leads us into a conversation about the parasympathetic nervous system and how stillness is essential for true healing.

And finally, we land in samadhi—blissful awareness, the ultimate surrender. Total enlightenment may feel far off (which is why this podcast is called Nearly Enlightened, after all), but these practices can absolutely bring you closer to your true essence.

✨ If you’ve ever felt overwhelmed, scattered, anxious, or just deeply disconnected... this episode is your invitation to come home to yourself.

What we cover:

• How to practice pratyahara in a hyper-connected world
• Why multitasking is destroying our focus (and how dharana can help)
• Meditation as nervous system repair
• What samadhi really means—and how it shows up in everyday life
• Personal stories of how these limbs helped us reconnect with peace, purpose, and presence

🎧 Tune in now and rediscover yoga beyond the poses—as a radical path to inner freedom.
🔗 Share with a friend who could use some stillness.
📲 Visit nearlyenlightened.com for resources to support your body, mind, and spirit.

Nearly Enlightened Podcast
Your high-vibe toolbox to connect with your body, mind, and spirit. Empowering you to uncover your Inner Wisdom.

Subscribe & Listen on your favorite platform.

Explore More: Meditate to Elevate | Blog | Free Guide
Let's grow together: @nearlyenlightened | Nearly Enlightened