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

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

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

Ever feel like you're stuck in the same patterns, facing the same emotional triggers or life challenges on repeat? You’re not stuck—you’re moving through the sacred spiral of healing. In this deeply insightful episode, Giana sits down with Danielle to explore the cyclical nature of personal growth and how we can find empowerment, not frustration, in revisiting familiar themes with fresh eyes.

Together, we unpack what it means to move through cycles of transformation, especially as sensitive souls, empaths, and spiritual seekers navigating big energy shifts—like the recent Scorpio full moon. We talk nervous system regulation, the mind-body-spirit connection, and the importance of integration and sacred pause.

✨ Topics we dive into:

• How the Scorpio full moon stirs deep emotional waters—especially for empaths
• Understanding your nervous system as a dragon: a metaphor to help reframe anxiety as protection
• Why healing isn't linear and how the sacred spiral offers new wisdom at each pass
• You can only be as spiritual as you are grounded—and vice versa
• Why time isn’t linear (and how trusting divine timing leads to real closure)
• The power of integration, embodiment, and slowing down so your nervous system can catch up
• Honoring ancient healing practices while navigating conversations around cultural appropriation
• How different healing modalities—yoga, therapy, energy work—are all speaking the same soul language

I also get personal, sharing a vulnerable moment when I had a panic attack while teaching yoga—and how that moment turned into a heart-opening connection with my students. Plus, I reflect on what it meant to get an unexpected call from an ex—two years post-breakup—and how manifestation works in divine timing, not ours.

This episode is for anyone walking the healing path, feeling the waves of old wounds resurfacing, and wondering if they’re really growing. (Spoiler: you are.)

✨ Join us live: Come experience our Sound Bath Duet at Sway Yoga in Coventry on Friday, May 16th at 7PM!

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.

Think yoga is just about touching your toes or striking the perfect pose for Instagram? Think again.

In this episode of the Deepen Your Practice challenge, Dee and I dive into the two most visible – yet often misunderstood – limbs of yoga: asana (physical postures) and pranayama (breathwork). While these are the most recognized aspects of yoga in the West, their true purpose goes far beyond flexibility or aesthetics.

Many people believe they can’t do yoga because they’re “not flexible enough” or their body doesn’t match the images they see online. But the truth? Yoga is for every body. Whether you're in a wheelchair, using props, or flowing through advanced poses, the practice meets you exactly where you are.

We share the inspiring story of B.K.S. Iyengar, who was once rejected from yoga classes due to his physical limitations. His response? He innovated props—like blocks and straps—to make yoga accessible to all. Today, props are a testament to the truth that accessibility is not a compromise; it's the heart of yoga.

Inside this episode:

• How sun salutations awaken energy and prepare the body for deeper practice
• Why heart-openers are essential in counterbalancing tech-induced posture
• What balancing poses teach us about humility, presence, and play
• The power of strength-based flows to build integrated body-mind resilience
• How asana becomes a mirror for our mental patterns, reactions, and emotions
• Why pranayama may be the most underutilized wellness tool in the West

We explore breath techniques like Nadi Shodhana (alternate nostril breathing), Kapalabhati (skull-shining breath), and Brahmari (bee breath), uncovering how they help regulate the nervous system, support mental clarity, and balance the brain hemispheres. With research showing that most Americans only use 10% of their lung capacity, it's time to reclaim the power of your breath.

This episode is a reminder that the essence of yoga is presence—a conscious connection to body, breath, and spirit. Whether you're showing up with a dozen props or flowing freely, this practice is for you.

✨ Join us as we continue to explore the Eight Limbs of Yoga—powerful tools for modern life, rooted in ancient wisdom. Because the answers we’re searching for? They’re already within us.

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 if one hour of true presence could change everything?

In this week’s episode of the Deepen Your Practice Challenge, Dee and Giana unpack the powerful (and often misunderstood) concept of discipline—not as punishment, but as devotion. Through the lens of the Niyamas, yoga’s personal observances, they explore how small, intentional rituals can lead to big inner shifts.

✨ Saucha (Cleanliness): Discover how morning practices like tongue scraping and slow, tech-free time aren’t just Ayurvedic hygiene hacks—they’re energetic resets for the soul.

🧘‍♀️ Santosha (Contentment): Tired of the “I’ll be happy when...” trap? Learn how to make peace with the present moment—without bypassing life’s messiness.

🔥 Tapas (Discipline): Hear Gianna’s raw take on phones in yoga class and how showing up with intention (not perfection) is the real key to growth.

🪞 Svadhyaya (Self-Study): From Break Method journaling to quiet reflection, discover tools for spotting patterns, breaking cycles, and taking radical responsibility.

🌌 Ishvara Pranidhana (Surrender or Devotion): What does it really mean to let go? Explore how faith in something greater can help you meet the unknown with grace instead of fear.

Whether you’re new to the Niyamas or looking to embody them more deeply, this episode is your invitation to transform discipline into devotion—and create space for clarity, contentment, and self-trust.

🎧 Listen now and visit nearlyenlightened.com or tap into the Meditate to Elevate portal for guided practices that bring these teachings to life.

👉 Next week: We dive into the physical layers of practice with Asana and Pranayama. You won’t want to miss it.

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 this eye-opening episode, Giana Giarrusso is joined by fellow yoga teacher Dee Doyno to explore the Yamas, yoga’s often-overlooked ethical foundation from Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras. These five powerful principles—Ahimsa, Satya, Asteya, Brahmacharya, and Aparigraha—were written over 2,300 years ago, yet they remain deeply relevant to how we live, love, and show up in today’s world.

Think of the Yamas as yoga’s moral compass—offering a framework for living with more awareness, compassion, and alignment:

• Ahimsa (non-violence): Discover how practicing gentleness with yourself can be just as radical as standing up to harm.
• Satya (truthfulness): Explore the tension between “your truth” and the truth in a culture of curated identities.
• Asteya (non-stealing): Learn how we unconsciously steal time, energy, and joy—and how to stop.
• Brahmacharya (moderation): Reclaim your energy in a world addicted to overstimulation.
• Aparigraha (non-possessiveness): Release expectations, detach from outcomes, and make space for peace.

Through personal stories—like setting boundaries on social media and learning to honor time commitments—Giana and Dee bring these ancient teachings to life in a relatable, often humorous way. They also introduce their upcoming Deepen Your Practice challenge, beginning May 1st, designed to help you apply these teachings in real time within a supportive community.

Whether you're new to yoga philosophy or looking to take your practice off the mat, this episode will inspire you to explore the deeper dimensions of yoga—and of yourself.

Join the challenge before May 2nd by visiting CLICKING HERE

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 ancient wisdom meets modern wellness? In this inspiring conversation, I sit down with Crystal Cerrato—founder of Body of Light Yoga School and creator of BODYWELL a virtual wellness platform— explore how integrated wellbeing practices can completely transform your relationship with your body, mind, and spirit.

We kick things off with a little confession: neither of us has ever been the “fitness type.” But yoga opened a doorway—not through perfect poses or Instagram-worthy moments, but through deeper healing, self-awareness, and true embodiment. Crystal shares how her personal quest for health and balance evolved into a holistic four-pillar method: Eat, Breathe, Sculpt, and Flow—the foundation of BODYWELL.

In this episode, you’ll hear:

How yoga goes far beyond the physical—and why it's actually a complete science of wellbeing

How proper breathing activates your parasympathetic nervous system (hello, post-yoga bliss!)

How strategic nutrition impacts mental, emotional, and physical health

Why trying different teachers can deepen your practice

The powerful lessons hidden inside fear (and how it points you toward your biggest growth)

The truth about 200-hour yoga teacher trainings—and why continuing education matters

Practical breathwork, mindful eating, and movement tips you can start using today


Crystal also shares her journey from digital marketing to founding a yoga school, building a wellness platform, and stepping fully into leadership as a mother, entrepreneur, and teacher of teachers.

Whether you're new to the yoga world or looking to deepen your wellness journey, this episode offers actionable tools, inspiring insights, and a powerful reminder that true health starts from the inside out.

Ready to elevate your wellbeing?
Check out BodyWell.live and use code "free month" for a complimentary trial—or use code "GIANA" for $30 off an annual membership.

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