749. eLevate: The Mentorship to Help Pilates Teachers Connect the Dots

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In this solo episode, Lesley Logan pulls back the curtain on eLevate, her exclusive nine-month mentorship program designed for comprehensively trained Pilates instructors. She explains why collecting more exercises won't cure your imposter syndrome, and how understanding the deeper "why" behind the classical system transforms your confidence. Listen to the episode to learn the crucial difference between upLift and the eLevate program, plus how to step away from repetitive scripts and start trusting your own intuition.


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In this episode you will learn about:

  • Why collecting more Pilates exercises rarely builds true teaching confidence.
  • The exact equipment prerequisites needed to join the eLevate mentorship.
  • How to stop sounding like a parrot using classical scripts.
  • Why eLevate spreads its virtual training weekends across nine months.
  • How to progress your clients with intention instead of guesswork.


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Episode Transcript:

Lesley Logan 0:00  

I actually do stand by a quote, "Information without integration is constipation." And more information just rarely builds confidence on its own. In fact, more information often really makes you realize, "Oh my God, I don't know as much as I thought I did."


Lesley Logan 0:15  

Welcome to the Be It Till You See It podcast where we talk about taking messy action, knowing that perfect is boring. I'm Lesley Logan, Pilates instructor and fitness business coach. I've trained thousands of people around the world and the number one thing I see stopping people from achieving anything is self-doubt. My friends, action brings clarity and it's the antidote to fear. Each week, my guest will bring bold, executable, intrinsic and targeted steps that you can use to put yourself first and Be It Till You See It. It's a practice, not a perfect. Let's get started.


Lesley Logan 0:58  

All right, Be It babe, are you a Pilates instructor? This episode is going to dive into that. If you're not, you still might get some good ideas out of it, about being it till you see it. If you've been asking yourself, "Am I doing this right? Am I good enough? Can I really teach this? What if my my clients get bored of me?" If any of those questions have run through your head this week or this month or in the last year, I want you to stay with me because this episode is for you. Because last episode I actually told you what upLift was and who it's for. upLift is my new teacher training program for people who want to become a Pilates instructor who have been partially trained, and there is potential for comprehensively trained teachers to want to do upLift. But maybe you're already a teacher and you're wondering, should I do upLift? Should I do eLevate? What are these two things?


Lesley Logan 1:41  

And here's the deal, eLevate has been going on for over six years. The time I'm recording this, I graduated six rounds, and so, so, but now everyone knows that I have it because it's one of those things. It just keeps filling and growing, and I wanted to have something that would, for those of you who are interested, who are wondering which one you should do, wanted to have something you could listen to, understand, and really look back on before you make big decisions, because there's a lot of mentorship programs out there. So how do you know what you should do?


Lesley Logan 2:10  

So today I want to talk about eLevate, which is just a pride and joy of mine. It's also something I say I would never do. So eLevate is a mentorship program that I built for teachers who were already trained. And when I say already trained, I mean and certified. I mean, you've done Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, and Wunda Chair. Now, if you've done more than that, great. If you've done less than that, upLift, right? Because if you haven't done those things, then generally speaking, you've done partial trainings, and I need you to go to upLift and do that because it's just a lot going on. And a mentorship program is a little bit different than a teacher training program because a mentorship program, you are already working with clients. You already know exercises. You already, you also know what you don't. You feel like you know what you don't know, right? So you feel incomplete and you're looking for fix, miss, adding, finding the missing pieces to the puzzle. And I just want to say that that feeling isn't a sign that you did your training wrong, or the training you had was crap. Could have been really great. I've had people go through some really great trainings who still do eLevate. It's a sign that you are ready for another layer. That you are there. You're ready to learn because the reality is, loves, you can only take in so much when you're learning for the first time. There's things that take a few times to learn. Just like if you talk to your clients, like some of them, it takes months for them to actually remember how to do coordination, right? So let's talk about why eLevate exists. I, one, I was continued to be asked to create something like this and I was like, I don't know.


Lesley Logan 3:34  

But what I kept seeing over and over again in traveling the world to teach workshops and classes and watching people ask questions on my YouTube channel was of kind of doing mentoring in small, small little ways, but not over a long period of time, is that people are coming out of their certification, out of their training programs, and they can name an exercise, and they could run a session, and they could keep a client going, and they could keep a class going, and they could fill the space with great cues and words, but if you ask them why they were choosing the exercise or why they thought someone was ready to progress, their confidence kind of got shaky. They didn't really have some people didn't have an answer at all. Some people were, well, what do you think? Some people were, well, that's what I was told, and they didn't like how that felt. I wouldn't like how that felt, and they couldn't trust the why behind it. And I think it's you can go pretty far without knowing why, but at some point, everybody wants to know why. The brain is curious, right? So, eLevate exists, was created to close that gap for those teachers. It's a safe space to deepen what you already know, and also really get to know what you might not know that Joe Pilates has created his his intentions for this work, and to do it in a community of people who are all wanting the same thing, and ask the question they've been sitting on, and grow with people who get it, and so I really wanted to help with that, and. There's a lot of mentorship programs out there. Some of my dear friends are doing them, and the reality is, I always tell people you're the only person who can do what you do the way that you do it. And my friends who do it, they can do it in the way that they only can do it. And there's people that will truly resonate with them more than they'll resonate with me. But there's also some people who just like direct, thoughtful, honest feedback, and not in a dogmatic way, and so any of the programs I create, they are classical because that's how I teach. But there's no dogma; we don't work on that, right?


Lesley Logan 5:30  

So I want to give you a little bit my story. When I picked my first Pilates program, I actually had no idea what I was doing. It just happened to be classical. I was told to go take from that person, and I was really taught to follow a script. I think that they would say they taught me to think on my feet, and in some capacities they might have. But truly, they told me to say it like this because it works. What happened is I tried to do it with a real human in a studio, and they didn't do it. I was expecting, and I was like, "Well, let's throw the script out the window. That doesn't really work. And I also noticed that all the people who've been trained the same way I was trained, they we all sounded like little parrots. We were all like anyone of us could have taught any one of those clients, and the client probably wouldn't notice if their eyes were closed because we just all sounded the same. And so then I did another training program, and I got a lot more information, and I realized it definitely answered a lot of questions and and filled a lot of dissonance, but it wasn't enough. Still felt like there was a a why that was missing, and so when I started sitting with Jay and the people who studied with him, things just really started to click. There was a patience and a perseverance that was cultivated, and it wasn't about oh, let's do the flashy exercise. It was no, you've got to get the juice out of these foundational exercises and finding the strength and power in that. And also, you know, for those of you who know Pilates styles as a classical teacher, there are orders, and so it's well, how do I do all these orders year after year without getting bored, and it's wow.


Lesley Logan 7:02  

There's actually so much creativity in the way that Jay taught me to teach with the orders, right? What does that body need today, right now? What is what am I seeing, right? And there was something I didn't get from manual. They didn't have one, and so that was really cool, and I wanted to pass on that information that Jay gave to me and the teachers that worked with him, and give it to other teachers in a way that would work. What I found is that there was a way for a lot of teachers to not be accepted into that program of readiness, accessibility of equipment, travel, money, things like that. And I wanted to create a mentorship program that would allow people from all over the world to be able to learn without having to fly into Vegas. I also wanted people who were interested in learning Joe's exercises, who were not ready to do a full Reformer, to still be able to be in a mentorship program where they could learn those things and learn how to build themselves up and then progress themselves.


Lesley Logan 8:00  

And so, I wanted to create something that didn't have any barrier of entry when it comes to the ability and level of practice. But at least we'd all have the base understanding that you've at least know these pieces of equipment, so that we're not overwhelming you too much, right? So, eLevate is not about more information, and that's a pattern I see consistently. I see a lot of teachers just sign up for workshops so they can collect more exercises, collect more exercises, and more exercises, and more cues, and more cues. And I actually do stand by a quote that I heard in a breathwork training that I did, which is, "Information without integration is constipation." And more information just rarely builds confidence on its own. In fact, more information often really makes you realize, "Oh my God, I don't know as much as I thought I did. And if you don't have a space and a place where you can safely integrate that information, then you just have overwhelm in your head or constipation in your brain. And so, how do we give you more information and also a way to integrate that information in real time with people who are learning, and also with your clients. And so, eLevate is a nine-month program, so it's not just a workshop weekend. And we go from Mat to Reformer to Cadillac and Ped-o-Pull to the chairs to the barrels, and we layer in each apparatus that Joe gave us based on the spine shapes that exist in Pilates, so that you get a little bit more information each time we meet, but you have time to integrate it and correlate it before you get more. And that way, you're not collecting exercises; you're weaving the system together. You're seeing that how it works. And what's super fun is it takes nine months, but then we do it forever together because eLevate runs January to September. I take one group each time every six to seven weeks. We're meeting for the weekends. We have about 11-ish, sometimes more calls. We have a community where you can chat and work together, and each person who's in eLevate gets five calls one on one with me to kind of go through the assessment that they did, and when you graduate, you're in the alumni group, and so the learning continues. That's when eLevate finally starts. So that's what's really cool. We only can run one a year, and that is on purpose. I know everyone's quite crazy in Q4, so let's not overwhelm ourselves just because we have a desire to learn more information, but that's not what the seasons are doing. And in doing that nine-month program, you get confidence from understanding the information and applying it, and getting feedback-feedback from the other people that you're working with, but feedback from me. Because I'm not here for you to memorize more. I really want you to have a bigger picture, understanding 30,000 foot view before we get so nuanced. Sometimes I think teachers get so focused on the pinky toe when really the issue is the pelvis, right? So how do we actually take in the bigger picture before we get too hyper focused on something? And then how do I create a space where you can be in process but also get feedback so that we can ditch perfectionism and imposter syndrome and create true confidence in being present with the clients that you're teaching.


Lesley Logan 11:09  

So, eLevate is built on the classical Pilates method that Jay Grimes taught to me and Shimoda and Karen Frischmann, all that, and he studied with Joe Pilates and Romana, and so you learn all the exercises, all of them, and you will learn the orders, but bigger picture. It's less about memorizing and more about what do you see that they need, what do you feel that they need, what do you feel you need, what is your intuition telling you, and then what exercises on the other apparatus can we pull in to teach the body the thing that you keep seeing? Because the reality is, loves, I just see so many teachers just repeat the same cue over and over again, expecting the clients to actually remember it. The truth is that they heard you. They either can't do it or didn't understand it. And so, if they can't do it, you can't talk Pilates into a body, it's what Jay always told me, you have to give them the exercise that they need, and that is the heart of eLevate. Most teachers will know what comes next in a sequence or what would flow best, but few can tell why, or why they're choosing an exercise, or why they went that way, or why they're doing that flow. Most of it's like, oh, it's an arm day. Oh, it's an ab day. Oh, it's a hip day. What if it's a body day? And eLevate really does help you understand why an exercise exists, where it sits inside the system for one person versus another, because Pilates isn't linear. How it connects to the exercise around it, and how to progress a client with intention instead of guesswork. And once you can really understand that why, once you can start to see how each exercise supports another, and how we have 500 exercises, yes, but we have one exercise truly that we do 500 different ways. You stop overcomplicating the work, and you start meeting people exactly where they are, and that is the thing that I think eLevate does so well, and what teachers love so much because they're no longer just well. I got five minutes. What are what's something I can do right now? Then what do they need in these next five minutes? A lot of teachers I have discovered in my time really worry about their clients are going to get bored, especially if they're teaching orders, and so they rush the progression. So they start giving them new exercise every single time they come, and they feel pressured to invent something new every week because that's what gets clicks on Instagram, but when you understand the system deeply, you don't really feel the need to invent anything. The method itself is full of so much inspiration, and and you can progress clients with patience and creativity because you can finally trust the material you're standing on because you know it, you understand it, you've eLevated, and I think that's so important, right? When you really do understand where you're taking someone to, you can get them to buy in a lot into their practice, and so they don't. They know they don't need to be entertained. They know they they're getting stronger, and they can compare themselves with themselves because you help them do that. Because here's the deal, every body is different, and some cues that people love that they say I'm saying, other people probably are in the same class going well, that's stupid. Not everyone is going to be at the same pace. Not everyone needs the same correction. eLevate trains you to actually see what's in front of you, and instead of running under the same script on every client, you actually are able to say what is it is that they need to be doing, or see that they can't do what that is, and you can pick an exercise that they need. It's really fun because it really feels like taking a great recipe and then going, "Oh, you know what I feel like today? A little more spice, or a little more savor, or a little more sweet.


Lesley Logan 14:31  

And that's how you make Pilates accessible to more people. By the way, you don't have to water the work down to do it. You can actually just go, oh, wow, I thought they're ready for that. Okay, let's take this exercise over here so we can ready for them for next time, right? So you're also not doing this alone. Like Elevate is actually me talking at you for nine months. That would be silly. It is a live virtual program. You can come to Vegas for trainings if you want. There is a community aspect that is in real time. It's so, so fun. Like the I said, the weekly there's some about 11 calls during it. They're not weekly calls because there's more than 11 weeks, but we have a call and it's where we can really nerd out together and answer questions. You have a practice partner, so you have someone that you are like progressing the whole time. And the thing about your partner is they represent a true client, right? And so you get real feedback in real time and real teaching. There's some really great self-reflections, and you're going to be practicing what you're learning in that group, but also you get to practice it in real time in the sessions that you're doing and the clients that you're teaching, and so you can actually get real life feedback from me that will apply to the world that you're in, right? Which I think is so important. So many times people are taught, "Well, this is what it is, but they're not taught. Okay, so what happens when you work on a real body? How does that work out? And you have my support in those nine months, but then beyond, because when you graduate, unless you hate me, which I doubt you will, I know it sounds egoic, but like we'll have a lot of fun together. I have an alumni group where you can participate and ask me questions for the rest of your Pilates teaching life, as long as you want to, right?


Lesley Logan 16:10  

So here's the structure, it's five live virtual training weekends spread across nine months, and that spacing is so that you can take the time you need to break down the concepts, practice with real clients, come back with questions, go deeper, practice with your partner. So we start with the mat and props, then we go to the Reformer, then we do the Cadillac and Ped-o-Pulls, the Wunda chairs, we do Barrels. By the end, you'll have touched every single piece of equipment that Joe created, and then some. And also, you will understand how to apply this to one-on-ones, to groups, and then also I love that people get from my program is how to teach people at different levels at the same time, so that you can have classes that are more like personalized privates. And what all of that does, what that process does, is it really helps you shift from: Am I doing this right? Am I good enough? Can I really teach this? Who do I think I am? What if my clients get bored? To actually saying, "Oh, I understand the system. I can see what my client needs. I can make decisions at the moment. I trust myself as a teacher. I'm really great as a teacher. I don't need to worry about what they're doing over there because I know what I'm doing over here." And that shift is the entire point. We call it eLevate because I wanted to elevate your teaching, your practice, and most importantly, your connection to this method. So you know I don't believe in waiting until you feel ready before you act the person you want to become, and that's true here. Be It Till You See It, this podcast, everything, including eLevate. You don't build confidence by sitting still and going, "Oh, it's going to arrive. It's going to knock on the door. You build it through practice and feedback and messy action and trying again. eLevate gives you the room to be the teacher you're wanting to become before you fully feel like that person yet. It really is a space where you can be it till you see it. The teacher you're, oh, I wish I was like this. The person you admire. How can you act as if you're that person?


Lesley Logan 18:01  

You do that instead of eLevate. It's a container that helps hold you accountable to doing that over nine months and beyond. So if you have trained to be a teacher, you've done at least the Mat, Reformer, Cadillac, and Wunda chair, and you feel like something's missing in your practice. It feels like you are having some imposter syndrome that you are struggling to feel you're making the impact that you desire, and the reason why you became a teacher, eLevates for you. And what you can do is you can go to take a quiz. It's xxll.co/quiz, and that will actually help you understand if you should bridge into upLift or if you should do the eLevate training with me. I run it as I said a small group once a year, so we do have a wait list. You can go to xxll.co/elevate. You can find out if we have a space open for our next cohort or when the next cohort is going to have a space open. And something you should also know is that again, a lot of people are like, "Oh, I want to be an upLift educator right now as I record this. The only way to be an upLift educator is to have gone through eLevate. At some point, there might be a mini bridge for that, but in this time that I'm recording and this time that I'm creating everything, the eLevate grads are are the people that can be upLift educators, and it's just because I get to spend so much time with them, and I get to know them, and I can understand the type of educator they'd be. So until I can figure out a different path to that, that is how it goes. So if that's something you're wanting to do, then you definitely want to be doing eLevate. xxll.co/elevate. Thank you so much for letting me break down these two things that I am so passionate about: my teacher training program upLift, my mentorship program eLevate. They have a lot of similarities and but differences in who they are for, and the thing that they both provide is strong teachers who believe in what this method is capable of doing. We are so lucky to get to teach Pilates, and I am so grateful that I have two different ways to support people who are interested in having a career as a Pilates instructor and have longevity as a Pilates instructor, and more importantly, change people's lives. Everything I do is so there's more Pilates in bodies, like more bodies doing Pilates. I cannot teach all these people. Not everyone will like me being their teacher. So the more people who are teachers that I can mentor, and the more people who are wanting to become a teacher who can do upLift. That's a dozen to hundreds more teachers out there in this world who can teach clients in their community, and then that goal of mine of more bodies doing Pilates can be achieved as a communal effort. And and I really do mean I mean longevity in this career because what I would hate to see is someone spend thousands of dollars to become a Pilates instructor, and then burn out because they just felt like they weren't good enough. I don't want that. That's why all of it exists. So thank you so much. I cannot wait to hear which one of these programs is right for you or a friend of yours. If you have any questions, let me know. And until next time, Be It Till You See It.


Lesley Logan 21:01  

That's all I got for this episode of the Be It Till You See It Podcast. One thing that would help both myself and future listeners is for you to rate the show and leave a review and follow or subscribe for free wherever you listen to your podcast. Also, make sure to introduce yourself over at the Be It Pod on Instagram. I would love to know more about you. Share this episode with whoever you think needs to hear it. Help us and others Be It Till You See It. Have an awesome day. Be It Till You See It is a production of The Bloom Podcast Network. If you want to leave us a message or a question that we might read on another episode, you can text us at +1-310-905-5534 or send a DM on Instagram @BeItPod. 


Brad Crowell 21:43  

It's written, filmed, and recorded by your host, Lesley Logan, and me, Brad Crowell.


Lesley Logan 21:48  

It is transcribed, produced and edited by the epic team at Disenyo.co.


Brad Crowell 21:53  

Our theme music is by Ali at Apex Production Music and our branding by designer and artist, Gianfranco Cioffi.


Lesley Logan 22:00  

Special thanks to Melissa Solomon for creating our visuals.


Brad Crowell 22:03  

Also to Angelina Herico for adding all of our content to our website. And finally to Meridith Root for keeping us all on point and on time.



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