Core with Shawna Beardsley | A Pilates Podcast

The Mental Game: You Don’t Have to Believe Every Thought You Think

Your thoughts feel real—but that doesn’t mean they’re true.
In this episode, I’m diving deeper into the mental patterns that shape how we show up—people-pleasing, overthinking, and the daily discipline of letting go. But we’re also going beyond just internal work.
Because growth isn’t just about what’s happening in your head—it’s also about who you surround yourself with.
I’ll share why I intentionally choose people who challenge me, why I refuse to have “yes people” in my life, and how honest, sometimes uncomfortable feedback has been one of the biggest drivers of my growth—in business, relationships, and within myself.
If you want to evolve, you can’t stay comfortable.
And that includes your environment.

What Do You Do to Feel Your Best?

What does it actually take to feel your best—not just look your best? In this episode, Shawna breaks down the three pillars she believes create a full, grounded, energized life: physical health, mental health, and the often-missing piece—spiritual health.

Advanced Beginner: Why Your First Two Years of Teaching Pilates Are Just the Beginning

You finished your 450-hour comprehensive Pilates teacher training… now what?
In this episode, we break down what it really means to be an advanced beginner in your first 1–2 years after certification. That comprehensive training laid the foundation — but mastery comes from repetition, mentorship, continuing education, and putting in the reps.
We’ll talk about how to embrace the uncomfortable growth phase, why confidence comes after competence, and how workshops, conferences, and real client experience shape you into a powerful, adaptable instructor.
If you’re a newly certified teacher (or mentoring one), this episode is your permission to be in process.

You Loved Pilates—So Why Did You Stop Practicing?

You didn’t become a Pilates instructor because you wanted a job—you became one because you loved Pilates. You loved how it made you feel, how it challenged you, how it connected you to your body. You practiced constantly, often daily, before teacher training ever began.
And then something shifted.
In this episode, I’m talking about a pattern I see every single year—and one I personally lived. When I first started teacher training and then began teaching, I dropped off my own personal practice hard. And looking back, that was the biggest bottleneck in my teaching.
Personal practice isn’t optional. It’s not extra credit. It’s skill development. When instructors stop practicing Pilates, they stop growing as teachers. They lose sensation, clarity, language, and connection to the method—and that always shows up in the way they teach.
We’ll talk about why this happens, why the excuses feel valid (especially after long teaching days), and how to realistically rebuild a consistent personal practice—even when you’re tired, busy, and tempted to just go home and turn on Netflix.

Clear Is Kind: The Art of Direct Conversations in Pilates & Leadership

As a Pilates studio owner, teacher trainer, and employer, you end up wearing a lot of hats—and one of the most important (and uncomfortable) ones is learning how to have direct conversations. In this episode, I talk about why clear, honest communication matters so much in a Pilates studio setting, especially when you’re leading a team, hosting a teacher training program, or giving and receiving feedback.
We’ll dive into texting vs. phone calls vs. in-person conversations, why in-person is always best, and why a quick phone call can clear the air faster than a dozen messages ever could. I also share how I’ve learned to ask for conversations early—before resentment builds—and how direct communication creates trust, stronger relationships, and better teaching environments.
Whether you’re a studio owner, manager, or Pilates instructor, this episode is all about learning how to give feedback clearly, receive feedback without defensiveness, and grow as a professional and as a person.

Not All Pilates Is Created Equal: Protecting the Method in a Trend-Driven World

Pilates is everywhere right now — and while accessibility can be a beautiful thing, the rapid rise of watered-down certifications and weekend “teacher trainings” is quietly eroding the integrity of the method. In this episode, we talk about what comprehensive Pilates education actually means, why Joseph Pilates’ original work (Contrology) still matters, and how both instructors and consumers have a responsibility to protect the quality of what’s being taught.
At In Balance Pilates, our 450-hour comprehensive teacher training spans all apparatus, anatomy, biomechanics, history, and real-world application — because teaching bodies is not something you master in a weekend. Whether you’re a teacher, a studio owner, or someone just trying to find quality Pilates in a saturated market, this episode is your reminder: depth matters, lineage matters, and not all Pilates is created equally.

Accessibility Without Apology: Belonging, Balance, and the Future of Pilates

In this episode, I reflect on a question from teacher training that stayed with me long after the room went quiet: Where do you see the Pilates industry going?
What came up—again and again—was accessibility. A shared desire to make Pilates more inclusive, more welcoming, and more available to people across different bodies, backgrounds, and income levels.
At InBalance, we hold accessibility as a core value—and we believe deeply in running a healthy, sustainable business. These two ideas are not in conflict. In fact, they depend on each other.
This episode is a conversation about balance: how profitability allows us to give back, how thriving studios create free education and community resources, and how the future of Pilates can be both inclusive and sustainable—without apology.

Coach, Not Player: Why Great Pilates Instructors Don’t Limit Their Clients

As Pilates instructors, it’s easy to confuse our own physical abilities with our role in the room—but you are the coach, not the player.
In this episode, I break down what that really means, especially during our Posture Perfect theme at In Balance Pilates, where we’re focusing on prone work, spinal extension, and helping clients stand taller and stronger.
One of our peak poses this month is High Bridge on the Reformer—a powerful, advanced extension exercise. And here’s the truth: I’ve been teaching Pilates for over 10 years (going on 11), and I cannot personally do a High Bridge.
But that doesn’t mean I won’t teach it.
We’ll talk about why your job as an instructor is to coach technique, progressions, and confidence, not to prove your own physical ability—and why holding back clients because of your own limitations does them a disservice.
If you’ve ever avoided teaching an exercise because you couldn’t do it yourself, this episode is for you.

YouTube Pilates, Rib Flare, and the Myth of ‘Perfect Form

this episode, we’re talking about a type of inquiry we see more and more often—clients who discover Pilates through YouTube, come into the studio asking for very technical sessions, and want to focus heavily on things like rib flare, diaphragmatic breathing, and “perfect” form from day one.
We’ll break down why Pilates is a practice, not something you intellectually master in one session, why obsessing over technique early on can actually slow progress, and why some popular online Pilates talking points lean more toward pseudoscience than evidence-based movement.
This episode is also an honest look at why not every studio is the right fit for every client—and why that’s okay. If you’re new to Pilates, curious about form, or feeling overwhelmed by conflicting information online, this conversation will help you reset expectations and refocus on what actually builds strength, confidence, and long-term results.

The Language of Pilates: Guiding Principles & Movement Principles