Elyse McDonald — Building a Thriving Pilates Studio Through Community, Collaboration & Education

Season 3 Episode 17 · August 2026 · 33 min

Listen to the full Spotify episode here

After a career-ending back injury and a surgeon's warning that surgery might be her only option, Elyse McDonald chose rehabilitation over the operating table — and it changed the entire direction of her life. What started as a two-car garage with one reformer has grown into Elysium Studio Pilates, a Canberra rehabilitation studio and teacher-training hub built on the belief that education and community matter more than competition. Along the way, Elyse has taught marathon runners, 85-year-olds, and everyone in between, and even talked her way through a mid-workshop power blackout using a mobile hotspot and pure teamwork. In this episode, I sit down with Elyse McDonald to talk about rebuilding her body after injury, growing a studio from the ground up, and why collaboration — not competition — is what strengthens our profession.

ABOUT Elyse McDonald

Elyse McDonald is the Director and Principal Instructor of Elysium Studio Pilates in Canberra, where she has taught Pilates and movement for over 12 years. She is recognised as a Level Four Pilates Professional with the Pilates Association of Australia, one of the highest levels of professional recognition in the industry, with a background in dance, rehabilitation, myofascial slings, and pre/postnatal training. Learn more at elysiumstudiopilates.com.au.

WHAT YOU'LL LEARN IN THIS EPISODE

• Why choosing rehabilitation over spinal surgery — through Pilates and swimming — can be a viable path for some back injuries, and what two years of consistent rehab actually looks like.
• How to grow a studio organically, starting small (even from a garage) and reinvesting in the business as demand builds.
• Why assessing each client "on the day" rather than running a fixed program leads to better outcomes and stronger client trust.
• What separates an exceptional Pilates instructor from an average one: teaching people, not exercises, and using clinical reasoning to adapt movements in real time.
• How to build new-instructor confidence through curiosity and ongoing communication with clients, rather than expecting to "know everything."
• Why collaborating with other educators and studios — instead of competing with them — grows your reach, your credibility, and the profession as a whole.
• How to use social media authentically: sharing real client moments and behind-the-scenes content instead of chasing polished, promotional posts.
• What continuing education pathways exist for Pilates instructors (mat, reformer, comprehensive training on the wunda chair and Cadillac) and why lifelong learning matters even after 12+ years of teaching.

FROM THE EPISODE

"Great instructors teach people, not exercises."

"Curiosity is more valuable than pretending that you know everything."

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

What is a Level Four Pilates Professional? It's one of the highest levels of professional recognition offered by the Pilates Association of Australia. Elyse McDonald holds this qualification and describes it as reflecting a deep, well-rounded understanding of movement, anatomy, and clinical reasoning built up over years of teaching and further training.

Can Pilates help with a herniated or bulging spinal disc instead of surgery? In Elyse's own case, her surgeon offered her surgery for a lumbar disc bulge and rupture but suggested Pilates and swimming as an alternative path to strengthen her body first. She spent two years rehabilitating through Pilates rather than having the operation. This reflects her personal experience and isn't a substitute for medical advice — anyone with a back injury should discuss options with their own doctor or surgeon.

What makes a Pilates instructor "exceptional" rather than just competent? According to Elyse, exceptional instructors teach people, not just exercises. That means assessing how a client feels on any given day, adapting the session accordingly, and using clinical reasoning to solve movement problems in real time rather than running a fixed, memorized program.

How do you start a Pilates teacher training program at your studio? Elyse didn't set out to build a teacher training arm — it grew organically because students kept asking why they were doing certain exercises and wanted to understand the reasoning behind them. Over time this curiosity from clients turned into a structured education offering through Body Organics.

Should Pilates studios compete with each other or collaborate? Elyse and podcast host Louise both argue strongly for collaboration over competition. Sharing knowledge, cross-promoting each other's work, and learning from other educators' teaching styles raises standards across the whole profession and helps everyone's business grow.

What Pilates equipment and courses does Body Organics education offer? Body Organics offers a learning pathway starting with mat work and reformer training, which can then lead into comprehensive training on the wunda chair and Cadillac (table). Courses can be taken as standalone modules or combined, with ongoing mentoring and continuing education built in.

How can Pilates instructors use social media authentically? Elyse's advice is to avoid chasing overly polished, promotional content and instead post genuine moments — client success stories, real teaching moments, and behind-the-scenes footage. The goal is to show who you are as an instructor, not just what you do.

How long does it take to become a qualified Pilates instructor? The episode doesn't give an exact timeframe, but Elyse notes there are a significant number of training hours required, especially if you're pursuing the rehabilitation-focused comprehensive training pathway (mat, reformer, wunda chair, and Cadillac), so prospective instructors should plan for a real time commitment.

FULL EPISODE TRANSCRIPT

Lightly edited for readability

Louise: Welcome back to the Art of Pilates Podcast. I'm your host, Louise Torb, and today I have a very special guest joining me. Elyse McDonald is the Director and Principal Instructor of Elysium Pilates Studio in Canberra, and has been teaching Pilates and movement for over 12 years. She's recognised as a Level Four Pilates Professional with the Pilates Association of Australia, one of the highest levels of professional recognition within our industry.

Elyse's journey into Pilates is one of resilience. After sustaining a career-ending back injury in 2011, she spent two years rebuilding her body through rehabilitation and corrective exercise. That experience transformed not only her own life, but also the way she teaches — inspiring her to help others move with confidence, strength, and purpose. With a professional background in dance, extensive qualifications in Pilates, myofascial slings, pregnancy and postnatal exercise, and musculoskeletal rehabilitation, Elyse has become a Pilates educator.

Recently, I had the pleasure of collaborating with Elyse by hosting my Pilates for Pregnancy and Postnatal teacher training at Elysium Studio Pilates. It was a weekend I'll never forget — not only because of the incredible instructors who attended, but because halfway through we had a blackout. There was no power. Despite the challenges, everyone came together. We kept teaching using a laptop, projector, Zoom, a participant's mobile hotspot, and even another participant who worked in tech stepped in to help us keep everything running. It was a beautiful reminder of the strength of community within the Pilates profession.

Today we're talking about Elyse's journey, building a thriving studio, the power of collaboration, and why supporting one another is one of the best ways to grow our profession.

Elyse, welcome to the Art of Pilates.

Elyse: Thank you. Great to be here.

Louise: It's great to see you again, actually. It's so exciting. I'd love to start at the beginning. Can you tell us about your journey into Pilates and how your career-ending back injury changed the direction of your life?

Elyse: Let's start right from the beginning. I was dancing from an early age — around eight — regularly, for fun. That grew into weekend travel most weeks, mainly with my mum, competing for Australasian Championships and titles, which took me through to the Worlds. This is Scottish Highland dancing, by the way. I placed regularly in numerous championships, which extended into dancing at university and eventually a world of dance, and that took me into movement generally.

After that, I sustained a fairly significant back injury in 2010, after my studies at uni, and that took me to Pilates — starting there and working my way through the movement field.

Louise: How did you actually hurt your back? What happened?

Elyse: Studying at university, I was dancing eight hours a day. I think I was almost built to dance directly upright and stay very still and stable, in the Scottish Highland world — to be standing tall. Then at university I was doing contemporary dance, moving my body in ways I'd never moved before, and that created a whole world of different strategies within my back that weren't happy.

I took a break from university and went into the public service for a while, but then I went back to dance thinking, "I can do this." I just wasn't built for dance, as it turned out. I saw a surgeon and he said there was a problem with my lumbar disc — a bulge and a rupture. He said he could provide surgery, but the best thing I could do would be to go to Pilates and to swim — to strengthen myself. So that's what happened.

Louise: Oh, thank God you didn't have the surgery.

Elyse: I didn't have the surgery — I decided to rehabilitate myself instead. That's another story.

Louise: Spending two years rehabilitating yourself must have been incredibly challenging. What were the biggest lessons you learned during that time?

Elyse: It taught me to be more patient and more empathetic toward my own body, and to have more tolerance toward other people too — learning to take it easy, slow down, move slower, and really think about how I was rehabilitating myself.

Louise: I was wondering how that impacted your teaching now, because dance — especially Highland dance — is so strict, at such a high level. I can imagine that was a complete backflip. How has it affected how you teach your clients?

Elyse: I guess it's about making people feel better and feel stronger and more confident about their body — that we can move in certain ways again, that we're capable of being strong again after such horrible effects.

Louise: That would've been heartbreaking. So you had such a rich background in dance — how has dance shaped your movement philosophy?

Elyse: It gave me an appreciation for the quality of movement, precision, and control. It added some purpose and function to movement again. I guess it's just about helping people move better than they did yesterday. It changed the focus of how it feels.

Louise: Your studio is fantastic. Can you tell us about Elysium Studio Pilates? What inspired you to create it?

Elyse: I wasn't ready, honestly — I just loved Pilates so much. I delved into it and thought, this has created such a change in my body. I wanted it to be a bit of a side hustle, something I created in my garage, so I converted my tiny two-car garage into a full Elysium Studio Pilates. I put the logo on the wall — I had one reformer, one table, one chair, and lots of props.

I'd finish my day job every day — I had a public service job, started at nine, finished at three — then went home and taught from four until about eight at night. I guess it was just the love of Pilates, and I wanted to extend that to everyone else, even if it was in my tiny little garage.

Louise: And then the garage was overflowing, and you had to get a bigger premises. I love your studio, by the way — it's so beautiful, and the acoustics are so soft in there because of that whole acoustic wall. So clever how you've done that. I love the name Elysium — can you share what it means to you and how it reflects your philosophy?

Elyse: Elysium means the place of ideal happiness — complete bliss or paradise. It's also a play on my name. It reflects who I am and the values of the studio. I wanted people to feel genuinely welcomed and supported, regardless of their age or ability. It's a perfect place of happiness — somewhere people feel like they belong, not just somewhere to exercise, but somewhere to feel part of a community.

Louise: Your studio is now a destination for Pilates education in Canberra. Was teacher training always part of your vision?

Elyse: No, it actually wasn't the original goal. It became a natural extension of what I was doing. I loved helping people, and students wanted to know why they were doing what they were doing and why they were being taught what they were taught. The teacher training just grew organically from that.

Louise: That's fantastic, because your teacher trainees — the women who came to my workshop as well — they just adore you. You can see how much respect they have for you. The whole room was watching you during one exercise; they started taking video. It's a beautiful community. You can really see your passion because you put everything into what you do. What makes the Elysium approach to teacher education unique?

Elyse: Because we're a small boutique studio, we've got a tailored approach to each individual person who walks through our door — regarding their own rehabilitation. People come in with hip surgery, back surgery. What makes us unique is individual attention. I train people who run 160-kilometre marathons, and I've also got a beautiful 85-year-old client. It's tailored, and it's community — I keep coming back to those two things.

Louise: I really feel that from visiting your studio. What qualities do you think make an exceptional Pilates instructor?

Elyse: Great instructors teach people, not exercises. I pride myself on teaching our instructors to deal with the body on the day. We do assess semi-private clients on the day and create a tailored program — but if a client walks in and says, "I just feel terrible today," what creates an exceptional instructor is being able to say, "Okay, how are you feeling? We can work with that. We can adapt." We know what a client needs for their program, but we'll change it up on the day, because everybody's different when they walk in.

Louise: One thing I really admire about you is that you don't simply teach the exercises — you teach clinical reasoning, that movement understanding. Even that exercise with the hands pulling straps and the doming — the way you said in the workshop, "We've got to take the arms wider, and that gets rid of the doming" — that's really creative, problem-solving clinical reasoning. Why is that so important to you?

Elyse: Because everyone can just memorise an exercise, but great instructors understand movement — they observe, they listen, and they adapt. With that understanding, they can create what's right for that particular client.

Louise: How do you help your students build confidence when working with complex clients? I imagine that'd be intimidating for a new instructor.

Elyse: Confidence develops through experience. It starts with understanding the person and questioning them — you don't know the answer to everything. I even text some of my clients to ask how they're feeling after a class. Curiosity is more valuable than pretending you know everything. It's about being curious, listening, observing, assessing, and adapting.

Louise: What advice would you give Pilates enthusiasts considering taking the next step into training to become a teacher?

Elyse: Learn the repertoire, but be curious about the body. That would be my big thing.

Louise: And make sure you've got enough time to do all the hours.

Elyse: That's right — there's a heck of a lot of hours, especially if you're doing the rehab component.

Louise: Thank you again for hosting my Pregnancy and Postnatal Pilates workshop. What made you want to bring the course to Canberra?

Elyse: We love you, Louise, most of all — we grabbed you at the conference and asked you to come and share your expertise. But also, Canberra deserves more education. People shouldn't always have to travel interstate. Bringing people here was a really good thing — attendees came from Goulburn and Wagga. Education should continue long after certification, and bringing together educators felt really important.

Louise: It was really exciting — we had such a good number of people, everyone curious about what we were covering. And then we had the blackout. What was going through your mind halfway through?

Elyse: I was shocked. I said, "Why are these lights on and why are all the other lights turned off?" I had to check the whole arcade — the whole thing was down. Thank goodness there was an IT person there, because I wasn't going to be much help. I'd actually hesitated over whether to bring my biggest battery pack on the plane because it was almost too big to take, but I brought it anyway — luckily. Then the IT girl who was there knew how to hook everything up. Everyone was focused on the solution rather than the problem. Everyone came together, helping me work out what to click on my computer to make everything work. It was fantastic.

Louise: It did. I think everyone felt a bit more connected because of what happened — we all had to pull together to make things work. How did you feel after that?

Elyse: I felt like everybody collaborated really well together, and we all got a bit closer after that. It was like a big icebreaker — I was nervous at first, but then it went really well. I've got all the recordings, I've uploaded a couple of the videos, still got more to go.

Louise: What do you think you personally got out of the workshop?

Elyse: The conversations between all the studios were valuable — different studios, different instructors and experiences. Your education on the day was fantastic. It was exactly the environment I want to create: a collaborative approach with different experiences.

Louise: One thing I really loved about working together is that we genuinely supported each other's businesses. Why do you think collaboration is so important in our industry?

Elyse: Collaboration raises the standards. Sharing knowledge strengthens the professionalism of Pilates — supporting one another creates a great opportunity for everybody.

Louise: I feel like that connection broadens your reach — even when you shared some of the posts where I tagged Elysium, your share helped it go further than mine ever could. That's really what tipped it over to being able to have the workshop at your studio, because your reach extended further than mine could get to on its own.

Elyse: Yes — with two of us, we can make it work better.

Louise: Some people think they have to compete with other educators, but I feel like we need to support each other. I really hope your studio keeps growing on the education side. There's enough people to go around — there really is. What's your perspective on that competitive mindset some educators have?

Elyse: I've seen it — other educators putting people down, saying "oh, they do this," and I just don't agree with that. We're stronger when we work together. That's how I feel about it. People helping other people just makes everything better and easier. I also find it really interesting to watch how other educators teach — going to further training lets you see how other people express their ideas and what teaching tactics they use.

Louise: How do you feel sharing each other's audiences benefited both of us? Did you feel you got benefit from my audience being shared with yours?

Elyse: Totally. I think it helped people connect with more authenticity through the workshops. Also, having those beautiful Body Organics manuals sitting out created curiosity, and it lifts you to that level of offering pretty full-on courses at your studio — it lifts you, and it lifts how your clients see you, as an educator, not just an instructor.

Louise: What other opportunities do you think are created when educators collaborate instead of compete?

Elyse: Sharing knowledge strengthens the profession — it makes everything stronger. Even in that workshop, when people were putting out different ideas, it was like, "Oh, I'd never thought of that — that's a great idea." People's experiences add up. If you're by yourself, you only have your own experiences to draw on, but when other people share theirs, it makes everything so much richer.

Louise: I'd love you to tell everyone about Body Organics Education. What is it, and who is it designed for?

Elyse: Body Organics Education is a great learning platform for the evidence-informed person. It's strong on anatomy, with great clinical reasoning and practical learning behind it, plus ongoing mentoring and continuing education. Elysium and Body Organics work together to create education around that — it's kind of a partnership as well.

Louise: What kind of courses can Pilates instructors expect to find through Body Organics Education?

Elyse: You can start right from the beginning with mat work and reformer training, which then takes you into comprehensive training on the wunda chair and the Cadillac — the table.

Louise: One of my favourite pieces — I love the Cadillac. Do you run the chair and Cadillac as a combined module, or can you do them separately?

Elyse: You can do them separately, or you can combine mat and reformer as one component. We're actually running a new standalone reformer component from the 18th of October, if anyone's interested. Next year we'll run mat and reformer, and then it can take you right through to comprehensive training.

Louise: Why do you believe continuing education is so important throughout a Pilates instructor's career?

Elyse: Every client benefits from it. I've been teaching for 12 years, and I learn something new every day — even from my clients, or from working collaboratively with other teachers.

Louise: I know you've got the reformer course coming up in October — are there any other exciting projects or courses you're particularly excited about?

Elyse: I've got a myofascial workshop coming up soon — my hip workshop. I run a lot of little workshops within Elysium. Next year we'll move back into full teacher training with mat, reformer, and comprehensive training.

Louise: I really appreciated you capturing all the behind-the-scenes videos throughout the workshop. Why do you think showing the real experience matters?

Elyse: I think people really connect with authenticity. I don't chase perfect content — I want to share genuine moments, learning, success stories, and community, behind the scenes.

Louise: Your video content is actually really good — none of it is overly pretentious or polished, it's just really real, showing real people. We don't work with robots. Sometimes we get to work with elite dancers, but quite often we're just working with normal people, and being able to see that humanity is really special. I think you know how to capture it.

Elyse: It shouldn't just show what you do — it should show who you are. That's what Elysium is.

Louise: What are some of your favourite things to post from your studio?

Elyse: Success stories. The clients, the people. When someone nails a move they've been working on, or people laughing and enjoying themselves. I video my cats too — I don't post them all the time, but I film them constantly.

Louise: How can Pilates instructors use social media to educate and build genuine community, rather than just promoting themselves?

Elyse: Don't chase perfect content. Be natural, be you. Just be real — that's what I think.

Louise: Let's do a fast five. What's one Pilates exercise you could never live without?

Elyse: The Teaser — on the reformer. I love it. It's so hard, but now that I can do it — I've taught my body how to properly move it after being injured — that's probably why I love it so much.

Louise: And what's your favourite piece of Pilates equipment?

Elyse: The wunda chair, without a doubt.

Louise: Why is that?

Elyse: It's such a functional, athletic piece — it covers the whole body really well. It's the most challenging.

Louise: Coffee or tea?

Elyse: Espresso.

Louise: One book every Pilates instructor should read?

Elyse: The Caged Lion.

Louise: What's it about?

Elyse: It's all about Joe [Pilates]. It's an eye-opener — I tell nearly every client who comes in to read it.

Louise: And if you weren't teaching Pilates, what would you be doing?

Elyse: I'd be a paramedic, or a physio — but probably a paramedic. I love the body, and I'm not squeamish. I could handle it.

Louise: I think I'd be a midwife — it's drama, excitement, joy, exhilaration, it's like a workout, it's everything. That's true of paramedic work too. What does the future look like for Elysium?

Elyse: I'll stay a beautiful boutique rehabilitation studio with outstanding instructors, continuing to collaborate with outstanding people like yourself, supporting women's health, strengthening our community, and staying true to the real vision I had in my garage.

Louise: I can't believe you were teaching from a garage with — didn't you have a hundred clients or something?

Elyse: I did. And it was great to eventually find a studio close by, where clients could park for free and grab a coffee or do their shopping afterwards.

Louise: It's very centrally located. If listeners could take away just one message from today's conversation, what would you like it to be?

Elyse: Never stop learning. Stay curious. Ask questions about your body. Understand the exercises you're doing. If you're a lover of Pilates, the industry becomes stronger when we share our knowledge and support one another — that's ultimately how we provide the very best care for every person who walks through our door.

Louise: Elyse, can you tell us where we can find you, follow your work, and learn more about Elysium Studio and Body Organics Education?

Elyse: You'll find me at elysiumstudiopilates.com.au, and on Instagram or Facebook. We're located in Weston Creek in Canberra, very central.

Louise: Elyse, thank you so much for joining me today. I absolutely loved collaborating with you in Canberra, and after this conversation I appreciate even more the passion, generosity, and expertise you bring to our profession. Our workshop reminded me that when educators support one another rather than compete, everyone benefits — our businesses grow, our communities strengthen, and ultimately our clients receive better care.

If you'd like to learn more about Elysium Studio Pilates or her teacher training programs through Body Organics Education, we'll include all the links in the show notes. Thank you for listening to the Art of Pilates Podcast — if you enjoyed today's episode, please subscribe, leave a review, and share it with fellow Pilates instructors. See you next time.

Links & Resources

• Elysium Studio Pilates — Elyse McDonald's studio in Weston Creek, Canberra
• Body Organics Education — Pilates teacher training platform partnered with Elysium Studio Pilates 
• Pilates Association of Australia — professional certifying body referenced for Elyse's Level Four qualification 
• The Caged Lion — biography about Joseph Pilates, recommended by Elyse
• Art of Pilates Podcast 
• Elysium Studio Pilates on Instagram
• Taube Pilates

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