From redefining “good” and “bad” habits to learning how empathy shapes teaching, Lesley and Brad recap their conversation with yoga teacher Anthony Benenati—founder of City Yoga, California’s first Anusara studio, and now leads That’s Not Yoga®. With over three decades of experience, Anthony has built a philosophy of meeting students where they are. Together they explore how ego, anger, and even curiosity can open the door to practice, and why the stories we carry and the language we use hold the power to shape growth. This episode invites you to pause, reflect, and ask: is this serving me?

If you have any questions about this episode or want to get some of the resources we mentioned, head over to LesleyLogan.co/podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/. If you have any comments or questions about the Be It pod shoot us a message at beit@lesleylogan.co mailto:beit@lesleylogan.co.

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In this episode you will learn about:

• How Anthony's teaching shaped his philosophy of fitting yoga to the students.
• Brad's early yoga mishaps and how they reframed his view of the practice.
• Feeling like an "outsider" in Pilates and how sharing built deeper connections.
• Why empathy is the real skill teachers need in guiding students.
• Why desire, knowledge, and action are the non-negotiables for growth.

Episode References/Links:

• UK Mullet Tour - https://opc.me/uk
• P.O.T. Chicago 2025 - https://pilates.com/pilates-on-tour-chicagoland
• Cambodia October 2025 Waitlist - https://crowsnestretreats.com
• eLevate Program - https://lesleylogan.co/elevate
• Submit your wins or questions - https://beitpod.com/questions
• Anthony Benenati's Website - https://thatsnotyoga.com
• Guilt vs. Shame by Brene Brown - https://brenebrown.com/articles/2013/01/15/shame-v-guilt
• Tiny Habits: The Small Changes That Change Everything by BJ Fogg - https://a.co/d/22NIHEI

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Resources:

• Watch the Be It Till You See It podcast on YouTube! https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCq08HES7xLMvVa3Fy5DR8-g
• Lesley Logan website https://lesleylogan.co/
• Be It Till You See It Podcast https://lesleylogan.co/podcast/
• Online Pilates Classes by Lesley Logan https://onlinepilatesclasses.com/
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Episode Transcript:

Lesley Logan 0:00   

There's a difference between saying something is bad and to lead to I'm bad, and asking yourself, is it serving me? If the answer is yes, fuck what people think. If it's a yes, and tomorrow it's a yes, and then the next week it's a yes, and then next month it's a no, then you make a change. 

Lesley Logan 0:22   

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 1:05   

Welcome back to the Be It Till You See It interview recap where my co-host in life, Brad, and I are going to dig into the authentic convo I had with Anthony Benenati in our last episode. If you haven't yet listened to that one, you've missed out. 

Brad Crowell 1:16   

You definitely missed out. 

Lesley Logan 1:18   

I don't like to go around saying you made mistakes, but you did.

Brad Crowell 1:20   

You did. 

Lesley Logan 1:24   

You don't suck or anything, but, all right, before I get into that, today is August 28th 2025 and it is National Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day. And on this day, of course, it's gonna say Rainbow Bridge twice. So the death of a beloved pet, whether it's the family dog, a furry kitty, or something a little more obscure, is a sad occasion. Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day on August 28th is the day that we remember the pets that are no longer with us. Whilst the pain of losing a pet, you can't laugh while we're talking about dead dogs, babe, but we are laughing because Rainbow Bridge Remembrance Day is a day we remember our pets. We got that from remembrance, you know, like we got it, okay, anyways. Whilst the pain of losing a pet somewhat heals over time, they're never forgotten, and today is their day. The day was founded by author Deborah Barnes as a way for people to share their memories of the pets that they have lost, whether it's a dog, a hamster or a snake, or, you know, anything in between. Oh, maybe this is the day that we maybe actually like say it. 

Brad Crowell 2:32   

That's what I was thinking. 

Lesley Logan 2:34   

Okay, well, do you want to say it?

Brad Crowell 2:36   

Yeah, I do. Also, I think it's great that it's in the month of August. 

Lesley Logan 2:40   

I know it's like we knew. 

Brad Crowell 2:42   

If you didn't know, Lesley and I have only one dog now, and it's been a couple of months that we lost August as well. And when I say as well, what I mean is last year, we lost Gaia towards the end of the year, and then about six months later, we also lost August, and that was really, really challenging, and not something that we talk about very often.

Lesley Logan 3:08   

I know well, because there's a difference, and I think that's what was important about this day. And like, if