Meet Leslie
Leslie Clayton
Owner & Operator of Body Awareness Studio, Atlanta, GA (Established 1993)
Leslie Clayton’s passion for Pilates and movement is evident in her teaching and her commitment to nurturing the next generation of Pilates professionals. Through her leadership, Body Awareness Studio has become a beacon of excellence in Pilates education and holistic health, fostering a supportive and transformative environment for both clients and trainees.
For Leslie, Pilates united her love of movement, passion for helping others heal, and personal discovery. Her first Pilates Teacher Training program in 1992 brought her healing after a traumatic car accident, a sense of peace and transcendent bliss, solidifying her purpose: to help others find their path to freedom and bliss through Pilates.
She is a Balanced Body Master Instructor and a National Certified Pilates Teacher and her training includes Advanced Movement Principles with Nora St. John, Konnect Method and the Heritage Program with Cara Reeser.
In addition to extensive Pilates training, Leslie combines her life-long commitment to enhancing the mind-body-spirit connection for herself and others, which began early in her life through professional dance. She has been a member of several highly respected professional dance troupes including the Ballet Concerto of Miami, Florida, the Carl Ratcliff Dance theatre in Atlanta, and the Lee Harper Dancers of Atlanta.
Leslie’s embodied approach melds the elements of several healing modalities and training disciplines providing an enlivening and cohesive practice through which the body heals, moves freely, and strengthens. Her training and certifications include:
- Polarity Therapy Practitioner
- Heart IQ Coach
- White Winds Integrative Energy Medicine Coach
- Natural Rhythms Creation Coach
- Reiki
- Breathwork
- Sonic Anatomy
- Qi Gong
Leslie facilitates training across the Southeast US and in her Atlanta studio, which is the Georgia Authorized Training Center for Balanced Body Education. She also presented as a Pilates on Tour instructor in 2013. She believes teachers and clients interact on emotional, physical, energetic, and mental levels as they work together. Her programs focus on increasing teachers’ ability to build more energy, stamina, awareness, and deep listening skills to support relationships with their students. She excels at teaching the importance of using energetic boundaries to maintain a dynamic Pilates business, improve mental focus and enhance the skills to connect with the different personalities and energetic needs of individual clients.
Leslie is also the founder of the Joyous Heart Network, 501(c)(3), serving survivors of childhood sexual abuse. She is a seasoned speaker and workshop facilitator and author. In her quiet moments, she loves dancing, exploring ideas that raise consciousness in the body with relationship to nature and humanity, hanging out by the river and lounging with her kitty, Teagan.
Leslie Clayton
Owner & Operator of Body Awareness Studio, Atlanta, GA (Established 1993)
Pilates training, certifications and associations include:
- Romana Kryzanowska Training (1993)
- Jennifer Bury’s Back to Basics (___)
- Michael Miller Essence of Classical Pilates
- Passing the Torch Programs | Marie-Jose Blom in 2012 | Wendy LeBlanc-Arbuckle 2020-2022 (Biomechanics of the body’s structural systems and bio-intelligent healing systems.)
- Balanced Body Master Instructor
- National Certified Pilates Teacher
- Advanced Movement Principles with Nora St. John
- Heritage Program with Cara Reeser
- Movement Made Simple with Jeremy Laverdure and Cara Reeser
- Kathy Grant Heritage Program
- The Konnect Method Pulleys by Viktor Uygan (2018)
The Joyous Heart Network is a service oriented organization dedicated to the support of individuals and communities affected by ANY type of life trauma, allowing them to become thriving, healthy, joyful world citizens and cultures. Our overriding goal is a world where Survivors Become Thrivers by addressing not only the physical and emotional results of trauma, but the soul-shaking spiritual impact as well. By attending to all aspects of life effectiveness, from communications to career. By emphasizing wisdom and joy as markers of effective life functioning. By Survivors helping Survivors. We think it’s time for a world where human dynamics are governed by respect, marked by prosperous collaboration, and founded in joy.
Each year, millions of women, men and children become victims of sexual violence – child molestation, sexual abuse, sex trafficking. Millions more are walking “Survivors” in various stages of emotional, mental, physical and spiritual trauma. It’s not enough to give a sex trafficking victim a plane ticket home, or to offer a child abuse Survivor a job and a distraction from their deep-seated pain. Care for the physical and emotional functioning is incomplete when a Survivor’s spiritual needs are ignored. We believe every Survivor should have support and resources to assist them in finding greater levels of effectiveness and joy in all areas of life, which can only come when they address the basic human drivers– including the need for self-respect, empowerment, connection, appreciation, love.
When Survivors Become Thrivers , their wisdom, exuberance, and energy can drive and sustain the waves of change necessary for global evolution in human dynamics around violent sexual behaviors.
Please Visit Our YouTube Channel
Are you a “walking Survivor” who would like more? Who dreams you can thrive? Come see us.
Are you a “Thriver Supporter” who audaciously dreams that, as humanity, we can do better? Stand with us.
Are you a creative, joy-filled, thriving citizen who believes everyone should have the resources to live and create and laugh as you do? Help us build a community.
The Joyous Heart Network will be a hub. JHN will sit in the center. On one side we will be a communications and education team to find and assist sexual trauma Survivors first locally, then around the globe. On the other side we have ally organizations (again, locally and globally) which provide services to help those Survivors – not just to heal, but to thrive! In addition to connecting the groups, JHN will create a community of free and safe sharing and healing modalities which transition Survivors through stages, and help them define their vision for healthy lives. Finally, JHN will assist in funding (on a sliding scale of need) for Survivors to access the ally services.
Caring for the needs of the ONE can be the answer to addressing the needs of the MANY.
Join us. Let’s help heal sexual trauma by aiding Survivors in becoming thriving, healthy, joyful and active world citizens.
Please click on any of our partner organization logos to learn more about them and their work.
Priestess Process
Upcoming Events
Gliding Through the Fascia:
Release tension, improve movement, and enhance body awareness with our fascia workshop. Learn to address fascial restrictions and deepen your skills as a movement professional. Perfect for expanding your expertise. Next workshop is 12/8/24, 1-5 p.m.; Fee: $275 (Early bird $225)
Activate Your Body Temple:
Unlock your body’s potential with our Activate course. Designed for movement professionals, this group membership teaches techniques to enhance strength, balance, and flexibility while deepening your connection to the core. Perfect for instructors ready to advance their practice. Begins December 4th.
Certifications
Welcome!
Leslie Clayton, founder of Body Awareness Studio, is a Balanced Body Master Instructor with over 20 years of experience. Her passion for movement and wellness drives her to help others achieve strength, balance, and vitality through Pilates.