Welcome to The Uplift Academy
Where belonging is a practice, not a destination.
Harness the power of play, mindfulness, and breaking the "rules" to overcome invisible barriers to connection.
Stop talking about belonging & start building it.
We have strategies for our physical health and mental well-being, but until now, we’ve left our social well-being to chance. In other words, nobody taught you how to belong. Not your parents, not school, definitely not your last team-building event.
The Uplift Academy is here to fix that, offering social wellness workshops, strategy sessions and digital resources grounded in Eli's P.L.A.Y. Method. Whether you're leading a team, designing an event, or just trying to make friends as an adult (#hard), we've got your Belonging Toolkit to build sustainable connection, navigate conflict without spiraling (#alsohard), and create environments you + your people love to be in.
We’ll show you how:
Workshops
Belonging isn't a vibe. It's a skill set. And lucky for you, we teach it.
Our in-person + virtual workshops breakdown the social wellness techniques that make it possible: authenticity, conflict navigation, nervous system regulation, and experience design that sets up the conditions for belonging to arise naturally [and playfully]. Perfect for corporate team-building, conferences and off-sites + company retreats.
Advisement
With studies showing that nearly 60% of people feel lonely in our increasingly digital world, learning techniques to build belonging is a must-have.
…And belonging is best sparked in live experiences, which is why Eli’s social wellness strategy sessions exist: to help you optimize every touch point of your next live event to for belonging [on a budget].
Belonging Toolkit
Self-study resources that help you understand your social wellness patterns, practice authenticity, and cultivate meaningful connection in your personal life. Includes Eli’s Social Wellness Quiz, Belonging P.L.A.Y.Book, and UplifTV digital yoga library.
"Eli was a pleasure to work with—professional, kind, and creative."
- Ahmed Sawan, Intel
Belonging is facilitated, not found.
Meaning, with the right tools, we can build it anywhere.
Eli delivers talks on the structure of belonging that help community-builders, leaders and teams optimize their culture for engagement, retention and well-being.
"The whole experience was amazing!"
- Ashish Reddy, Spotify
Embody Belonging
Subscribe to Eli’s UplifTV digital yoga library to practice personal belonging embodiment through whenever ( + wherever).
"As a direct result of Eli's workshop, we communicate more efficiently and are excited to work together. I’ve never seen my team so happy."
- Yessica Osuna, Everboss
Social Wellness Strategy Sessions
Design experiences people actually want to show up for.
For select clients, Eli acts as an advisor-slash-creative partner who can help you see your event, gathering, or community space through the lens of belonging, and walk away with a clear plan to make it happen.
These focused strategy sessions bring her 20+ years of performance expertise and evidence-based belonging research directly to your biggest design challenges. She’ll help you dig into what's working, what's falling flat, and how to create the [playful] conditions where people want to participate.
A note from Eli:
Ever since the pandemic, I’ve been mildly…(okay majorly) obsessed with the structure of belonging. When quarantine began, I was full-time CEO-ing Drunk Yoga®, and needed to quickly pivot our corporate events to virtual. But, because the nature of our interactive yoga game is just that…a game, in order for us to play, it was vital for participants to turn on their Zoom cameras. This was a problem. Doing yoga, especially in front of coworkers virtually from their living room, can feel vulnerable.
So, I got to researching. What makes humans want to engage in community (i.e. turn on their Zoom cameras)? After trialing a variety of strategies, I unlocked these three fundamental truths that remain consistent across all industries and demographics:
1) A feeling of belonging can only be sparked within live experiences.
2) Community engagement occurs when belonging is felt.
3) Breaking “the rules” sparks belonging; structured play deepens it.
From there, I developed my P.L.A.Y. Method as a recipe to help all leaders (not just yoga teachers) lead more engaging gatherings. And, with a newfound appreciation for the incredible power organizations hold in shaping a greater sense of belonging in our modern, isolated world, I created the Uplift Academy for forward-thinking leaders like you.
Let’s P.L.A.Y.
Ready to learn belonging?
Explore our workshops, Eli’s advisement services, speaking engagements, Belonging P.L.A.Y. Book or UplifTV membership to get started, or inquire below about which program is the best fit for you.