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Adapting to New Realities · Giving Pain Purpose with Lyndsay Soprano

• This podcast discusses chronic pain and trauma getting to the heart of how to heal >> Lyndsay Soprano: This is your pain game podcast, where we talk about the game of living in and with chronic pain and trauma getting to the heart of how to heal. I am your host, Lyndsay Soprano. On the show, I plan on discussing with doctors, chronic pain patients, holistic practitioners, loved ones, and anybody that is interested in having their voice heard in the chronic pain and trauma world that we live in. So I don't know about you guys, but what were you up to when you were 20 years old? I know what I was doing. I was in college. I was partying like a rock star. I started working on my business, which I still run today, serving tables, bartending, doing all the things we needed to do to pay our bills and do the thing in college and feeling like I had my whole life in front of me, right? That's what most 20 year olds would be doing. One thing I was not going through was fighting cancer. And we've had a few people on this show share their stories of fighting cancer and winning. And today's guest that I have is yet another win when it comes to beating and fighting cancer. That's not necessarily going to be what we're talking about for the entire episode today. I would like to talk today, just touch on her story about what she went through, but I'd like to talk today about the well being of our nervous system. And I know it's like, what the hell does that mean? Well, we're going to get into it. And how when life throws us curveballs in our health and in our wellness, how we need to open up and adapt to new realities, and, quite frankly, listen to our bodies, they're signaling us. Pain is signaling us that we've got something that's going awry in our bods. So discussing those and having and that, topic that we talk about all the time on the show, which is mindfulness, and how movement is also part of that mindfulness, and that you don't have to become this person that just goes jogging and pounding the pavement every day to be, well, there's so many different ways to do it. And one of them, and we've talked about it before on the show, is pilates. So I'd like to talk about that, that mindfulness and the mindful movement that can come from Pilates as a tool for trauma integration. Beth Sandlin specializes in at home pilates workouts So, without further ado, I would like to introduce you to my guest today, Beth Sandlin. Hello, darling. >> Beth Sandlin: Hello. I'm so thrilled to be here today. >> Lyndsay Soprano: Beth, is the owner of Trifecta Pilates, and she is committed to inspiring people to take aligned action towards their wellness goals. And she specializes in at home pilates workouts, which is super incredible because, I mean, we don't have a lot of time to go to these studios and be scared of all the equipment. Right. So she's got her pilates workouts through her YouTube channel and online programs with, an approach that incorporates mindfulness by encouraging people to tune into their energy levels that nurture the well being of the nervous system. So I'm rolling out the red carpet for you, babe. You were diagnosed with fast moving cancer at 20 years old I'd like to start by talking about your diagnosis. Like I mentioned real quick, of the fast moving cancer. Not to not give it any love and light, but that's not what we want to focus on today. That struck you at, just 20 years old, and let's take it from there. >> Beth Sandlin: Yeah. So it was actually really unexpected. In fact, my younger sister, when I was in the hospital that first week, said how out of everyone in the family are you diagnosed with cancer. You have started working out in this past year and made healthy lifestyle choices. And that's the thing, is that we can't always control what is going to happen to us or to those who love us. But I also knew as I was going through the treatment, which was incredibly challenging, boast from just the effects of cancer and also the effects, the side effects of treatment, they never wanted to feel that bad again. So I made a commitment to myself, if I survived this, I want to do everything in my power so that I feel amazing. And I am, leading a life that I enjoy, because that's the thing about health and wellness, is it's not about deprivation. And I feel for too long, the narrative has been, to be healthy, we need to, like, grin and bear it. Just like, I eat that salad with, like, no dressing whatsoever, do those challenging workouts, and that really doesn't work. It doesn't work for me. It doesn't work for a lot of people. And that mantra has really supported me for my life's path, my professional path as well. And I keep circling back to that. And since that point in time, there definitely has been unexpected, minor and major bumps in the road. But this I know to be true, is that the lifestyle that I lead has helped me through those challenges. >> Lyndsay Soprano: Yeah. And, I mean, that's incredibly important. I mean, I know, like you mentioned, like, when I was diagnosed with my crps and then also Lyme disease and all the other co infections that have come from it, had we known a little bit sooner about some of the things that. That I've had Lyme disease for longer, than I knew I did. But making these choices where you're right, like, everything's like, elimination. Get rid of your gluten, get rid of your alcohol, get rid of your cheese. Like, cheese. Like, come on. Like, don't make me get rid of my cheese. I can do anything else but cheese. But come to find out, I actually don't eat cheese anymore, which is weird. But, making all of these big, sweeping changes, I feel like everybody gets so overwhelmed with that, especially when you're. When you're faced with something like yourself, with this crazy cancer. It's fast moving, your aggressive, aggressive chemo that you had. And then with myself, like, my whole life got turned upside down, you know, like, I have a wheelchair. What? I used to dance and prance and yoga and ski and bike and hike and do all those things, and I can't do them right now. One of the elements of pain is not to move And I've learned so much by doing this show about having to listen to the voice inside me and listen to the pain and the signals that are in my body. So how much of that did you start to have to listen to? >> Beth Sandlin: Like, early on, I had to listen, and then I had to listen a little bit to nudges from other people at first, because one of the elements of pain is sometimes our initial instinct is not to move and just stay still and static. And that's exactly what I did. I had a major infection around my shoulder area, and I was guarding, embracing, and let me tell you, like, sometimes when one area of our body is affected, we realize even to get up, like, whoa, my shoulder is working in that. Like, I never realized that when it was pain free. Like, hello. That's interesting. Well, one evening, a nurse came in, and I was sitting, you know, not really using my right arm, and she could tell I was bracing. She goes, are you moving that? And I was like, no, it hurts too much. You know, this painful. She goes, you need to do what you can, because if you just keep it still, it's not going to be good in the long run. And so that was the first inkling I had from a professional, and I've listened, or I know now listen to nurses. Sometimes they say things like that that are more obvious. Sometimes it's a more subtle nudge because they're kind of not, in between. I find between a doctor and a nurse, they see more of our day in and day out, especially because I was inpatient for my cancer treatment. And so it was my first time that I really started exploring with, well, what can I do? And it was so small, such a small range of motion that lots of times we neglect that. And that has stayed with me, really, for a long time. Rather than focusing on what I can't do. Well, let's shift that to what I can do. As an example, right now, I have a major sprained angle, and this is unexpected. It will go well, thank goodness. but rather than thinking, oh, I can't, you know, go on the walk around my neighborhood, I can't, put a lot of weight on it. Like, I can't even walk normally right now. It's, well, what can I do? And I actually talked to my doctor about this as well. Well, what should I do? I think we're all looking for that blueprint of, Tell me exactly what to do. I will follow that. Listen, because you kind of have to work with the pain. And that would be something else I would suggest is, how do we work with the pain? Like, find that edge where sometimes it's a little bit on the uncomfortable side, but it's not pushing through it to help it move and heal and recover. And so for me right now, it's another lesson that I just need to take some pause, slow down, and know when to push a little bit and when to pull back. >> Lyndsay Soprano: Slow down. What are those words? And I totally identify with that. Like, I have not put my feet on. I have not walked barefoot for about five years. And, like, flip flops in the shower and, like, all that, we've got, like, pebble flooring in our tile in our shower, and is, like, the most painful thing for me to stand on. And I've been protecting myself, protecting, protecting. On guard, on guard. And I've done it for so long that I developed all these other things that shouldn't have been. And so what I've ended up doing is I said, my dad actually has just been diagnosed with something funky with his feet. And now I'm going, oh, my gosh. Like, don't baby them. Don't baby them. You have to. Don't. Don't go crazy with them. But you gotta. Don't. Don't just start wearing socks all the time. Don't just start wearing shoes all the time. Cause that's what I did. And so I just started, three weeks ago, I think three or four weeks ago, walking barefoot. And it is like, it hurts like hell, but I'm pushing through, and then I'm like, all right, that's it. I gotta put slippers on just for a little bit. I forgot what it felt like to have my feet on the floor. It is so trippy. And so through that, I've. I've felt like I've gained just a different perspective on how I'm gonna be able to move forward, because I. I know now that I actually can walk barefoot. I mean, it's such a silly thing to even be talking about, but it is legit. Like, it completely supports what you were just saying. >> Beth Sandlin: Well, I love that you bring that up, and that's actually something with the Pilates method. We do our work barefoot. Sometimes if you go in the studio, they'll have, like, toe socks or whatnot. But especially if you're moving at home, I, do, advise if you can do some work barefoot. And I love that you're playing with. I'm going to ease into this, not think, like, all day long, I have to walk around barefoot. And let's face it, as well, that right now, there's a push for, like, barefoot shoes and barefoot shoes. Yeah. But some, some influencers took this to the extreme, where they loved their shoe collections. They cut out all of the soles of their shoes. They can walk into restaurants but still perceive that they have shoes, because a lot of restaurants are like, you must have shoes to walk in there. Let's face it. That shoes are protective sometimes. Oh, my God. >> Lyndsay Soprano: I am so grossed out. >> Beth Sandlin: I know, right? We live in this extreme, and I just feel like, let's find that balance a little bit. I agree. Like, I want to walk into a room with shoes on. Thank you. >> Lyndsay Soprano: Everyone's going to be looking at everyone's feet when we go out now. Thanks, Beth. I can't even imagine being the restaurant manager and being like, nice try, buddy. Oh, my gosh. That was a total random thing. But you're right. I've been seeing those shoes, and people are cutting their soul to come. People are so ridiculous. Beth Sandlin started pilates after being diagnosed with cancer So how did you end up getting into pilates? Because I think I read somewhere when I was putting this together that you tried it and you didn't really like it at first. >> Beth Sandlin: Yeah. So it started becoming popular or more popular. I feel like when I was in high school and one of my high school coaches, like, tried the hundred exercise with us, and the hundred exercise is really unique to pilates. You, like, pump your arms a hundred times, your legs are straight. You're trying to breathe in and breathe out. It feels awkward and strange. Let's face it. Lots of movements we do on pilates feel that way at first. And being on a team with other high school girls. We just all burst out laughing. And she was really upset, which I feel bad about, especially now. They have taught the hundred, like, hundreds and thousands of times, probably by this point in time, but it was a less sorry coach Karen, to lessen that one. Let's think about what exercises we're doing sometimes and introducing, maybe let's ease into the hundred for a group of high school girls, and two, to give things a second chance that sometimes things are going to feel really awkward and strange, but it can be really valuable. So I actually didn't reconnect with it again until after I had cancer. I was still going through, like, maintenance cancer treatment at the time. I was re enrolled in my university classes, and it was an academic course offering, and so I just enrolled in it. I enjoyed it so much, I stuck with it. >> Lyndsay Soprano: I like that because there are so many things that we try, and, like, the first time, we're like, well, that sucked. I'm never doing that again. Come on, guys. Like, you gotta give it a little bit more of a try. And for me, I know with movement, for me, you know, I can't do the things that I used to do. Not yet. But the pilates thing keeps coming and calling to me, and it has been for so long, actually, it's probably been over the past year, and I don't know what my. I, think really, it came down to my feet that I was really scared about going into yoga classes again and going into Pilates studios and all of that and having to be like, I'm not gonna be able to do this. So maybe in the back of my mind, a little bit of me starting to walk and use my feet barefoot has been ready for me to start pilates because he and I were like, we are starting pilates in the month of July. And so here we are in the month of July, and we've got to get moving on it because I need to gain strength back. I've atrophied, and. And part, of that is harder on my feet because I haven't strengthened my hips and my legs and my knees. They're all jacked up from how wonky I've been walking. So now that you. So you decided you started pilot trifecta pilates. Where did that name come from, by the way? >> Beth Sandlin: It came from a lot of journaling. I knew I didn't want it to be Beth Sandlin Pilates, because it's not about me. It's about the people who are moving with me, their experience and so I recognize that, yes, it's body, mind, and spirit, but that kind of felt all separate. So it's an, acknowledgement that we need all of those in consideration, when we're moving with pilates, whether it's on the pilates mat for a workout and in life as well. And this is one of the reasons why I love teaching with a lot of different variations, different type of classes from lengths and, different difficulty levels with different pieces of small equipment we can have at home, because there's so many variations, variables to our life. And honestly, an hour long workout, which is very traditional in a pilate studio, in a gym setting, is not always the best place to start or even continue. And I found for a lot of people who are just beginning pilates, or workouts, that if we start shorter and smaller, it's so much more sustainable to slowly ease into movement. >> Lyndsay Soprano: Yeah. And, I mean, I think that goes for almost anything in life, even like our eating and our health habits that we do. I mean, when they were saying, hey, you need to eliminate all of these things from your life, it was like, I got to do it all in one day. Like, there's no way I'm going to be able to stop eating gluten and cheese and wine and all the things that I love and substitute them for asparagus or something like. So, you know, those baby steps into that. And I think that that's wonderful because, when we go and I think pilates to some people might be almost daunting, you know, because they see all the, like, machines and they see all of the tools, and it's like, what? I've got springs I've got to use, like, what the heck? So, how do you do that online when we don't have pilates equipment in our homes? >> Beth Sandlin: Yeah. Pilates equipment can make exercises easier, not always more challenging Well, thanks for bringing that up. And for people who are currently moving in the Pilates studio or interested and they want to maybe work with someone, I want to bust that myth a little bit, debunk that myth a little bit, that the equipment. Yes. It's a little bit interesting to work with the first time. First few times, just like figuring out how to drive a car the first few times was a little bit challenging to navigate. And at the same time, the Pilates equipment can be incredibly supportive and make exercises easier, not always more challenging, especially if you work with an amazing Pilates teacher. And there's many out there. But what I realized is that I have never really worked out consistently in a Pilates studio, even when I was working there for seven years, I would teach and then come home, and work out because I had kids, and it just made more sense. So I really like to bring Pilates to people's homes because that's where I've been most successful with it. And what I've done over the years is, rather than just keep a very narrow definition of what we can do on the Pilates, Mata is, I've expanded that to, well, how do I give people that studio experience but out of their home, especially if they don't want to spend $6,000 on a reformer? Because that can be the base cost of some of them, and that's just one piece of equipment. So I have looked at a lot of the exercises that we traditionally do on the larger pieces of equipment. How can we bring them to the mat with standing variations, with smaller pieces of equipment, like $10 resistance bandst or a wall or chair that you already have at your home? And in this way, we round out the practice. We make it interesting, because here's the thing. For a lot of people, when they first get started with pilates or another workout, if they stick with it, it's because it's kind of new and fresh, and we've all probably experienced where it's like, I don't feel like that anymore. This isn't intriguing. I need to do something new. And I found if we can keep it interesting and fresh, that we get more benefits from it. It would be like your asparagus example. Do we just have to eat asparagus? Well, think about just eating, like, raw asparagus. Well, that's not too intriguing. But you can saute it. You can do it on, the grill or in the oven. You can combine it with other ingredients. And, yeah, sometimes you're not going to have asparagus. You're going to do something different, another vegetable. So I'm not saying that we only have to do pilates. We can incorporate other elements as well. >> Lyndsay Soprano: And I think that's great because, I've never been somebody that I'm a homebody like yourself. I love my home. I love my space. I've worked from home for 25 years. Like, I like my little haven. And it's very special to me. And so, for me, and I've never been a gym rat. I've never been anybody that liked going and taking classes. It's sticky, and there's, like, germs and sweat and, just not my jam. And so I like that you are able to take that big, huge daunting equipment and make it much more versatile for us to be able to do that at home. So that's wonderful. I'd like to talk about the neurosematic part of pilates I'd like to kind of move into chit chatting about the neuro side of things and balancing our nervous system and how that works. And specifically what you and I spoke about, the neurosematic part of pilates. So, if we can dive into that, that would be wonderful. >> Beth Sandlin: Yeah. First, when I started pilates, it was all about a good workout. And what I realized was that only took me so far, that my motivation was high sometimes, and other times it was really low. And so I had kind of a yo yo, relationship with a consistent workout program, even though I knew how important continued movement was from my cancer experience at 20, like, that sometimes only takes us so far. And it's once I started learning about trauma, which led me to a deeper understanding of the nervous system, and I realized there's another element that I was missing. Just focusing on the physical benefits of workouts or the physical reason why we may need to do a different type of workout. There is our overall nervous system health, our brain, our body, that interconnection. And that's really where I coined the term neuro somatic pilates. So, in brief, neuro is really focusing, just not on the brain. So all those areas that are working for us that we aren't even aware of, but also our minds. The acknowledgement that, yes, as humans, we have a thinking mind. Sometimes this thinking mind likes to take over or tell us narratives that aren't quite true. I don't like pilates. I can't do pilates. I can't. I can't. Rather than shifting that to. Well, actually can, you know, we focus on one movement, a stretch, deep breathing, and acknowledge that sometimes our brain. Right. Is trying to protect us, and that may be why we have our thinking patterns. So it's a deep understanding of the brain, and then we go into somatic, pertaining to body. For a lot of people who are familiar with the term somatic, it's usually, you know, slow, gentle movements. But the broader definition, really, of somatic, is pertaining to the body. That's it. So, whenever we move the body, we are doing something for the body. And if we don't move the body, well, then it may get stuck in a cycle where it's like, I can't, I can't. And it goes back to, again, what can we do? What makes sense? This doesn't mean it's always going to be very vigorous. It doesn't mean it's always going to be very slow. This is where a mindful element comes in of, what would be that right balance for someone? And this is where there's not a handbook. I mean, I wish there was, but we are all so personal. We all have our unique journey and life story. And what I've recognized over the years is that whether it's a specific type of treatment, asking for advice from a doctor, even, is that more and more I'm hearing, like, this is the general recommendation, but what works for you? There's starting to be more thought process behind that and autonomy, which traditionally we don't think of when it comes to medical treatment, perhaps, or even workouts. And that's something I really like to start incorporating into moving our bodies, especially with pilates and pilates overall, brief summary of that. If someone's maybe new to it, and we've been talking about pilates, you're like, what is this? it's a mind body system. And it really is amazing where we are working not only on core strength, sometimes it's pigeonholed as core strength, but it's overall total body balance and awareness. So that means some exercises may come with more ease, some may be a little bit more challenging. And what happens sometimes is the challenging things on the mat or in life, we tend to avoid. But sometimes those are the ones we need to lean into a little bit more. Not with the most challenging option, but maybe a different variation of the movement so that we are working to rebalance. >> Lyndsay Soprano: I love the term lean in. It's such a good term because you're right. We get fearful of anything, right? And we're like, forget it. I'm not going to go after that. I'm not going to try it. I'm not going to try out for that musical, or I'm not going to try to write a book, or I'm not going to do. Because we're fearful of failure, we're fearful of pain, especially when you've been traumatized. I mean, you went through trauma, through just cancer alone, especially yours, how incredibly traumatic that is. And for those around you that love you. And for me, I think the scary part about pilates is, what if I get better? What if I get better? Well, amazing, for starters. But when you've lived like I've lived for so long now, I mean, we're creeping up on a decade almost here. It's almost scary because I'm like, who am I going to be if I get better? There's a scary feeling when you've lived in pain for so long that if that pain disappears, that part of me who has been basically has turned into who I am, it goes away. So, like, now what do I do with my life? It's a weird conundrum. And so that is my biggest thing that is holding me back from walking into some of those. In some of those places that I know I have to lean into. Socks talks about walking without shoes on his show >> Beth Sandlin: Thank you for sharing that, because you articulated from such a personal experience what a lot of people can't even articulate. But it's one of the reasons why when they start moving with pilates, like, I can't do that. No, no, no. You know, I've been living with this for 20 years. Ten years. Tell me that. And, I acknowledge, like, yeah, we can't do that right now, maybe, but I'm asking, what can you do instead? and so I love that you, not only did you bring up identity here, but at the very beginning as well, how your identity had to shift from who you were prior, the yoga and the skiing and all of the physical activities. But now it's like, this is a new version, and it seems like, well, what is that? Maybe next iteration? >> Lyndsay Soprano: Yeah. And I'm right there. I'm literally at the trifecta. I'm right there. And we're, like, just now looking over the edge. And it started with me walking on my bare foot, bare feet. I was like, oh, my gosh, I'm actually going to be able to do this. It's still scary as shit, but. But I'm very excited about it because it's just something that, you know, I've been, The reason I started the show in the first place was to heal myself. And then by proxy, I ended up wanting to heal other people. And so it's turned into kind of, like, you know, I mentioned this all the time, my show is giving pain purpose, and so if this ends up being my purpose, then let's just lean into it. Let's go for it, you know? And, I'm really excited for what's going to be coming up in the next six months of my life because I feel like I finally have addressed, and like I stated, I haven't said that out loud, you know, I haven't said that fear until just now, which is really strange, but also, it's a little scary. There are so many things I've shared on the show that I've never told anybody, and I'm like, wow. And there's more to come, so stay tuned. >> Beth Sandlin: Right. And I think that's the beauty is the vulnerability, the willingness to share and open. And I feel like it's because of the action that you've taken, the action for the show and talking with so many people and just about your own experience. And I would also say that physical action of trying something different with walking, and for some people, like, well, walking without shoes, what's the big deal? Socks, what's the big deal? But you and I both know what a big deal it can be. >> Lyndsay Soprano: Yeah, it is. It is. And, it's so funny because everybody treat your feet right, by the way, like, they are the sole of your body, like, legitimately, like, the soles of your feet, like, please take care of them. You would never think. And, like, feet are so weird, and people have, like, weird things about them. And so it's such a grounding thing for me to be able to go out. It hurts like hell to go stand out on grass, but I did it, you know, go stand on the sand. Oh, my gosh. It feels like I'm walking on broken glass and gravel. And, I mean, it's just nuts, the sensation. And I know in my heart of hearts that it's in my brain. And so that's part of the experience of me clearing out the cobwebs in my own brain and letting go of some of the trauma that's happened and talk through it and work through that. And then now my next step is this, bringing in the movement again, because I still move around like a crazy person. You know, I'm doing five k's in my wheelchair. Like, I lift weights with my arms. I do nothing from my hips down for exercise, nothing. I mean, I walk around the house, but, you know, I can't go all day long. So now do you do, just out of curiosity, and I'm sorry, this is on the spot, do you do, one on one trainings at all live, with people, or do you just have your YouTube channel and your app that people can take courses from? >> Beth Sandlin: So there's a few options for, sessions in real time, still all virtual. One is within the membership and app where we do live sessions. And for, honestly, a lot of people, most people in the membership and app don't show up in real time because there's a real reason why they're doing a, membership and app where they can take a class at any time. So they'll move with the replay. I do offer for people within the membership and Athenae, one on one sessions. That's an additional fee compared to the membership and app experience. Some people take advantage of it, others don't. I really encourage people. Before you work with me, just start moving with some Pilates classes on your own. Maybe the foundations program, maybe, you know, try a, beginner Pilates class. It's shorter. I want people to start getting the basics and foundationals because what I've experience, if I just start with everyone, it's their very first introduction to Pilates. I'm basically taking them through the same class, no matter who they are. Now, there may be some adjustments, but I'm a firm believer that people can make adjustments without me because you do all the time, without, you know, your yoga teacher, Pilates teacher, personal trainer. Most of our lives we are moving through by ourselves. And so what I think we haven't had a good example of traditionally with workouts is how to have that same flexibility that we don't have to do exactly what the teacher is doing. And that's one beautiful element that I love about the membership and app because, yes, you'll see very similar exercises. But maybe one time with 100, I'm going to do the traditional version in straight legs. Maybe another time I'm going to do it with the band and teach it with the band for you. Another time, bent legs, feet down. We go through all these options, and why we go through options is because then the more you know about, like, alternative roots is that you can choose the path that's best for you. With disabilities, we have to adapt. We give ourselves a chance to do that in so many other areas So you hear the word hundred and you're like, today's like a lower energy day. I'm not feeling that great. I know it's better for my body to keep my feet down and, you know, do the hundred or maybe another day it's higher energy. So I'm going to do a tabletop leg position. It's very similar to if you move to a new area the first few times. Maybe you go to the grocery store, you follow the path that Google tells you. It's like straight there, I'm back and it makes sense. But what happens if you run into a traffic jam or the roads closed? Do you think, I'm just not going to go to the store today? Well, that's an option. No. You know, the back routes now of, how to get to the store because you're familiar with the neighborhood. We give ourselves a chance to do that in so many other areas of life. But sometimes when it comes to workouts, it's like, oh, I can't do that. One option, I'm done. I'm here to say that for people who have worked with me, that once they kind of untap, like, well, what can I do? What's an alternative? And it's shown in so many videos. And what's nice about the membership and app in particular is when they get stuck, they can ask me a question, and then I can point them to a few quick resources or a few quick exercise variations right off the top of my head. So I love being able to support people on finding those options that work for them right now. >> Lyndsay Soprano: Yeah, I mean, we have to adapt. And, I mean, I know that, like, in the disability community, which I've been a part of now for some time, we've had. It's called adaptive for a reason. You know, like, I've had to adapt. I wanted to do a five k. Well, guess what? I'm going to do it in a wheelchair. You know, I had to adapt. I had to learn. Like, the first time I got in my wheelchair, I thought I was like, I can do this. No big deal. Absolute face plant. Hit my head on the ground, right? Ass up, right. Another time I fell backwards and I was in a skirt. That was a fun little event, right? But I still got in it. And I still got in it, and now I can, you know, whirl and twirl and do all kinds of things in it, but I didn't have an option to give up. It's just. Just. It is when you guys, we have to adapt. Trifecta Pilates offers a 14 day free trial for anyone So I would like to chitchat real quick before we go about where we can find you and talk a little bit about. You've got a freebie for us. Can you give us a little rundown about what that 14 day trial looks like for people? >> Beth Sandlin: Yeah, I shifted where in the past it used to be. You know, try this one Pilates series for seven days. But now there's a lot of different Pilates series that we offer at Trifecta Pilates, because where everyone is in your journey, in your life, and your body is very unique and maybe it's, you know, 30 minutes workouts five days a week that a little bit more challenging work well for you. Or perhaps it's. I'm just getting started. So that foundations program works well or you love kind of just doing things on your own and so you don't want to follow a specific plan. So you're going to go in and search for upper body focused classes that are 30 minutes long or ten minutes long if you're shorter in time. And why we offered the 14 day free trial is because the membership and, app compared to the YouTube is just so much more of, enriching experience, more options so that people can choose that path that's most optimal for them. And I encourage people to just give pilates a, go get in there, give it a try. And again, focus on what you can do. Because here's one thing that people say to me, there's so much. Yes, there's so much. And you're probably never going to do every single class in the membership and app because that's not what it's about. If you were to come work with me one on one, know everything in the membership and app is in my brain and more and all I do is filter down and focus on what would be good for you on that session and through the membership and app. that's what we do. Whether it's through a Pilates series that you can filter into or use our filter feature for a length of time level your focus, maybe what piece of equipment you want to use. And so it's an easier way to get on your mat, press play and work in alignment with what's best for you. Because as you were mentioning, that sometimes we need to try something a little bit different and it's not always going to be comfortable at first, which is why I really love having different options. And for people who are maybe just getting back in to working out or just getting back into working out, specific area of the body, start shorter. Because here's the thing, and you probably remember this as well. Like you remember when you used to be able to do yoga and run, and our body holds on to that and our mind does, and it tricks us into thinking, sure, you can do that hour long lower body focus class, but what you probably know from experience now is actually, that's not beneficial. And, what could be beneficial? Well, let's do a five minute class, test the waters, and if that feels good before, during and after. Amazing, maybe you do something similar the next day or you turn up that dial by just a little bit. I think for so long it's just been, we turn up that dial so much and then it fulfills this prophecy for ourselves. Oh, I can't do that. So I say just go a little bit and then a little bit more. And always, of course, we're going to keep playing with that line. >> Lyndsay Soprano: Yeah. And that's very good advice. And it certainly is for me because I'm like the full throttle kind of gal, you know, I've always been that way. I've just been like, when I'm in, I'm in, but my body has been like, yeah, well, you can't really do it like that anymore. And so, at least at this particular time in my life, so when I finally embraced and accepted that I wasn't able to do the extreme to everything, part of the reason I probably am in the shape that I'm in with my bod and my health is because I did too much extreme anyway. And so I take complete responsibility for some of that in my past. So slowing down is also part of the journey of healing and well being as well, at least from my perspective. For people that go, go, go all the time, and then they're burnout. Well, that's what happened to me. Burnout big time. >> Beth Sandlin: I think it's more common than people realize, for sure. >> Lyndsay Soprano: Yeah. Yeah. Well, we take on everything. We've got our kids and kids and dogs and life, and, you know, we've got our jobs. We're all running our own businesses. I mean, so many of the women that are on the show are all entrepreneurs. You know, we've all got kids of some sort, whether they're dogs or actual children, you know, still up for discussion about whether dogs are our children or not. I believe that they are. And, you know, we've got all of these things being thrown at us, and then we've got our politics, and we've got social media, and we've got all these other things that we're all trying to do. When do we fit in time for us? And that is the most important part of it. And I talk about this all of the time, that I always end up being the last person on the list instead of me being the first. And it's something that I've slowly been gradually working on, and it is not easy, but I have definitely leaned into it. >> Beth Sandlin: I love that. And I think the more people lean into that, they'll recognize that when they put themselves first. Not all the time. Let's acknowledge, like, it's not gonna be all the time. We're putting ourselves first. That actually helps others more than we can even imagine. And, for so many people who I worked with, they have recognized that, that sometimes they step on the mat, not for a good workout, but it's just a place for them away from social media. And they realize, not only do they feel better in their body afterwards, but there is a mental calm that they can't get anywhere else. >> Lyndsay Soprano: Yeah. And if there's somebody that needs some mental calm. It's this one right here pointing at me. So, okay, well, we can find you@trifectapilates.com dot. She's trifecta. Pilates on Insta, on Facebook and YouTube. Have that all in show notes for you guys, as well as in social media. Let's acknowledge where we are before taking aligned action Is there anything that you'd like to leave our listeners with before we hit the dusty trail? >> Beth Sandlin: I think the final thought maybe circles back to something that we've had read throughout is let's acknowledge where we are. And that acknowledgement can be incredibly challenging. Where it's not, when it's not where we want to be. But at the same time, that's the only way we can really think about what can we do that makes sense, that we can take the aligned action. And I think staying online with that action of, Okay, for you, I love the example of, you know, you're on the sandy beach, does not feel good for your feet, but you're sticking with it for a certain length of time. Your mind, you know, it is not those sharp shards that you're experiencing. It's something else. And at the same time, you listen to, I'm not going to be here all day long. I need to take a break from it. >> Lyndsay Soprano: Right. Yeah. >> Beth Sandlin: So I love that. It's just that acceptance of where are we? A little bit of humbleness, I think, comes with that as well. And then shifting to what is that aligned action we can take? >> Lyndsay Soprano: Yeah, it's wonderful. It's an incredible advice, and it is true. Like, I stand, I sit in the stand, and it's just a recent thing that I'm like, let's go find a sandy beach, and, like, just put my feet in there. And, you're right. It is acknowledging, even walking through my house and walking on tile, and I'm like, this is not Legos. You are not walking on legos. It feels like I'm walking on legos, but I'm not walking on legos. Isn't that a good example of how crappy it feels to walk? Everybody knows what it feels like to step on a Lego. It's brutal. >> Beth Sandlin: It is. It does not feel good. >> Lyndsay Soprano: No, it does not. Beth: Thank you for explaining somatic side of pain management So, anyways, thank you so much for your time today with us. This has been incredible. And, thank you for explaining a little bit more about the somatic side. I think that's important because we're seeing it everywhere. That word is being a little bit overused to a certain extent, with absolutely no explanation about what it is. So I appreciate you diving into all of this with us today. Thank you so much for your time, Beth. I really appreciate it. >> Beth Sandlin: Oh, you're welcome. And thanks so much for having me. >> Lyndsay Soprano: You are exclusively invited to share this lean into it vip pain journey together. Let's get to the heart of how to heal with you by my side. Please follow the pain game podcast. Wherever you digest your podcast content, we will be there. Visit us@thepaingamepodcast.com and follow us on all the socials. Thanks for listening, my little vips. Catch you on the other side.