June 18, 2024

Living the dream with health and wellness expert and the founder of Trifecta Pilates Beth Sandlin

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In this inspiring episode of Living the Dream with Curveball, we delve into the transformative world of Pilates with health and wellness expert Beth Sandlin. Beth shares her journey from being a cancer thriver to becoming a passionate advocate for Pilates and trauma-informed practices. Learn how Pilates can align movements with your nervous system, promote recovery, and ignite wellness at every stage of life. Beth also discusses her innovative YouTube channel and Pilates app, designed to make Pilates accessible to everyone, regardless of their schedule or location. Don't miss out on her valuable insights and practical tips for integrating Pilates into your daily routine!
Please be sure to follow, rate, review, and share this episode to as many people as possible.
www.trifectapilates.com

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Welcome, um, to the Living the dream podcast with curveball. Um, if you believe you can achieve Chee Chee, welcome to the Living a dream with Curveball podcast, a show where I interview guests that teach, motivate, and inspire.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Today we're going to be talking about pilates, as I am joined by health and wellness expert Beth Sandlin.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>She has a passion for pilates, health, trauma, informed practices.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>So she is going to be telling us what pilates are and how it's very important for, uh, us to align movements with our nervous system. So, Beth, thank you so much for.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Joining me today, and thanks so much for having me. I'm thrilled to be here.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Why don't you start off by telling everybody a little bit about yourself?

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Sure. I'd love to do that. I'm a mom of two, cancer thriver entrepreneur, and I love following the mantra that there's beauty in every day. I like to live life to the fullest, which for me isn't about marking things off my bucket list, but instead being fully present in my life.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>And at the foundation of this is really focusing on feeling good, which is why I'm passionate about igniting wellness in people at, uh, every stage of life. And this can look different depending upon the individual and what stage of life that they're in. My method really focuses on understanding and working in alignment with the nervous system.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>You mentioned that a little bit just prior to ensure that every movement that we do serves as an act of self care.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Okay, well, can I tell the listeners a little bit about your cancer survivor story? And congratulations on that.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Thank you. I was very young when I had cancer. Um, just kind of entering the world into adulthood. I was 20, and it was a huge shift for me that at the time, I was starting to get into working out. I had worked out for, you know, maybe about a year before that. I always resonated with, you know, I just don't like exercise. It's not for me. I'm not very good at it.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>But I had a shift, yet I still had a cancer diagnosis. And what it did was actually reignite my passion for health and wellness because my energy levels were so low as I was undergoing cancer treatment. And when I was done with my treatment, I couldn't even hold my nephew. I didn't even have energy to do that. When I tried to do a push up, I couldn't even do a push up.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>And it really was not working out for physique sake, but instead to support my daily life, to be able to hold my nephew, and then uh, in the future, have fun with my kids and have the energy and vitality for that. And so it really was a shift at a very young age that I want to be here and feel good as much as I possibly can, focusing on what I can do.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Okay, so you talk a lot about pilates.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Explain to the listeners what pilates are.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Yes. Pilates is a movement system, um, that was created over 100 years ago now, and I've been teaching for over 20 years. Uh, when I first got into pilates, I didn't realize that I would become a pilates teacher. I just knew there was something a little bit intriguing about it. It really combines mindful, uh, movement.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>So rather than just going through the motions or following exactly what the teacher is doing, we're always evaluating, is this going to be the best option for us? And if it's not, well, what are some other alternatives? Like, rather than straight legs, bending the knees, or rather than full push up, maybe doing a wall push up. Instead, we focus on not only strengthening work, but mobility work. And mobility work in particular is really essential as we're getting older, because generally, we will lose range of motion if we don't continue to move in diverse ways. And I like to look at kids, like, playing at the playground. They're just all over running around and on the monkey bars going across them, and they're moving in a lot of different ways. What happens is, as we get older and we get into the routine, maybe, of our life and work, is we stop moving in this diverse way for our body. And what's beautiful about pilates is it's really expansive, where we're moving in a way that is, is challenging the body, but also feels really good. And this is one element for a lot of people who I work with, that they notice that they're challenged in just the right way. It's like that Goldilocks option. Not too much, not too little. It's just right.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>And after a, uh, class, they notice that they not only feel better in their body, but they also have an energetic shift. They have more vitality. They feel just a little bit more peaceful as well. So it's a beautiful integration of mind body practice.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Okay. And you have a YouTube channel, and there's a Pilates app out there, so let the listeners know about that.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Yes, I started the YouTube channel many, many years ago because I wanted to bring pilates to more people. At the time, I had for seven years focused on teaching within a Pilates studio. Then I transitioned to teaching pilates at a university level. And they realized they wanted to expand it beyond just the in person experience because there's a lot of people, whether it's for time commitments or they just don't have a pilates studio or a pilates class they can go to. They weren't able to move with pilates, so we started the YouTube channel for those reasons and also because honestly, I primarily at that time and still to this day, work and move with pilates out of my very own home. Even though you can go to a Pilates studio and, um, work with larger pieces of equipment, all you need to get started is a mat. And it makes it really easy to fit it in to your day. So it doesn't have to be a really long workout. It can be something shorter as getting started with as simple as five minutes to get that incorporated into your routine can be really helpful. And from there, people were asking me for more support, uh, live classes. They wanted some more, uh, interaction, more programs.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>And that's where we developed the app many years ago as an extension of YouTube, since it has just more, um, functionality, I would say, compared to YouTube.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>So what are some challenges that you faced throughout your pilates career?

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>How did you overcome them?

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>When I first got into pilates, I was really focusing on the physical elements of working out because that's really what we are told workouts are. It's all about the physical body. And sure, if I needed to make adjustments because of, um, the continued cancer treatment I was going through or something else like my pregnancy, well, I would make adjustments because of that. There was physical considerations.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Yet what I didn't realize was sometimes I didn't really feel like working out. And I thought it was just, oh, this is normal. This is lack of motivation. It's actually really common.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>And as I learned more about the body from a holistic perspective, understanding trauma, our stress response cycle, our nervous system, I realized that sometimes we need a slightly different movement experience besides full hour workout that's challenging. And that, uh, when we turn down that dial of intensity for sometimes physical considerations, and other times, simply because we are on constant go, go, go in our busy, fast paced world, it feels better in our body and like reconnecting it back to our movement experience, not only does it maybe help our nervous system feel, uh, more supported, but it's working in different elements of physical conditioning that the challenging workouts are. So at trifecta pilates, we have everywhere from beginner level classes to advanced classes.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>And we focus on different styles of pilates workouts which are restorative. These are for, uh, days when we maybe want to rest from a more challenging workout or when our nervous system needs a little reset. We have connect style workouts which are a little bit more challenging than restorative. They're perfect for people who are just getting into pilates or for people who want to refine how they move.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Then we have flow workouts where we're seamlessly moving from one exercise to another.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>These are going to be a little bit more challenging. And at the very top, the most challenging are going to be power workouts, generally faster pace.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Um, we're really working more towards strength in the power workouts. And those are for people who have been moving with pilates for maybe, uh, a little bit of time and feel up to the challenge.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Well, talk about how workouts can assist with cancer recovery.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Thank you for that question. Because so often what happens is when people start to get back into working out, whether it's after cancer recovery or surgery that they've had, or they just don't feel really well, sometimes they have the sense, I can't do this because we're trying to maybe start working out where we were pre, in this case, cancer. And so we want to turn back the dial of intensity with any workouts.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>We'll talk about this broadly and then narrow in on, um, pilates with any workouts, because that's going to give our bodies time to acclimate to the workout. So we think we want to slowly titrate into them. So, shorter sessions, much easier workout routines and exercises than we've done in the past.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>So we're going to slowly build back up to where we were prior. Pilates specifically is incredibly valuable because it is working with a lot of different movement planes, and we can do exercises standing the. There are a lot of exercises laying down on the mat, and one of the benefits of that is it gives us more feedback to understand the alignment of our body, which is really helpful for optimal movement patterns. And as someone's moving with pilates, what happens when we haven't worked out for a really long time is our muscles maybe have, um, we don't have as much muscular strength, perhaps our range of motion isn't as great, so we feel a little bit tighter. And when we move with pilates, it's addressing both of these elements where we're going to work towards more muscular strength, and we're also going to work to restore full range of motion. And that's something that I personally experienced after my cancer recovery, even though I was working out, went back to working out in the gym. It wasn't until I started pilates that I really started getting into a more ideal range of motion simply because of the exercises and the pilates system overall.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>So, what is the best way to align workouts with the nervous system for optimal results?

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>I love this question because for most people, this is a new concept, and it can feel a little abstract. So most people have a feeling like maybe throughout the day, we have higher points of energy and lower points of energy. So, for instance, you may be an early bird, and so you like to work out first thing in the morning. I am not an early bird, and working out first thing in the morning, for me is usually a, uh, no go. I'm more of an afternoon person, uh, who likes to work out. So that's one way that we can start understanding. Our nervous system shifts and alternates throughout the day. On top of that, we may also recognize that we have periods of our life where we have more stress than others, where it feels like maybe we are busier. And when this is occurring, when we tune in and start understanding, how are we actually feeling in response to that, sometimes it's actually helping us and gives us energy. So sometimes the extra stress in life can help us meet deadlines. We don't want to say that all stress is bad.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>That reframe can be a really positive, um, mindset shift. And other times, when stress just keeps going and it turns into chronic, it can feel overwhelming and too much. And so, one simple way that we can start understanding how to work out in alignment with our nervous system is we most likely all have different favorite artists or music that we listen to. And sometimes it's more puppy. It's like you want to get out and dance. Other times, it's more like classic music. It's a little bit more soothing, or it's a slower song. So, think about perhaps what song you would turn on right now, and that can help you understand where your nervous system is at. So if it's that song that you want to get up and dance, that signifies that our nervous system is in a higher energy state.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>And maybe something a little bit more challenging would be beneficial. Now, I'm not saying we're going outside of where our physical conditioning is. So, for instance, if we haven't run in ten years, not saying go on a 20 minutes run, it could be, well, we're going to walk more vigorously or do a, uh, strength training Pilates class.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>On the other hand, if it's more of that classic music or a, uh, more gentle song, then that can indicate that a more restorative class or a slower connect style Pilates class could be really beneficial. And that's one of the ways in which we are adjusting our workouts to our nervous system m to help us maintain consistency, because something with consistency is it doesn't have to be constant and for too long with workouts overall, we've been told, just keep pushing hard, keep going. It always needs to be challenging, and that is not true. Not only for the nervous system, but from a physical conditioning perspective, challenging workouts really work. Some components of physical conditioning and other workouts that are slower in pace, a little bit more gentle, round that out when we have more flexibility with that, for both physical conditioning and the nervous system, it's really a way for a lot of people who I've worked with, that they've been able to actually be more consistent with workouts because they're being adaptable with what they're choosing on that particular day.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Well, talk about some specific workouts or exercise routines that can help promote a calm nervous system and relieve stress.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Mhm. This is one area where I really appreciate the research keeps growing because for one person, it may be moving with a very slow pilates class that focuses on deep breathing, gentle movements, and maybe stretches that we hold for a few deep breaths.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>For someone else, it may be something a little bit more engaging, where they are flowing from one exercise to another. And what the research shows is that everything from meditation all the way up to vigorous, uh, work workouts like running can be regulating for the nervous system. And where I feel the power in this lies is it gives us more autonomy to figure out what works for us. Because for a really long time, when I first got into understanding trauma and trauma informed practices, the narrative was focused on deep breathing and slower movements and meditation.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>And from my experience working with so many people, that didn't work for a lot of people, and they felt like there was only one answer and how to calm the nervous system. So, for some people, it may mean that they want to or need to get that energy out a little bit more before they can and feel at ease. So I encourage people, a simple question you can ask is, like, what have you done in the past that you really enjoyed for a movement, the dance? Is it something, um, getting out on the court and playing a new sport, maybe pickleball with your friends? Is it focusing on some quiet time alone, uh, time for yourself? What cites you like? What have you always wanted to try? You just haven't tried yet?

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>And referring to your preferences is a great way to start and then we just layer on. Let's give it a try. And how was that experience for you? If it felt pretty good, well, try it again. And if it didn't feel that great for you, it's okay to table that. Put that to the side for right now and try something else.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Okay. So tell us about any current upcoming projects that you're working on that people need to know about.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>At trifecta Pilates, we're always focusing on what's going to bring more value to people who are moving with pilates.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>And something that we are, um, doing right this next week is the five minute mix program. This focuses on very short pilates workouts more for, uh, the strengthening element within the membership. We also have stretching classes and, um, mobility classes in the five minute mix program. And what it enables people to do is, as someone just emailed me today, it's kind of like build your own class. So it could be you're going to start with five minutes and be done because you're starting to integrate pilates consistently into your routine. And I'm, um, passionate about five minutes because this is actually where I began when I hopped back in to my Pilates routine after some time off, I had a major surgery and then I started a new full time job and I was having a really hard time getting back into my consistent workout routines and even a 20 minutes class, I felt like I couldn't do it. So I went down to the basement. I did a five minute walk on our treadmill. It was winter, so if you're, if it's summertime, I always encourage do a five minute walk outside. It's so nice, but I enjoy warm weather. So I just did that five minute walk in the basement followed by a five minute Pilates routine. And I just consistently carved out about five minutes for Pilates for about a week and then did an evaluation. How is that? Do I want to stay with the five minutes? Do I want to add on? And for this particular five minute program, the nice thing about it is people can stay with the five minutes if they like or they can start combining classes together. So they're structuring and building their own program. And this has been so fun to watch. It's available on YouTube in the next week or so. And people in the membership have already been moving with these classes that they have come up with their own classes based upon their specific goals. And it's really been igniting and liberating for their pilates practice. They know that they're getting a warm up in there and that the classes can build upon one another. So that's really exciting.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>So, Trifecta pilates. What does the name signify?

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Thanks for asking that question. Uh, because it is focusing on a holistic element or aspect of not only pilates, but how we are moving through our life. So for so long with pilates, for me, it was about just a good workout. And that's really common when people first start pilates. It's like, I want a good workout. Things in the gym or my past workouts aren't working for me anymore. I want to try moving.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>But what happens is the longer people stay with pilates, they realize there's something else there. I referred to this at the beginning, that mind body connection. Yet beyond that, there's also body mind, and we can say sphere or soul, depending upon how someone resonates with that. And we really want to take this, all three of those elements into consideration when we're moving. So when we. When I think about spirit or soul, it's the energy and essence that's in all of us. And this can, of course, shift. So for people who we know really well, the moment they walk into the space, we know, oh, they're having a good day, or, oh, no, this is really not a beneficial day for them. Like, what's going on? Do you need extra support? Do you want to talk through it?

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>And so when we recognize that workouts can be, yes, really wonderful for our body, we also have research that consistent workouts can bring amazing mental health benefits and then work in alignment with our nervous system. That's our soul. That's our spirit. That's really when we can thrive with moving our body with the pilates method. So that's, uh, where trifecta Pilates came from.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Okay, throw out your contact info so people can keep up with everything that you're up to.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>People can find me pretty much on any platform, uh, on trifecta pilates. YouTube is a great place to get started. Or if you want to check out all that we offer, you can go to trifecta pilates.com. and I'm on the Instagram for people who hang, uh, out over there as well.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Okay, close us out with some final thoughts. Maybe if that was something that I forgot to touch on that you would like to talk about, or just any final thoughts you have for the listeners.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Final, uh, thoughts would be just try, whether it's pilates or something else. I think sometimes as we get older, we're hesitant to try new things. And I distinctly remember my first pilates class. It felt a little strange, a little awkward. And I will always hold on to that, even after teaching it for over 20 years, because that is a very real experience. To trying pilates or trying something new is there's a learning curve to anything that we try new. And when we lead with movement, with exploration, that can be really powerful. Just opening up, uh, to a new way of moving. And I think it's not only powerful for us, but it sets an amazing example for our kids if we have them. We're the younger generation that just because we're older doesn't mean that we're not going to try something new. As an example, I just, this year am trying a tap class again, and I have not done tap since I was ten years old. But I wanted to do something a little bit different than I've done in the past. And it's so fun to be in there with other adults, some who have been doing tap for much longer than I have as an adult. And just getting out there and trying something new is so amazing, not only for our body, but for our brain health as well.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>All right, ladies and gentlemen, trifectopilates.com. please be sure to check out Beth. You know, working out and physical activity is very important, so follow rate review share this episode to as many people as possible. Jump on your favorite podcast app and hit that follow button and give us a review. If you have any guests or suggestion topics, see Jackson 102 is the place to send them.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Thank you for listening and supporting the show, as always. And Beth, thank you for joining us and, uh, sharing your expertise and introducing Pilates to us.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>Thanks so much for having me on and I hope everyone can join me on the mat soon.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>For more information on the living the Dream podcast, visit www.djcurvefball.com.

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> Curtis Jackson (also known as DJ Curveball)>until next time, stay focused on living the dream. Dream.