On The Pilates Lounge, Katie Crane speaks with Reanne Murray, a mother, breathwork practitioner, and woman living with fibromyalgia.

Reanne shares her lived experience of chronic pain, invisible illness, and the long road to diagnosis — and how trauma, emotional suppression, and nervous system dysregulation shaped her symptoms.

• What it's like to live with pain long before receiving a diagnosis
• Why fibromyalgia is often misunderstood — even by healthcare professionals
• How trauma, stress, and emotional suppression can manifest as physical pain
• The role of the nervous system in chronic pain and flare-ups
• Why pain can be information, not something to fear or fight
• How self-care, boundaries, and self-responsibility changed everything

• Pilates teachers working with clients who have fibromyalgia or chronic pain
• Movement professionals supporting nervous-system-sensitive bodies
• Anyone living with an invisible illness who feels unseen or unheard
• Teachers ready to move beyond purely structural explanations of pain

"Pain is always telling you a story. It's there as a protection mechanism."

Fibromyalgia — and chronic pain more broadly — cannot be understood through muscles, joints, or pathology alone. This conversation reinforces why Pilates teachers must expand their lens to include trauma, stress load, belief systems, and nervous system regulation.

When we only treat the body mechanically, we miss the deeper drivers of pain. This episode challenges practitioners to listen more closely, cue more intelligently, and create environments where clients feel safe enough to heal — not just move.

If this episode resonated, your next step is simple:

➡️ Listen again with curiosity, not urgency.

➡️ Reflect on one client whose pain may be asking for something deeper.

➡️ Consider how safety, pacing, and nervous system support show up in your sessions.

If you're craving deeper reflections, intelligent conversation, and writing that challenges how we think about Pilates, pain, and professional practice:

✨ Explore The Pilates Muse — a publication for Pilates teachers who want to think beyond cues and exercises ➡️ https://www.thepilatesprofessional.com.au/the-pilates-muse-publication

🎥 Prefer to watch? This episode is also available on YouTube, where you can experience the full conversation in a different way.

This is where philosophy meets practice.

https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCGs4C3-8NIw2BQZ1QTHZetg

The Pilates Lounge Podcast is where intelligent movement meets real-world practice. Hosted by Katie Crane, each episode supports Pilates teachers and movement professionals to think deeper, teach smarter, and build sustainable careers grounded in integrity, autonomy, and whole-person health.

Bursitis is one of those conditions that's often brushed aside with a cortisone shot and a pat on the back. But is that really healing—or just a quick way to silence symptoms? In this episode of The Pilates Lounge Podcast, Katie Crane takes a bold look at how the Pilates community can do better for clients by addressing the real root causes of bursitis: poor mechanics, lack of movement variability, and ignoring the body's natural signals.

Katie challenges the over-reliance on cortisone injections, unpacks the critical difference between natural and synthetic cortisol, and makes the case for fascia hydration, movement diversity, and listening to pain as valuable feedback. Beyond the physical, she digs into why community and emotional support are just as essential in the healing process.

This conversation is part education, part reality check—inviting Pilates professionals to step away from band-aid solutions and lean into the body's wisdom, resilience, and true capacity for recovery.

Key Takeaways

• Healing doesn't come from quick fixes—it comes from addressing root causes.

• Cortisone injections may shut you up, but they don't set you free.

• Bursitis is less about "bad luck" and more about mechanics and movement.

• Pilates offers a powerful path to restore function and resilience.

• Pain is not the enemy—it's feedback the body needs us to hear.

• Fascia health depends on hydration and varied movement.

• Community and emotional support are non-negotiable in recovery.

• Educated decisions—not shortcuts—lead to lasting change.

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Have you ever wondered why some clients struggle to stay present during class? Or why certain movements, even when modified, feel like "too much" for someone? You might be seeing more than just tight hips or shallow breath—you might be witnessing a nervous system response.

In this episode, Katie Crane invites you into a deeper understanding of the Polyvagal Theory, a game-changing framework developed by Stephen Porges that explains how our nervous system responds to safety, threat, and connection.

Katie shares how learning about the vagus nerve reshaped her approach to teaching. It's not just about alignment and muscle engagement—it's about seeing the whole person, understanding their internal state, and using movement and breath to create safety and healing.

In This Episode, You'll Learn:
The three autonomic nervous system states:
• Dorsal vagal (shutdown/freeze)
• Sympathetic (fight/flight)
• Ventral vagal (connection/safety)

How these states show up in Pilates sessions—and what we can do as teachers to meet clients where they are

Why language, tone, and choice matter more than we think

How breath and stillness can be just as therapeutic as movement

How to create a space that invites trust, empowerment, and nervous system regulation

Why It Matters:
Pilates isn't just about better movement—it's about better connection. When we understand the nervous system, we realize that offering someone a sense of safety in their body is one of the most profound gifts we can give.

This episode is a gentle nudge to look beyond the exercise and into the human experience—to teach from a place of compassion, curiosity, and consciousness.

🎁 Resources & Support:
✨ Free Gift Workshop:
https://www.thepilatesprofessional.com.au/free-gift-workshop

📬 Subscribe to The Pilates Muse Newsletter:
https://www.thepilatesprofessional.com.au/the-pilates-muse-publication

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Thanks for listening!

Be kind with your words—and we'll catch you next week for another meaningful conversation on The Pilates Lounge.