In a world that won’t stop moving, stillness can feel like rebellion. We’re constantly told to go harder, get louder, do more. But something shifts when you stop chasing and start listening. This is a journal from the inside out – from our very own Geraldine Anderson, a lifelong yogi who stumbled upon RISE and realised that stillness doesn’t mean stopping…it means remembering.
In Geraldine’s Words…
RISE is Resistance. Stillness is Power.
I used to believe that strength had to look like sweat, sound like impact, and leave you gasping. Then I met RISE. Not at a high point, but rather at a low one. A quiet one. I didn’t want more noise.I wanted to feel my body again, but on my terms.
RISE is a mindful, meticulously designed training method from Planet Fitness. It’s a hybrid of breathwork, yoga, pilates, and barre that doesn’t ask you to perform.It invites you to notice. You won’t find heavy metal beats or someone shouting in your face. Instead, you’ll meet the rhythm of your breath, your body’s whisper, and the steady heartbeat of community moving in quiet synchrony.
Why Slow is Radical
There’s a quiet revolution happening in movement culture. The world of mindful training is expanding – from yoga studios to hybrid spaces where breath, mobility, and strength exist in one loop.RISE is part of that evolution.
Stillness isn’t passivity. It’s a regulated nervous system, and the latest in neuroscience backs this up. Dr. Andrew Huberman, a neuroscientist at Stanford, explains that interoception, which is our ability to sense internal states, is directly tied to resilience.
Practices that build slow strength and use conscious breathing can shift our nervous system into parasympathetic mode (rest and repair). That’s where growth actually begins.
Dr. Nicole LePera (The Holistic Psychologist) often says, “Your body keeps the score. But it also holds the map.” Slowness lets us read that map. It makes room for healing that doesn’t hinge on intensity.
This is what makes RISE different. It’s not about pushing past your edge. It’s about finding it, respecting it, and returning with more awareness every time.
The New Shape of Strength
There’s something deeply powerful about choosing to train without chaos. For me, coming from years of Yoga and Pilates, RISE felt like a return and a rebellion at the same time.
Bo Forbes, a clinical psychologist and yoga educator, writes about the link between embodiment and mental health: “When we learn to feel more, we don’t fall apart – we fall into alignment.”
In RISE, this shows up in the micro-movements. The small pulses. The trembling in the fourth round of a seemingly simple sequence. You’re not flailing, you’re forging. That slow burn is intelligence and precision. In fact, it’s your body remembering how to carry itself.
And let’s be honest: meticulous doesn’t mean boring. RISE blends pilates-barre training with core stability, mobility, and balance work in a way that’s rhythmic, rich, and deeply activating. It’s soft, but it’s not gentle. It’s strong, but never harsh.
The Strength of Being Seen (Without Speaking)
Community in a RISE class feels different. There’s no competition, no side-eyeing, no measurement. Just people committed to showing up…with shaky legs and steady breath.
It’s accountability, but quiet. You feel seen in your effort, not scrutinised for your aesthetic. And that really, really matters. Because in a culture obsessed with performance and appearances, choosing presence feels sacred.
There’s this moment that happens when you’re in a deep hold and someone next to you exhales just as your legs start to quiver. That’s communion. That’s real connection.
Our South African winters hold space for this kind of connection. The ritual of warm socks.The hum of a heater. The smell of Rooibos and our favourite nutritious, warming dishes. Silence isn’t empty – it’s full of restoration. Pair that with a RISE session and you’re in the middle of a seasonal ceremony. A kind of returning home.
A Winter Practice That Holds you Back Together
This season, instead of trying to outrun the cold, I’m learning to lean into it. My yoga winter routine looks different now. It includes slower mornings, breathwork before scrolling, and RISE sessions that recalibrate me.
Dr. Huberman teaches that even just five minutes of deliberate breathwork can shift your stress baseline for the day. Combine that with functional movement and you’re not just training,you’re building your capacity to handle life.
Here’s what my current ritual looks like (and maybe yours could too):
- 6:30am: Candlelit room. Warm layers. Ten minutes of alternate nostril breathing.
- 7:00am: RISE class – low light, barefoot, no talking. Just movement.
- 8:15am: Rooibos tea. A journal. Silence before emails.
The True Power of Stillness
I used to think power meant motion. But now I know: the still ones always know.
They’re the ones who breathe before reacting. Who listen to their body before punishing it.Who show up, not for aesthetic gains, but for internal alignment.
RISE isn’t loud. It doesn’t need to be. When you move with that much presence, you don’t need to shout. The strength speaks for itself.
So if you’re looking for something this winter – not to chase, but to return to – start with your breath. Start with a single pulse. Let RISE meet you where you are.
– With love, light and stillness, Geraldine.
