Sheena Rathi
25-Jul-2025
Pilates as a Path to Power, Presence and Longevity
There was a time I genuinely believed I had to choose – to be strong or to be soft, to be beautiful or be bold, and to be business-minded or unleash my creativity. I thought being taken seriously meant narrowing myself down, picking one thing and staying in one lane. However, somewhere along the way, I realised that’s just not how real women move. The future is feminine and as a woman of the 21st century, I can have all of it – fluidity, power, leading with intuition and not colouring inside the lines.
Pilates found me in a time of transition. What started as a form of movement became so much more. It became a philosophy, a daily practice that asked me to listen, to slow down and understand my body not just as something to shape but as a medium to be in conversation with every single day. I started to notice how my breath could change my mindset, how small movements could build deep strength and how stillness could be a superpower.
I’m not just a Pilates instructor. I’m someone who deeply believes in creating spaces for people to come back to themselves. I founded Slay Pilates because I knew that what we aspired to build wasn’t just a studio – it was a space for catharsis and empowerment. Today, with four thriving branches and a rapidly growing community, Slay has become a melting pot of wellbeing in itself. It was never just about Pilates; it was always about helping people redefine beauty, rediscover presence and reconnect with their own rhythm.
Is Pilates for You?
Living in India, we’re often surrounded by two extremes – movement that’s intensely physical or movement that’s deeply spiritual. Pilates, on the other hand, quietly offers something different, sitting beautifully in the middle. It’s both grounded and graceful. It doesn’t ask you to fight your body and rather invites you to work with it. It’s one of the few practices I’ve found that honours strength and softness equally. That doesn’t ask you to “go harder”, but to move smarter. To breathe deeper and pay attention.
Over the years, I’ve seen so many stories unfold on these reformers. Young professionals coming in after years of disconnect from their bodies, finally finding their center again. Older clients rediscovering that they can move with more freedom, fluidity and confidence than they had in decades. For me personally, I’ve felt it – the clarity, the grounded power and the kind of energy that doesn’t burn out but only builds up with each passing day.
What are the benefits of Pilates?
Science is catching up with what this practice already knows. There’s growing evidence that movement like Pilates doesn’t just tone muscles; it also strengthens the mind. The coordination, precision and breathwork involved can help preserve cognitive function, support better posture, reduce chronic pains and keep the body agile for longer. There’s something magical about realising that ageing doesn’t mean decline; it can very well mean refinement. Joseph Pilates once said, “You’re only as young as your spine is flexible,” and the more I teach and practice, the more that rings true.
We’re living in a world that glorifies being busy, being loud, and being everywhere all the time, but Pilates teaches the opposite. It asks you to come back to yourself, slow down and really feel your feet on the ground and the breath in your body. In that stillness, something powerful happens – you start to trust yourself again. You stop needing to perform or prove. You just show up – fully, honestly and with intention.
The Mental Health benefits of Pilates
At Slay, we light candles before class. We play music that helps you drop in. We don’t believe in punishing the body to feel good. We believe in preserving it. Honouring it. Celebrating it. And the beauty that comes from that is not about aesthetics – it’s about energy. It’s the way someone walks out of class taller, lighter, and more in tune with who they are. It’s not about looking younger. It’s about feeling more alive.
I’ve seen people walk in carrying stress, shame and self-doubt. Over time, through guided movement, something softens. They breathe a little deeper and stand a little taller. Their inner dialogue shifts. They’re no longer moving to fix something. They’re moving because it feels good to move.
And honestly that’s what Slay-ing really is. It’s not about volume or intensity, but focused intention. It’s a presence. An energy. It’s the quiet confidence of knowing who you are and moving through the world in alignment with that. You can be powerful and poetic. Fierce and fluid. And you don’t need to choose between them. I created Slay Pilates as a space where movement becomes a mirror. Where people could explore who they are when they’re fully connected. For me, longevity isn’t about just living longer. It’s about living better. Living deeper. Feeling joy, balance, and strength as you grow.
