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wellness
In Motion with Sophie Palmer
06/10/26
Author: RIISE Team
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Movement means something different to everyone. For some, it's a daily discipline; for others, a way to return to themselves. In Motion is a RIISE series exploring the personal rituals, philosophies and practices that shape how we engage with fitness and exercise — beyond trends, beyond aesthetics, and into something more meaningful.
In this edition, we meet Sophie Palmer, a Byron Bay-based yoga and meditation teacher whose practice spans more than 20 years. Once centred around structured routines and teaching early morning classes, Sophie’s relationship with movement has evolved alongside family life — becoming less about routine and more about listening to what her body needs. Today, her practice takes many forms, from yoga and pranayama to weights, ocean dips and bushwalks, with an emphasis on finding presence and enjoyment wherever movement fits into her day.
Here, Sophie shares how her approach to movement has changed over time, the practices she continually returns to, and why learning to listen to the body can be one of the most powerful forms of movement in itself.
RIISE: What does your ideal workout week look like from start to finish?
Sophie: Anything that invites presence and gets me feeling good in my body. With two little ones, the weeks are beautiful and full, so an ideal week is really about enjoying the pockets of time when they arise, whether it be a home yoga practice, a weights or Pilates class, a family lighthouse walk or a dip in the ocean.
RIISE: Do you have a non-negotiable daily movement ritual, even on rest days?Sophie: Meditation and pranayama are my go-to. They’ve been part of my life for many years and bring the steadiness and connectedness amongst all the busy-ness and all the doing!
RIISE: How do you stay consistent when motivation dips?RIISE: What’s one practice you always come back to, and why?
Sophie: Pranayama. For how potent and simple it is, and how quickly it allows you to tune into a deeper sense of spaciousness, both in the mind and the body.
RIISE: How do you balance different types of movement throughout the week?Sophie: Pretty loosely! Aside from a regular home yoga practice, this year I started training / weights classes with a beautiful friend who has a small mostly female gym in Byron, Alana at ITSFIT, which I’ve been loving. Outside of that, it’s usually a mix of yoga, walking, sometimes a reformer Pilates class, a bushwalk - whatever there is space for.
RIISE: How has your approach to fitness evolved over time?
Sophie: It’s become much less structured - and much more enjoyable I’d say. It used to be quite routine, practicing and teaching early morning classes almost every day during the week, but nowadays I squeeze the practice in around family life - and really enjoy every chance I get to roll out the mat.
RIISE: What’s one underrated habit or ritual that has made the biggest difference to your wellbeing?Sophie: Checking in with what I actually need that day and acting from that place of intuition. When we attune to what it is we really need moment to moment, day to day, that is a powerful, joy bringing practice.
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