Stop
performing.
Start living.
Vigilante Rising exists for the man who has built the life and still feels like something is missing. Coaching, community, breathwork, and the tools to find your way back to yourself.
"The version of you that you want to become is built through the challenges you're currently avoiding."
As You Are — Ch. 11 · DifficultyThe Rising Collective — A community of men doing the real work. Monthly sessions, honest conversation, no performance required.
Find out more →Everything you need.
Nothing you don't.
Five distinct ways to work together. From the As You Are Transformation Project, Rising Collective, 1:1 coaching, breathwork & retreats, and As You Are the book.
As You Are Transformation Project
A 10-week group coaching experience. Live Zoom sessions, weekly workbook, private brotherhood. Built on the field manual.
View Program →Brotherhood & Community
The Rising Collective. Monthly sessions, real accountability, a group of men who will tell you the truth about yourself.
Learn More →1:1 Coaching
Personal coaching engagements for the man who wants individual support. Tailored to where you are and where you want to go.
Get in Touch →Breathwork & Retreats
Guided breathwork sessions and men's retreats. Relinquish. Grow. Expand. In-person in Charlotte and retreat experiences beyond.
Learn More →As You Are — The Book
A field manual for life in the digital age. 23 chapters. A practical guide to knowing yourself and living with intention.
About the Book →
This is about self-discovery, self-exploration, and personal growth.
Today's world is louder than it has ever been. You wake up already behind notifications, obligations, and the perfectly curated lives of strangers staring back at you from a screen. There is no shortage of information. But it's shallow. And while you know more than any generation before you, you've drifted further from yourself.
Vigilante Rising was built for the man who feels the drift but who hasn't given up and is ready to face himself fully, knows there is more, and is ready to do the work to find it.
About Vigilante Rising"You are not your thoughts. You are the awareness through which thoughts pass."
As You Are — Chapter 2 · ThoughtAs You Are
A field manual for life in the digital age. 23 carefully chosen topics that together form a practical guide to knowing yourself more deeply and living more intentionally.
As You Are is a self-discovery book written by someone who has been in your shoes, who is still in them, and who carries the lessons from a man still walking with a mission to help others do the same.
As You Are
A Field Manual for Life
in the Digital Age
What men say after doing the work.
"Alex has been an incredible mentor to me. He’s compassionate, takes the time to listen, and always gives thoughtful guidance. What I appreciate most is how he asks questions that make you think differently and grow, instead of just telling you what to do. He’s helped me understand real growth comes from getting comfortable being uncomfortable. He creates a space where you feel supported, but still challenged to step outside of what’s easy in order to move forward. He has a calm, grounded way about him and cares deeply about the people he works with. I’m grateful for his perspective and support he’s given me, and know I’m a better man for having learned from him."
Jake B.
Sales Executive
"Having to face the most difficult situation of my life, Alex took it upon himself to be there by my side every step of the way to help me process my feelings and help me grow from the experience. Alex wants people to become the best version of themselves. He helped me transform myself into the best physical and mental shape I’ve ever been in. I would not be the person I am today if it wasn’t for Alex guiding me through my thoughts and my feelings. Anyone would be lucky to have Alex help them the way he helped me."
Frank K.
Operations Lead
"The ability to slow down by using my breath and have what was almost an out of body experience. To ground myself in the middle of a hectic day. To set intention and slow down. That was an amazing experience. And to connect into my emotions and be in touch with them was very impactful — in ways I haven’t been able to access before. I was so much stronger than I imagined. It gave such clarity."
Eric R.
Sales Executive
"Just did a 2 minute breath hold. Love this. Feeling it in my body. Feeling my heart beat in my chest and each vertebrae in my back. Thank you."
Eric R.
Sales Executive
It is either one day
or day one.
Remove your mask and grow past apathy into a life of fulfillment and alignment.
Ten weeks.
One direction.
A fully virtual group coaching experience for men who are done sleepwalking. Live sessions. Real accountability. A brotherhood that continues after the program ends.
Apply for the Founding CohortPayment plan: 2 × $797
- 10 live 90-min Zoom sessions
- Physical copy of As You Are mailed to you
- Weekly workbook assignments
- Private Vigilante Rising community
- Permanent alumni access
- Optional 1:1 session add-on available
Limited to 15 men. Founding price never returns.
"Don't fake it till you make it — face it till you make it."
As You Are — Chapter 8 · AnxietyTen weeks.
Twenty-three chapters.
One direction.
Each week builds on the last. The book is the spine. The group is the forge. Every session ends with a specific commitment — not a goal, an action.
Who Are You Actually?
"What is the honest state of your foundation and what has it been costing you?"
The Stories You Tell Yourself
"Whose thoughts are you actually living by and how would you even know?"
Stripping It Back
"Who are you when no one is watching and how close is that to who you show up as?"
Anxiety and Freedom
"What are you avoiding and what is that avoidance building in the dark?"
Love and Difficulty
"What do you love enough to suffer for and are you actually living it?"
The Longer View
"How much of what feels urgent this week will matter in a year?"
Joy and Creation
"Are you living the life you are building or just building it?"
Your Operating System
"Is your life designed or has it just accumulated?"
The Bigger Picture
"What are you actually here for and who told you?"
The Return
"Who are you now and what are you going to do about it?"
This program is built for men who are ready.
This is for you if…
- →You feel like there is more to you than what is currently showing up and you are done waiting and ready to take action.
- →You want to be challenged, not coddled. You want men who will tell you the truth.
- →You are willing to do actual work instead of consuming information about it.
- →You are lost, in transition, or doing well and want to go deeper.
- →You are ready for ten weeks to be a turning point, not just another thing you tried.
This is not for you if…
- →You are looking for a hack, a shortcut, or a way to feel better without changing anything.
- →You want to stay comfortable. This program makes comfort harder to hide in.
- →You are not willing to be honest with yourself, the group, or the process.
- →You want someone to tell you that everything you are doing is already fine.
Words that earn their place.
"You cannot improve something that you only protect."
Ch. 10 — Humility"Anxiety is not a warning to stop. It is a signal that something meaningful is right in front of you."
Ch. 8 — Anxiety"The weight doesn't get lighter. You get stronger."
Ch. 7 — FreedomCome as you are.
Founding cohort. Limited seats. The price that exists right now does not return.
I am not a guru at the top of a mountain.
I spent years doing what I was supposed to do. Building what I was supposed to build. Showing up as the version of myself that earned approval from the world around me.
I also spent years feeling hollow in ways I could not explain and would not admit.
The work in this program is the work that changed that.
Every concept in this program I have lived. Every chapter in this book I have walked through, struggled with, and carried with me. I am someone who has been in the fire and come out knowing something worth passing on.
I am a bridge-builder, connector, and space-holder committed to helping you move past apathy into a life of fulfillment and alignment, grounded in love, awareness, and happiness.
Come as you are.Three pillars. One direction.
Self-Knowledge
You cannot align your actions with values you haven't identified. The first work is always inward by understanding who you are, what drives your patterns, and what you've been carrying that was never truly yours.
Honest Community
Men change when they are challenged, held accountable, and do the work alongside others doing the same. Not a network. Not a following. A brotherhood that tells you the truth.
Sustained Action
Awareness without action is self-indulgence. Every week ends with a specific commitment for you to honor. Small and compounding over time into a life that actually reflects who you are.
The Rising Collective.
Beyond the 10-week program, The Rising Collective is an online community of men doing the work together. Monthly sessions include somatic practice, men's embodiment, guided breathwork, priority access to retreats, and a private community that holds you accountable long after the program ends.
You were never meant to do life alone.
Get InvolvedMonthly Sessions
Monthly remote group sessions. Real conversation, no performance required. Show up as you are.
Breathwork
Guided breathwork sessions — calm, gain clarity, and expand. In-person in Charlotte and available virtually.
Men's Retreats
Immersive retreat experiences designed for depth. Away from the noise, with men who are serious about the work.
1:1 Coaching
Individual coaching engagements for men who want personal support beyond the group container.
"You were never meant to do life alone."
As You Are — Chapter 16 · CommunityAs You Are
A Field Manual for Life
in the Digital Age
This is about self-discovery, self-exploration, and personal growth.
As You Are explores 23 topics — carefully chosen for their relevance across history, cultures, and walks of life — that together form a practical guide to knowing yourself more deeply and living more intentionally.
You won't find clichés here. You won't find empty motivation or toxic positivity. What you will find is a well-considered path, written by someone who has been in your shoes and is still in them.
Think of it as a field manual. A guide for the person who feels like life is moving faster than they can make sense of it.
Three parts. Twenty-three chapters.
The Foundations of Self
- Health
- Thought
- Knowledge
- Energy
The Emotional and Existential Landscape
- Love
- Nature
- Freedom
- Anxiety
- Authenticity
- Humility
- Difficulty
- Gratitude
- Perspective
- Joy
- Creation
The Worldview and Operating System
- Community
- Simplicity
- Desire
- Spirituality
- Balance
- Society
- Intentionality
- Action
Six sentences worth carrying.
"The version of you that you want to become is built through the challenges you're currently avoiding."
Chapter 11 — Difficulty"If you do not know who you are, you will default to who you think you should be."
Chapter 9 — Authenticity"Anxiety is not a warning to stop. It is a signal that something meaningful is right in front of you."
Chapter 8 — Anxiety"The more secure you are in your being, the less you need to defend it."
Chapter 10 — Humility"Are you living the life you are building or just focused on the building?"
Chapter 14 — Joy"You are the universe experiencing itself through you."
Chapter 19 — SpiritualityGet your copy.
Do the work.
Every man in the 10-week program receives a physical copy. Pick yours up when you apply — or get in touch to order directly.
It is either
one day
or day one.
The application takes five minutes. Answer honestly. That is the only requirement.
After submitting, you will receive a short discovery call invitation to confirm fit. If it is right for both of us, you will be enrolled and your copy of As You Are ships before Week 1.
Questions before applying? Get in touch first.
The application takes five minutes. Answer honestly. That is the only requirement.
No obligation. A discovery call follows to confirm fit.
No funnels.
No bots.
Real people.
Questions about the program, the book, breathwork sessions, retreats, or The Rising Collective — reach out directly. Every message gets a real response.
hello@vigilante_rising.org
Responses within 24 hours.
@vigilante_rising
DMs welcome for quick questions.
Location
Charlotte, NC
Virtual available everywhere.
No funnels. No bots. Every message gets a real response.
Relinquish.
Grow.
Expand.
Breathwork is one of the most direct tools available for accessing what you have been carrying — and releasing what no longer needs to be there. Used in one on one sessions, group journeys, and integrated into our men's retreat experiences.
In-person in Charlotte. Virtual for those at a distance. Retreat experiences for those ready to go deeper. Reach out to discuss what is right for you.
Inquire About BreathworkOne on One Sessions
Individual breathwork sessions tailored to what you are working through. In-person Charlotte or virtual.
Group Journeys
Facilitated group breathwork experiences in Charlotte. Powerful in community. Watch for upcoming events.
Men's Retreats
Immersive multi-day retreat experiences for men who are serious about the work. Breathwork, coaching, brotherhood, and depth. Get in touch for upcoming dates.
"Gratitude is not a feeling you wait for. It is a practice you build — daily, in ordinary moments and difficult ones alike."
As You Are — Chapter 12 · GratitudeA private mountain retreat just outside Asheville, NC.
The Rising Retreat is a thematic growth catalyst designed for highly successful men who are ready to shed old identities, face every part of themselves, and step into their potential.
Three days. Three nights. A fully guided, in-person initiation held in a private mountain home designed for depth, focus, and embodiment.
Reserve Your Spot
Everything you need.
Nothing you don't.
3 Days / 3 Nights Stay
A fully guided, in-person initiation held in a private mountain home designed for depth, focus, and embodiment.
Chef-Prepared Premium Meals
All meals included. Fresh, nourishing, performance-focused food prepared daily by private chef Alan to support recovery and clarity.
Embodied Masculinity Training
Practices rooted in presence, grounding, movement, and nervous system regulation.
Breathwork & Regulation
Dynamic and sonic neural breathwork to release tension, access deeper awareness, and regulate the nervous system.
Shadow Work & Integration
IFS-informed exploration of patterns, stories, and inner drivers shaping your behavior — with structured integration to carry it forward.
Brotherhood & Accountability
Sacred men's council and accountability containers for integration and growth. Post-retreat virtual integration support circle available.
What you carry
out of the mountain.
Deeper sense of personal power, purpose, and emotional ownership
Clear understanding of personal patterns, behaviors, and life potential
Renewed confidence in embodied masculinity
Practical tools for breathwork and nervous system regulation
Brotherhood and accountability with aligned men
A roadmap for momentum and self-mastery
The tools we
work with.
Dynamic breathwork and sonic neural breathwork
Masculine embodiment practices
IFS-informed parts work and shadow work
Cold exposure and breath-body regulation
Conscious communication and sacred men's council
Silence and solitude practices
Integration mapping and accountability containers
Four days.
One turning point.
Thursday
4:00 PM – 10:00 PM
Arrival & Initiation
Arrival and introductions. Opening dinner. Facilitator initiation share. Movement, breathwork, and sacred men's council. The first step of a different kind of weekend.
Friday
8:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Regulation & Shadow
Morning practices and nervous system education. Shadow work and free time. Sonic neural breathwork and parts work in the evening. Going where most men don't go.
Saturday
8:00 AM – 10:00 PM
Embodiment & Expression
Masculine embodiment practices and conscious communication. Journaling and reflection. Sonic neural breathwork and integration circles. The work becomes your own.
Sunday
6:00 AM – 10:30 AM
Integration & Return
Sunrise silence hike and intention setting. Integration guidance and closing facilitator remarks. You leave different than you arrived.
The men leading the way.
The Rising Retreat is led by a team of experienced facilitators devoted to helping you rise.
Alex Vigilante
Alex is the founder of Vigilante Rising and a facilitator devoted to embodied leadership, nervous-system health, and men's work. He bridges modern neuroscience with lived experience, creating grounded spaces for clarity, accountability, and self-mastery. Alex also leads The Rising Collective, supporting men in moving from overthinking into embodied action and alignment.
Anthony "AJay" Wells
AJay is a men's wellness guide, breathwork facilitator, and founder of Axis Ori. His work is rooted in nervous system regulation, disciplined self-leadership, and inner alignment. Drawing from lived experience, ancient practices, and modern science, AJay creates spaces for men to slow down, confront their patterns, and build a life led from clarity rather than impulse.
Chef Alan
Alan is a private chef who prepares all meals for the retreat. From Austin, Texas, he is a master of food and performance nutrition — ensuring every meal supports your recovery, clarity, and energy throughout the four days.
"The version of you that you want to become is built through the challenges you're currently avoiding."
As You Are — Chapter 11 · DifficultyThree steps.
One decision.
Book A Call
Schedule a short call with Alex to discuss the retreat, ask your questions, and confirm it's the right fit.
Connect With Your Facilitator
A pre-retreat conversation to understand where you are, what you're carrying, and how to get the most from the four days.
Level Up Your Life
Show up. Do the work. Leave different than you arrived. The mountain doesn't care about your excuses.
Ready to rise?
Spots are extremely limited. If you feel called, don't wait.
The mind that never stops running is a mind that never fully performs.
You already know how to think. You've built a career on it. But the same mind that solves problems at work is the mind that keeps you up at 2 a.m. replaying conversations, second-guessing decisions, and moving fast without moving forward.
Breathwork doesn't slow you down. It gives you access to a version of yourself that is clearer, more grounded, and more capable of the kind of thinking that actually matters.
This is not meditation. It is not passive. It is an active, intentional practice that works directly with your nervous system to produce real, felt results in a single session.
Calm the Busy Mind
Chronic mental noise is not a personality trait, it is a nervous system state. Breathwork directly interrupts the sympathetic overdrive that keeps high performers stuck in reaction mode, creating genuine stillness without requiring you to stop achieving.
Clarity Through Distance
When you are inside a problem, you cannot see the problem clearly. Breathwork creates physiological separation between you and the situation, producing the kind of objective view that most men only access weeks later, when the emotion has settled. You get that clarity now.
Expanded Consciousness
For the man who is already performing and wants to go further, breathwork opens access to states of awareness that are not available through thinking alone. Expanded perception, deeper intuition, and a felt sense of what is actually true for you beneath the noise.
A powerful experience for you to meet yourself fully.
Every session begins with a brief focused conversation on where you are, what you are carrying, what you want from the work. From there, Alex guides you through a structured breathing pattern set to a custom soundtrack, creating a container for whatever needs to move.
You may feel heat, emotion, physical release, clarity, or a profound sense of stillness. Every person's experience is different. Every session produces something real.
Sessions are available one on one, either in person in Charlotte or virtually over Zoom for those outside the area.
Intention Setting
A short conversation to understand where you are and what you want to work with. Sets the direction for the session.
The Breath Journey
Guided continuous breathing through structured rounds with holds. Set to a custom music playlist. Alex provides grounded facilitation throughout.
Integration
A closing period of stillness and reflection. Space to process what surfaced and anchor what became clear before returning to the day.
"The ability to slow down by using my breath and have what was almost an out of body experience. To ground myself in the middle of a hectic day. To set intention and slow down. It gave such clarity."
Eric R. — Sales ExecutiveTwo formats.
One direction.
30 Min
Total session time: 45 minutes
The entry point. Ideal for men who are new to breathwork or looking for a regular tune-up between deeper sessions. Thirty minutes of continuous guided breathing produces measurable nervous system regulation, mental clarity, and a reset you can feel for the rest of the day.
Intention setting conversation
30 minutes of guided continuous breathing
Custom music soundtrack
Brief integration and closing
Best for: busy schedules, first sessions, regular maintenance
Book a 30-Min Session1 Hour
Total session time: 75–90 minutes
The full experience. Sixty minutes of continuous breathing allows for a deeper arc of a journey with more time in expanded states, more material to work with, and more substantial shifts in clarity, emotional release, and awareness. This is where the real breakthroughs happen. For the man who is ready to go somewhere most people don't go.
In-depth intention setting conversation
60 minutes of guided continuous breathing
Custom music soundtrack with deeper arc
Extended integration and reflection period
Post-session insights and next steps
Best for: deeper work, emotional processing, expanded awareness
Book a 1-Hour SessionIn-person — Charlotte, NC and surrounding area
Virtual — Zoom sessions available for remote clients
Groups — private group sessions available on request
For the man who is already performing and wants to go further.
Breathwork is a performance tool that has been used across cultures for thousands of years and is now being validated by modern neuroscience. It is for the man who has already done the work, built the discipline, built the habits, built the life, and is ready to access the layer beneath all of it. Heal yourself, see yourself, and restore your sense of self.
If you are running hard and feel like something is still capped, breathwork is often the unlock.
High performers whose minds never fully switch off
Men working through a major life decision or transition
Anyone carrying stress, tension, or unexpressed emotion they can't think their way out of
Men curious about expanded states of awareness and consciousness
Anyone in the As You Are program looking to deepen their practice between sessions
What men say after doing the work.
"The ability to slow down by using my breath and have what was almost an out of body experience. To ground myself in the middle of a hectic day. To set intention and slow down. That was an amazing experience. And to connect into my emotions and be in touch with them was very impactful. In ways I haven't been able to access before. And I was so much stronger than I imagined. It gave such clarity."
Eric R.
Sales Executive
"Just did a 2 minute breath hold. Love this. Feeling it in my body. Feeling my heart beat in my chest and each vertebrae in my back. Love this, thank you."
Eric R.
Sales Executive
One session.
You'll feel the difference.
Reach out to book your first session. In-person in Charlotte or virtually over Zoom. Pricing discussed on the discovery call.
A group of men dedicated to doing the work.
Most men go through life performing. At work, at home, in every room they walk into. They carry things alone because they were told that's what strength looks like. Over time that isolation compounds into disconnection, stagnation, and a creeping sense that something important is missing.
The Rising Collective is the antidote to that. A private online men's group that meets monthly, holds you accountable, challenges your thinking, and reminds you who you are when you forget.
This is a community of men doing the real work together and showing up for each other consistently.
You Feel Isolated
Most men don't have a single person they can be fully honest with. The Collective changes that. A group of men who see you, know you, and hold you to the standard you say you want to live by.
You Want Accountability
Accountability is the presence of people who care about you enough to ensure you follow through. The Collective provides that. Monthly check-ins that make it harder to stay comfortable in patterns that aren't serving you.
You're Already Doing the Work
You've read the books, done the reflection, built the habits. What you're missing is the bridge to change and surrounding yourself with other men doing the same thing. Men who can push your thinking, challenge your blind spots, and walk the path with you.
Everything you need.
$97 a month.
No long-term contracts. No complicated tiers. One membership, one community, one direction. Cancel anytime.
Monthly Group Zoom Call
A live monthly session with Alex and the full Collective. Discussion, reflection, accountability check-ins, and real conversation. Not a webinar. A men's council.
Private Community Access
A private online space for members only. Share wins, ask hard questions, post where you're stuck, and hear from men who are navigating the same terrain. Active, not performative.
Resource Library
Access to curated materials drawn from the As You Are field manual including frameworks, reflection prompts, and practical tools you can use between sessions to keep the work moving.
Monthly live group Zoom session with Alex
Private community access — 24/7
As You Are resource library
Brotherhood with men doing the same work
Priority access to retreats and live events
"You were never meant to do life alone."
As You Are — Chapter 16 · CommunityThe Collective is for every man who is done going it alone.
The Isolated High Performer
You've built a successful life and have almost no one you can be fully honest with. You've outgrown the people around you or simply never found a group of men who operate at the level you want to.
The Man Who Wants Accountability
You know what you need to do. You just keep not doing it. The Collective provides the external structure that makes it harder to stay comfortable in patterns that don't serve you.
The Man Already in the Work
You're doing the reading, the reflection, the self-inquiry, but you want a community of men doing the same. Where the conversations go past the surface and into the real.
The Program Alumni
You completed the 10-week program and want to stay in the container. The Collective keeps the work moving and the brotherhood intact long after the program ends.
The work is better
with other men in the room.
No contracts. No commitments beyond showing up. Join when you're ready — leave when you're not.