Wellness

The mind-body connection with functional neurologist, Celest Pereira

In the world of wellness and yoga, Celest Pereira stands out as a dynamic force, combining her extensive knowledge of physiotherapy, anatomy, and neuroscience to elevate her practice and teaching. With a profound commitment to science-based approaches, Celest has dedicated herself to correcting misinformation and promoting a holistic view of health through her AnatoMove app and social media community.

We had the pleasure of chatting with Celest to discuss her unique journey, the mind-body connection, and the secrets behind her successful integration of yoga and anatomy.

What inspired you to combine yoga with your knowledge of physiotherapy, anatomy, and biomechanics?

I did a couple teacher trainings where the knowledge of the body was lacking and I realised there must be other people like me that are hungry to take their knowledge to the next level and really make an impact on others.

I also saw that in the yoga community there was a lot un-factual or out of date information being shared. Misinformation can sometimes be harmful, so in an effort to be the change I did further study to bring quality science based knowledge to this community.

How does your deep understanding of anatomy influence your approach to teaching yoga?

It’s made me carry a deep and profound awe of my incredible body and how special it is. We often get fixated about aesthetics or poses, but if we only knew how hard our body was working to help us live life, these superficial markers would seem way less important.

How has your interest in neuroscience influenced your approach to yoga practice and teaching?

I realise that there are no rights or wrongs, but always massive shades of grey. “It depends” is my favourite answer, although it frustrates the people asking the questions. People love to have very clear cut definitions of what is and isn’t right, but that is just not how the human body works.

What’s your favourite neuroscience fact?

That’s a tough one! Neurones that wire together, fire together. We can create change in something in your body by targeting the brain regions near to the part of the nervous system we want to act on.

How do you incorporate a holistic approach into your daily practice?

Movement, sunlight, fresh air, nature, water and community. It sounds very simplistic, but honestly these are the foundations of a healthy nervous system.

How does the mind-body connection influence skin health, and what practices do you recommend to nurture this connection?

The brain is always looking for dangers in its environment and always producing protective outputs. It’s important for us to use gentle products so that we don’t let the brain think our skin is under attack, which will only force our skin to react and become inflamed (this is a brain output).

From your perspective, how does stress impact overall health and skin, and what are your go-to stress-relief techniques?

Stress is a killer. Our nervous system can only handle so much stress before it becomes chronic, our threat levels overflow and our brain starts producing safety outputs to slow us down. These come in the form of pain, nausea, fatigue, anxiety, depression and inflammation.

What do you consider your greatest achievement so far?

I dropped out of school when I was 16. I was very dyslexic and had a lot of learning issues in my time in formal education. After leaving school I went to work in McDonalds and also got involved with people who took a lot of bad drugs. Thankfully life lead me to a better place and I managed to get through university, achieving my BSc as a physiotherapist. I also co-authored a book for people with the genetic spectrum disorder hypermobility called, Too Flexible To Feel Good.

I’m very proud of myself for achieving these things and using my talents to help others.

Can you share a recent experience that contributed significantly to your personal or professional growth?

I was always a classic work-a-holic. But then Covid hit, which was a touch time for me, as it was for many. My mental health took a sharp decline which left me mentally and physically at my lowest. Whilst this experience was unwelcome, it did help me become very clear about what I need to be healthy and and happy. Since this time I now outsource more, take more time off and spend more time with people that I care about.

Are there any upcoming projects or initiatives you’re excited about and can share with us?

At the moment I am working hard alongside my friend and business partner, Hannah, to grow our YouTube channel. This is a patient game that is quite a big challenge because it means we need to invest a lot of time and money and we aren’t sure if the channel will make a turn around and find success. So we are learning the art of patience and also the skill of trusting that what must happen, WILL!

About Celest Pereira

Celest acquired her BSc (Hons) in Physiotherapy in 2009, and is currently specialising in functional neurology. She teaches yoga internationally, co-authoroed the book Too Flexible to Feel Good, and runs regular education based workshops internationally. In these she takes current scientific research, anecdotal evidence from senior healthcare providers and applies them to movement disciplines. She also has a podcast, Love At First Science, where she has interviewed people about the science of their passion. With business partner, Hannah Barrett, she runs an annual 200h teacher training called, Alba Yoga Academy.

By Sarah