Meet our April YogaDownload Teacher of the Month, Celest Pereira! Celest is a radiant yoga instructor that will warm your heart with her smile and sense of humor, and warm your body with her challenging yet graceful sequences. Read on to become motivated and inspired by this brilliant instructor!
1. When did you start practicing yoga?
I began practicing yoga when I was 18 years old. I was walking past the yoga studio at the gym and I was captivated by how beautiful and peaceful it looked.
2. What has yoga brought to your life?
Yoga has brought me the realization that everything is connected, and that every thought and every action has an effect far greater than we could ever dream.
3. Why did you become a yoga instructor?
It was by accident. I was meant to follow a career as a physical therapist after earning my degree. But my friend asked if I could cover her class and since that day I never looked back.
4. What impact can a regular yoga practice have on a person's life?
Yoga is like a mirror. What you experience on the mat is many times what you’re defaulting to in life. It’s really important that you take time to notice what thoughts are predominate while you’re practicing and then ask, “are these thoughts really serving me?” If the answer is no then do everything you can to change your thoughts. They shape your whole life!
5. What advice would you give to someone that is just starting yoga?
Have fun! Laugh and yourself when you fart in class. Smile when you fall over. Say "Oooooo", out loud when it feels good. Focus on how brilliant your human body is during class.
6. What is special about the style of yoga you teach?
I love to break all the tough postures down into measurable chunks. So it’s really my favorite thing to take a hard pose and show my students what stage they need to focus on to master it. That is why I started my cityogi blog on YouTube. I had loads of people ask me to post up what I was doing in class.
7. What is your favorite yoga posture to teach, and why?
Headstand to beginners! If you’re healthy and have no injuries it’s really good for you. I say that as a physical therapist and not just a yoga teacher. I have had countless students run up to me with the biggest happiest smiles on their faces thanking me for showing them how to do headstands away from the wall with ease. That feedback has made taking the risk of teaching beginners the headstand, well worth it!
8. Please share some words of wisdom or advice for your yogadownload.com yoga students.
You are perfect! You are beautiful, intelligent, kind, caring, compassionate, loving and wonderful. This world is so lucky to have you in it! Without you there would be a HUGE gap. Believe these words and then share them with everyone who you meet.
9. Do you have a favorite quote you'd like to share?
“The miracle is not to walk on water, the miracle is walk on this green earth, dwelling deeply in the present moment and feeling truly alive!” Thich Nhat Hanh
10. What do you like to do "off the mat"?
I’ve recently started geeking out in my garden. I just planted a bunch of new plants today and I’m so excited I just might pee my pants!
Celest is a trained dancer and martial artist with a BS in Physiotherapy, and over 10 years yoga practice. Celest completed her Yoga Teacher Training in India in 2009 and has been teaching full time since then. Witnessing her classes really begin to buzz with increasing numbers of regular students she founded CITYOGI, a website aimed to make yoga more accessible to the city professional. Celest's greatest passion is to teach Vinyasa Flow Yoga. She has classes in top yoga centers in London, such as Triyoga and Evolve and regularly takes groups to exotic locations for yoga retreats.
Download or stream one of Celest's classes today:
Runners - Keep Running!
Twist it Out
