In March of 1985, Celeste stepped on stage at a bodybuilding competition and went into a state of "non-duality" or what can best be related to as "pure joy." She didn't come out of the state for three months. During that time, nothing in her life was particularly miraculous or contributing to exceptional happiness. She was studying at university full-time, holding down three jobs, training up to two hours a day at the gym and trying to make sleep a hobby. Yet, no matter how stressful her day was, stress did not register as a difficult occurrence. All of her life became one continuous experience of moments that felt alive and direct. Each experience felt like a privilege, even when it involved deep loss, sadness or failure. Her book, The Intelligent Body is her account of how a state of joy can be lived at all times. The unique personal stories not only uplift, they reveal that there is no path to constantly feel alive, and that by knowing this, you discover how. The book reveals and stokes a capacity for us to know we can trust our self.
