Helena Pink

Biography

I am Helena Rosa, an Integrative Body Therapist. The great foundation of my training lies in the 6 years I studied osteopathy. There, I learned to understand the complexity of the human body and how important it is to always get to the root of a person's discomfort. But I have also trained in the neurobiology of pain, body and meditation neuroscience, muscle chains and their emotional connection, breathing techniques, mindfulness, and, recently, Synergy yoga.

I have been seeing clients in my practice for over 7 years, and since the pandemic, I have been teaching courses and workshops both online and in person. I also create retreats around Spain that I enjoy immensely.

When was Calma Project born? How does this project help people's well-being?

I founded Calma Project in 2021 with a lot of dedication and enthusiasm, as a metamorphosis of the difficult moments I experienced in my childhood (losses, moving homes, illnesses). It is that oasis that I would have liked to be able to go to when I needed it most.

How do we help? Through online psychotherapy, nutrition, and bodywork sessions; experiences and retreats in very special places; and online courses and free resources in podcast and blog format. The goal is for people to acquire tools that help them become their own oasis.

How important is the holistic health of our body and the connection with the mind?

Extremely important. For example, candida is a fungus that we all have in our intestines, but when it grows excessively, it can lead to a condition known as candidiasis. What has been discovered is that there is a very direct relationship between candidiasis and depression. Many patients with candidiasis have depressive symptoms. That is why it is so important to have a multidisciplinary and integrative approach. And that is what we do at Calma. Through nutrition, we address digestive, hormonal, or autoimmune pathology, and through psychotherapy, we address the symptoms and the root of that discomfort. And as a body therapist, we work on reducing stress and anxiety through the body, posture, and movement.

How do our emotions affect our body? Can we use them as constructive tools?

Primarily through hormones and neurotransmitters, the chemical messengers of the organism. Let me give you another example related to posture. When we adopt power poses, puffing out our chests, according to the study: Power Posing: Brief Nonverbal Displays Affect Neuroendocrine Levels and Risk Tolerance, testosterone levels increase—a hormone related to security, confidence, and more aggressive behavior. On the other hand, maintaining hunched postures can increase levels of cortisol, the stress hormone. Having high cortisol levels is linked to lower self-confidence, poorer memory, and various pathologies.

The body and our emotions are very connected. I could talk about this subject for hours! It fascinates me.

“The goal of Calma Project is for people to acquire tools that help them become their own oasis”

How can we learn to manage our emotions?

For someone who is just starting out and has never been to therapy, I would say by being very aware of them.

An exercise I sometimes do in my sessions and with myself is to write down the predominant emotion I am feeling, where I feel it in my body, what the bodily sensations are like (cold, heat, burning, itching, tension), what thought is related to that emotion, and what I need to support myself in the best way possible while I feel this emotion.

Answering these questions isn't always easy. In fact, it is often very difficult. Because sometimes we are so disconnected from ourselves that it is hard to identify what we are feeling and what our needs are. But everything is training. And without a doubt, what helps most with managing emotions is starting a process of psychotherapy. I have been going to therapy for a long time and it is the best investment I can make in myself (besides coming to Beldon).

How can labels affect us in our daily lives, in our way of thinking, and our way of acting?

All the labels we put on ourselves, or that others put on us, limit us. Many labels, as Iranzu, one of the wonderful psychologists on the team would say, are like poisoned candies. At first they taste good, but then they leave a very unpleasant sensation. For example: when people tell us “you are a very good person,” “you are the best,” “you are the most beautiful,” “what a good student you are,” it is a double-edged sword because what happens if one day I set boundaries and connect with anger—am I no longer a good person? What happens when I am no longer the best and I make a mistake—will they not love me the same? What happens when I no longer fulfill that label? Who am I?

Letting go of those labels and limiting beliefs frees you and makes you connect with your true essence. The psychology team sees this a lot in their patients, and they get emotional every time they allow themselves to be themselves, without all those labels.

Are there practical exercises to help us feel good?

There are hundreds of exercises that help you have a sense of well-being, but it is important to keep in mind that magic pills do not exist; instead, there is dedication and personal work. Furthermore, I believe that one of the biggest problems we human beings have is precisely that need to always be well and happy. And since that is obviously impossible, we live frustrated. I think the best exercise we can practice daily is gratitude and acceptance (not resignation). If one day you feel unpleasant emotions, it is uncomfortable. It hurts. But all that is also part of life and is what drives us to evolve. It reminds us that we are alive and that we are not living half-lives. And at least to me, that seems very beautiful. Besides, all emotions, whether pleasant or unpleasant, pass at some point. Everything passes.

“The best exercise we can practice daily is gratitude and acceptance”

In the long term, where would you like to arrive with your Calma project?

I would like to gradually expand the team, but at most, I want us to be 15 people. I don't want to be a big, depersonalized company that doesn't even know the people who work there and where patients become just another number. I want Calma to continue being that oasis, a safe place to go to, that transmits a sense of home and where the team is united.

Also, later on, I would love to invest in a conscious marketing team that works while respecting the values of my project. And little by little, push more of the online course sales. We recently launched a super female hormonal health course, “Balance Your Cycle,” which is helping many women reduce period pain, balance hormonal imbalances, and reduce cravings.

Relationship with beauty:

What is beauty to you and how do you live it in your routine?

I see beauty in the starry sky; every time I observe the peaceful face of my dog Chloe when she sleeps; in a gesture, a look, a hug; in the imperfection and authenticity of every body.

I also love to romanticize my life and create beautiful environments by playing piano music in the background and lighting a candle; making my frothy matcha tea with extra cinnamon in my favorite glass; decorating my home in a way that transmits calm to me; or cooking myself a delicious dish and garnishing it as if it were for my best guest.

What or who inspires you in your day-to-day life?

I am very inspired by other people's stories of overcoming adversity. Listening to their story, the difficulties they have gone through, and what they have learned from all that. It moves me and helps me grow.

Who are your beauty icons?

I don't have beauty icons as such. What I can say is that the more I am attracted to someone's personality, the more beauty I find in that person.

What is the best piece of advice you have ever been given?

Let go, trust in life, and surrender to the process.

Beauty Questionnaire:

What is your care routine?

My favorite self-care moment is at night. I cleanse my face with an Ayurveda-based cleanser; then I apply a toner and a cream or serum that I alternate depending on how my skin feels at that moment.

Afterward, just before going to sleep, when I am already in bed, I do my ritual with the vanity jewelry from Mariona Vilanova. I love giving myself that moment of pampering after an intense day of work.

An infallible trick or product:

Once a week, I make a mixture of argan, coconut, and jojoba oil with a few drops of rosemary essential oil, and I apply it to my scalp with a massage and to the rest of my hair. It hydrates me a lot and is great for stimulating hair growth.

How you care for your beauty from the inside:

Without a doubt, it is not just by eating lots of avocados and antioxidants, but by having a good relationship with myself. Caring for my internal dialogue, that is, how I talk to myself and what phrases I repeat in my head. Loving myself a lot, especially when I have more cellulite, stretch marks appear, I gain a few kilos, or a huge pimple shows up.

Taking care of yourself and looking good is important, but equally important is feeling comfortable in your own skin, whatever it may be at that moment. Because we women are cyclical, our bodies change. And wanting to be perfect all the time is exhausting and also generates a lot of stress. And we already know that cortisol ages and inflames.

There is nothing more beautiful than a woman confident in herself who is comfortable in her own skin.

Is there anything left for you to learn or try in the beauty world?

There are always things left to learn and try. We are teachers and students.

What are your favorite treatments? 

I love the natural products they use and the super relaxing facial sessions of Instant Beauty. You come out floating, super relaxed, and with a face full of light.