Love At First Science

In part two, Hannah and Celest take everything from the first episode and make it practical.If you’ve been curious about neuroscience in yoga but felt overwhelmed or unsure where to start, this episode breaks it down into something simple, usable and real.This is about integration, not disruption. You don’t need to overhaul your teaching. You just need to see it differently.In this episode, we explore:What “test and retest” means and how to use it to guide your teaching in real time How to weave neuro drills into a flow without interrupting the experienceWhy one small, well-placed drill can be more powerful than overloading a classThe concept of dosage and why more is not always betterHow to adapt your teaching to individual nervous systems rather than fixed protocolsWhy breathwork, movement and even traditional yoga practices are already forms of neuro workThe ethical responsibility of teachers to understand the nervous systemHow improving safety in the brain can change movement, confidence and even chronic painThey also explore the deeper question beneath it all:Are we fixing the body, or improving the conversation between the brain and the body?You’ll leave this episode with a clear starting point, a renewed sense of curiosity, and a reminder that good teaching isn’t about having all the answers, but about asking better questions.About Alba Yoga Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more with Alba Yoga Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about our Yoga Teacher Training here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch our extensive library of YouTube videos.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Hannah on Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Celest on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠

In this episode, Hannah turns the mic on Celest to explore one of the most important shifts happening in modern yoga teaching: moving beyond muscles and into the nervous system.If you’ve ever felt stuck in your practice, confused by why something isn’t improving, or unsure how to evolve your teaching, this conversation opens a completely new lens.Together, they unpack what sequencing really means from a neurological perspective, why traditional “build up to a pose” thinking can fall short, and how simple changes in input can completely transform how a body moves and feels.This is not about adding complexity. It’s about understanding what’s actually driving movement, safety and progress.In this episode, we explore:Why sequencing is more than arranging poses and what’s actually happening in the brainThe role of sensory inputs, including vision, balance and internal awareness, in movement and performance Why strength and flexibility alone don’t guarantee progress in poses like Pincha MayurasanaHow the nervous system determines whether a pose feels safe or threateningThe hidden reasons behind plateaus, asymmetries and “stuck” patternsHow past experiences, stress and injury history shape what happens on the matWhy repeating the same drills doesn’t always lead to changeThe emotional and psychological layers that influence physical practiceCelest also shares her own journey from a purely biomechanical approach to integrating neuro-based work, including the challenges of learning and teaching this in real time.The conversation closes with a powerful reminder: your body is not failing you. It is responding to the information it receives.About Alba Yoga Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more with Alba Yoga Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about our Yoga Teacher Training here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch our extensive library of YouTube videos.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Hannah on Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Celest on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠

Progress in yoga rarely comes from talent. According to Miles Mortensen, it comes from doing the boring things consistently long enough that most people quit.In part two, the conversation moves from movement into mindset.Miles explains how he started yoga unable to touch his toes and built his physical practice from the ground up. His message is simple but uncomfortable: improvement comes from patience, repetition and learning to value the process rather than the result. We talk about motivation, frustration and the psychology behind long-term progress, and why the “unsexy” foundational work is what makes advanced movement possible.We also explore yoga philosophy in a modern world. How much should we follow traditional teachings? Is it okay to question them? And can ideas from psychology, stoicism and even elite endurance training sit alongside yoga practice?In this episode we discuss:Why consistency beats intensityThe mindset shared by athletes, meditators and long-term practitionersWhat actually limits progress in yogaWhy philosophy should be explored, not blindly acceptedThe role of responsibility and autonomy in personal growthHow teaching others accelerates your own learningTogether, these episodes form a powerful discussion on modern yoga, movement and personal development, and why there is never only one way to practice.About MilesMiles grew up in Sydney, Australia. His mother was a yoga teacher so its practices and teachings were always there in the background of his life. Miles dipped in and out of yoga from a young age but never committed to a regular stable practiceAs he got older, things began to shift.Now Miles is a professional DJ and dedicated yogi. ⁠Learn more about his work here. ⁠About Alba Yoga Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more with Alba Yoga Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about our Yoga Teacher Training here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch our extensive library of YouTube videos.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Hannah on Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Celest on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠⁠

From London’s nightclub scene to global handstand workshops, Miles Mortensen didn’t find yoga through flexibility or discipline. He found it because he was struggling, and it changed the way he related to his mind, his body and his life.In part one of this conversation, we sit down with international teacher and movement educator Miles Mortensen to talk about the real reason many people start yoga, and why the practice isn’t actually about poses at all.Miles shares how yoga entered his life during a period of anxiety, body image struggles and burnout, not as a fitness routine, but as a way to understand himself. What began as a coping tool eventually became a lifelong exploration of movement, teaching and self awareness. We also dive deep into one of the most controversial topics in modern yoga: cross-training. Why are yogis often expected to perform advanced poses without any conditioning? And what happens when we bring strength training, circus arts and rehabilitation work into yoga spaces?This episode explores:Why yoga doesn’t “fix” your problems, but changes your relationship with themThe hidden injuries behind traditional yoga cultureWhy conditioning, weights and bands might be essential for healthy yoga practiceThe danger of blindly following cuesWhy questioning teachers should be encouraged, not discouragedThe importance of updating yoga education with evolving scienceMiles challenges the idea that yoga must look a certain way and instead reframes it as a broader exploration of connection, curiosity and personal growth.If you’ve ever wondered why some classes feel incredible and others don’t, or why your body responds differently than expected, this episode will make you rethink how yoga is taught and practiced.Part two continues the conversation into mindset, philosophy and what actually creates progress in practice.About MilesMiles grew up in Sydney, Australia. His mother was a yoga teacher so its practices and teachings were always there in the background of his life. Miles dipped in and out of yoga from a young age but never committed to a regular stable practiceAs he got older, things began to shift.Now Miles is a professional DJ and dedicated yogi. Learn more about his work here. About Alba Yoga Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more with Alba Yoga Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about our Yoga Teacher Training here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch our extensive library of YouTube videos.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Hannah on Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Celest on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠

In part two of our conversation, Donna Noble and Hannah explore what it really means to practise and teach yoga in a way that supports comfort, safety and confidence over performance or appearance.We talk about how different bodies experience the same pose in completely different ways, why cues are never neutral, and how teaching without curiosity can quietly erode trust. Donna reflects on learning to work with sensation rather than against it, and how this shift changed not only her practice but her understanding of what yoga is for.This episode invites teachers and long term practitioners to consider responsibility, choice and the impact of language in yoga spaces. It’s a conversation about creating environments where people feel supported to stay, rather than pushed to fit.A grounded, honest listen for anyone interested in yoga that feels good, not forced.About DonnaDonna Noble is an author, and speaker on body positivity, diversity and inclusion, social justice, wellbeing and Yoga.Donna’s personal mission has always been to improve diversity and inclusion in the Yoga and wellbeing space and within corporate environments, whilst also championing health and wellbeing for everyone.Donna continually works towards making a difference and leaving behind a legacy of greater diversity and inclusion.Donna shares her passion for promoting health and wellbeing and creating inclusive spaces within the yoga and wellbeing industry in a light-hearted and accessible way.  She was also one of the original co-creators of the UK’s first Black Fitness Festival in 2020Donna has delivered numerous workshops, at conferences and for various organisations on diversity inclusion, social justice and body positivity. Donna also shares her lived experience and uses this to help others understand the experiences of others.Donna works with companies that are focused on creating healthy inclusive cultures, by supporting them to understand the power of their voice and how it can be used to help create diversity.Learn more about Donna ⁠at her website⁠, her ⁠Instagram⁠ and buy her book; ⁠Teaching Body Positive Yoga.⁠About Alba Yoga Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more with Alba Yoga Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about our Yoga Teacher Training here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch our extensive library of YouTube videos.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Hannah on Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Celest on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠