Love At First Science

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 intensity
The mindset shared by athletes, meditators and long-term practitioners
What actually limits progress in yoga
Why philosophy should be explored, not blindly accepted
The role of responsibility and autonomy in personal growth
How teaching others accelerates your own learning

Together, these episodes form a powerful discussion on modern yoga, movement and personal development, and why there is never only one way to practice.

About Miles
Miles 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 practice
As 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 Academy
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more with Alba Yoga Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about our Yoga Teacher Training here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch our extensive library of YouTube videos.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Hannah on Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
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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 them
The hidden injuries behind traditional yoga culture
Why conditioning, weights and bands might be essential for healthy yoga practice
The danger of blindly following cues
Why questioning teachers should be encouraged, not discouraged
The importance of updating yoga education with evolving science
Miles 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 Miles
Miles 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 practice
As 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 Academy
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more with Alba Yoga Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn 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 Donna
Donna 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 2020
Donna 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 Academy
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more with Alba Yoga Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn 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 is joined by Donna Noble, whose relationship with yoga began like many others, as a place of relief, structure and support during a demanding corporate career (a likely cause of the Bells Palsy she suffered with). Over time, though, something shifted. The very practices that once helped her began to feel uncomfortable, confusing and at odds with her body.
Donna shares what it was like to realise that forcing herself into familiar shapes was no longer serving her, and how questioning long held assumptions about yoga opened the door to a very different way of moving and practising.
We explore how pain, discomfort and persistent niggles are often normalised in yoga spaces, and why so many students assume the problem is their body rather than the method. This conversation is about curiosity, unlearning and the courage to pause when something no longer feels right.
A thoughtful episode for anyone who has ever wondered why yoga stopped feeling supportive, or sensed there might be another way.

About Donna
Donna 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 2020
Donna 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 Academy
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more with Alba Yoga Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about our Yoga Teacher Training here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch our extensive library of YouTube videos.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Hannah on Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Celest on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠

Everyone talks about diagnosis and treatment. Very few talk about the years after.
In part two of our conversation with oncology yoga guide Jill Krause, we explore the hidden world of survivorship and the long term side effects that continue long after treatment ends.
Jill begins by breaking down the complexities of yoga for cancer. Different cancers, surgeries, treatments and symptoms require nuanced understanding, compassion and a willingness to meet each student as an individual.
Jill also shares her philosophy of advocacy, intimacy and embodiment: how knowing your body, speaking up and finding community become essential parts of healing. She leaves us with a powerful reminder that every person carries a universe within them, and that leading with compassion is the most meaningful work any of us can do.

About Jill
Jill Krause, a certified 500-RYT, founder and owner of YOUniversal LOVE, an oncology yoga and coaching company was diagnosed with breast cancer at the age of 38 and was actively treated for 2.5 years. YOUniversalLOVE was created to fill a void she felt after being discharged from active treatment with no guidance, resources or answers to any of her questions regarding survivorship.  Even though she was discharged with early onset menopause, osteoporosis, pain, decreased range of motion from 8 surgeries, and 25lbs of steroid weight, she was given no recommendations or referrals for any healing therapies.  As time passed, she kept being confronted with the realization that her needs were not being met and her side effects were going to be long term.  She desperately wanted to be an active participant in her healing but was scared of doing it alone with no guidance.  She realized that the current survivorship care lacked the understanding that chemotherapy, ovarian suppression, estrogen blockers, and surgeries have on the health and well-being of those affected by cancer.  YOUniversalLOVE grew as her purpose shifted from beating cancer to learning how to manage and heal her long-term side effects so she could empower others to become active participants in their healing in order for them to reconnect, reclaim, and redefine their lives.  
⁠[email protected]⁠
⁠www.youniversallove.com⁠

About Alba Yoga Academy
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more with Alba Yoga Academy⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about our Yoga Teacher Training here.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Watch our extensive library of YouTube videos.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Hannah on Instagram.⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠
⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Follow Celest on Instagram ⁠⁠⁠