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 ⁠⁠⁠