Love At First Science

What happens when the yoga practice you've dedicated your life to no longer works for your body?With over 30 years of teaching experience, Melanie Cooper has witnessed huge changes in the yoga world. In part one, we explore her journey from Ashtanga and life in India to a more intuitive approach to movement.We discuss the dangers of rigid teaching and guru culture, why science deserves a bigger place in yoga education, and how menopause completely transformed Melanie's practice. Plus, we explore why being an advanced yogi might have less to do with impressive poses and more to do with knowing when to adapt.About Melanie CooperMelanie Cooper is a yoga teacher, educator and teacher trainer with over 30 years of experience. Specialising in Yin Yoga, Yoga Nidra and Pranayama, she has spent much of her career exploring the relationship between traditional yoga practices, modern movement science and the nervous system.After spending 15 years living and teaching in Goa, India, she is now based in Cornwall, where she continues to share her knowledge through classes, workshops and teacher trainings.Find out more at melaniecooper.co.uk , follow her on Instagram or explore her free practices on YouTube at Melanie Cooper 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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠

What if managing pain isn't simply about fixing the part of your body that hurts?In part two, Dr Dan explores the complex relationship between pain, the brain and our experiences.We discuss chronic pain, the power of sensory input, why avoiding movement can sometimes make things worse, and how traditional exercise cues may be holding us back. Plus, Dr Dan shares his approach to helping people who have spent years living with pain find hope again.About Dr DanDr Dan is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, author and educator specialising in rehabilitation, strength training and helping people move with greater confidence.Based in New York City, he works with a wide range of patients, including professional dancers and Broadway performers. Known for his engaging, evidence-informed approach to challenging common fitness and rehabilitation myths, he shares accessible movement education with audiences around the world.He is the author of The Pain-Free Body, published in December 2025, which offers practical strategies for addressing common aches and pains.Find him on Instagram and TikTok at @dr.dan_dpt.

Is poor posture really causing your pain? And should hypermobile people avoid yoga?In part one, Hannah and Celest are joined by physical therapist and author Dr Dan to challenge some of the biggest myths in movement and rehabilitation.From posture and hypermobility to strength training, stretching and the importance of foot health, this conversation explores what the science really tells us about moving well and staying active.About Dr DanDr Dan Ginader is a Doctor of Physical Therapy, author and educator specialising in rehabilitation, strength training and helping people move with greater confidence.Based in New York City, he works with a wide range of patients, including professional dancers and Broadway performers. Known for his engaging, evidence-informed approach to challenging common fitness and rehabilitation myths, he shares accessible movement education with audiences around the world.He is the author of The Pain-Free Body, published in December 2025, which offers practical strategies for addressing common aches and pains.Find him on Instagram and TikTok at @dr.dan_dpt.

Could a breathing exercise designed to calm you actually make you feel worse?In Part 2, Abby explains why carbon dioxide is essential to healthy breathing and how overbreathing may contribute to dizziness, tingling, chest tightness, brain fog, air hunger and panic.She and Celest explore why popular techniques such as box breathing, resonant breathing, physiological sighs, Wim Hof-style breathing and breath holds are not appropriate for everyone.They also discuss abdominal gripping, pursed-lip breathing, hypermobility and why breathing better often starts with doing less, not trying harder.Learn more about Abby⁠Visit Abby's website at The Breathing Physio⁠⁠Follow Abby on Instagram

What happens when you feel like you cannot get enough air, even though your medical tests are normal?Hannah and Celest are joined by senior respiratory physiotherapist Abby Stewart, who specialises in breathing pattern disorders, long COVID, anxiety, panic attacks and complex respiratory symptoms.Abby shares how developing a breathing pattern disorder after COVID led her into clinical work and PhD research in this area. Together, they explore air hunger, overbreathing and why breathing difficulties are so often dismissed as anxiety.Abby also introduces her ABC approach to breathing retraining: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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠Learn more about AbbyVisit Abby's website at The Breathing PhysioFollow Abby on Instagram

In part two, we go deeper into Hie’s teaching philosophy, his creative process and what it truly means to evolve as a teacher.We explore Inside Flow, the role of technique in teaching, and the tension between excellence and self-worth.This episode is full of insight, honesty and a few unexpected moments that will make you think differently about teaching, learning and even yourself.In this episode we explore:What Inside Flow is and why it’s such a powerful teaching method How music, movement and storytelling can transform a class experience Why technique, not talent, is what allows teachers to deliver consistentlyThe idea of building “internal tools” rather than relying on inspirationWhy there are no shortcuts to excellence, even in the age of AIThe role of discipline, patience and working without rewardThe relationship between dissatisfaction and growthImposter syndrome, humility and the fine line between confidence and egoWhy your uniqueness as a teacher is your greatest strengthHow to support students without creating unrealistic comparisonsAbout HieHie Kim is one of the main teacher trainers of the legendary Inside Yoga Studio, which holds its teacher trainings in more than eight locations. There, he takes the role of the compassionate teacher trainer, that will let you conquer obstacles with knowledge and uncomfortable moments with humor. Hie teaches hundreds of yoga teachers every year and is well known in german speaking Europe and Asia. Hie Kim writes poems, books on yoga specific topics and organises the Yunion Yoga Festival in Gastein, Austria. Furthermore, Hie teaches multiple video series on the premium online yoga platform tintyoga.comHie’s biggest premise in his Yoga classes is, that the class itself is created in the space between teacher and student. This reactive teaching style called “ECHO SEQUENCING” is an advanced training, that Hie teaches to established Yoga teachers. With a keen sense of methodology and a sensitive mind Hie Kim picks up his students right where they are and takes off to a journey where body, mind and emotions cross roads. His self-written shavasana poems are especially popular.⁠Learn more about Hie on Instagram⁠

In this first part of our conversation with Hie Kim, we explore the journey behind one of the most respected teachers in the global yoga space.From growing up as a second-generation immigrant in Germany to teaching 15+ classes a week for over a decade, Hie shares the experiences that shaped not just his movement, but his identity as a teacher.This episode is a deep dive into what it really takes to become excellent at something, and why there are no shortcuts.In this episode, we explore:Hie’s early years and how martial arts shaped his approach to movement and teaching The pressure of expectation and how it influenced his career path His transition into yoga and the reality of starting again from scratch The power of repetition, teaching volume and “earning your hours” Why experience still matters in a world driven by social mediaThe difference between being a good mover and a great teacherWhat it really means to be a student-centred teacherThe concept of echo sequencing and teaching in response to what you seeWhy the best classes aren’t always the most planned, but the most connectedAbout HieHie Kim is one of the main teacher trainers of the legendary Inside Yoga Studio, which holds its teacher trainings in more than eight locations. There, he takes the role of the compassionate teacher trainer, that will let you conquer obstacles with knowledge and uncomfortable moments with humor. Hie teaches hundreds of yoga teachers every year and is well known in german speaking Europe and Asia. Hie Kim writes poems, books on yoga specific topics and organises the Yunion Yoga Festival in Gastein, Austria. Furthermore, Hie teaches multiple video series on the premium online yoga platform tintyoga.comHie’s biggest premise in his Yoga classes is, that the class itself is created in the space between teacher and student. This reactive teaching style called “ECHO SEQUENCING” is an advanced training, that Hie teaches to established Yoga teachers. With a keen sense of methodology and a sensitive mind Hie Kim picks up his students right where they are and takes off to a journey where body, mind and emotions cross roads. His self-written shavasana poems are especially popular.Learn more about Hie on Instagram

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 ⁠⁠⁠⁠