Beginning in elementary school, Mel Robin became enamored with gymnastics and went on to practice through his college years (1953–1956) at UCLA, earning All-America honors in his final two years. From there, he turned to his second favorite field of study, Chemical Physics, earning a PhD from the University of Washington (1957–1960); following this, he had a 28-year stint as a distinguished senior-scientist at Bell Telephone Laboratories (Murray Hill, New Jersey), where he focused on molecular-electronic structure, eventually publishing 104 refereed papers and three books.
Leaving Bell Labs at age 50, Mel combined the two fields of his life-long interests by seeking to understand the scientific aspects of Iyengar yoga, working with his first two Iyengar teachers, Judy Freedman and Theresa Rowland. His interest in Iyengar-yoga mechanics has continued for the past thirty-three years, resulting in two printed books, A Physiological Handbook for Teachers of Yogasana and A Handbook for Yogasana Teachers: The Incorporation of Neuroscience, Physiology, and Anatomy into the Practice.
