About Hilly Hannken
It is by the grace of my Guru, Swami Shankarananda Giri, that I teach Hatha Yoga.
The prime inspiration for my teaching comes from my students – they never stop giving and I hold them all with deep affection in my heart. I am also indebted to all the fabulous Hatha Yoga teachers that I have had the good fortune to be under the instruction of. In September 1996 in Greenwich, S.E. London I wanted to learn Tai Chi. Our Local Education Authority did not offer this discipline and suggested that I try Yoga instead. Grudgingly, I went along and it was here that I met my very first Yoga Inspiration – Iyengar Yoga Teacher, Wendy McGuire. At my very first class I found what had been missing in my life and knew that Yoga was for me. Soon I was attending 2 classes a week and weekend workshops.
In 2003 I tentatively told my Guruji of how I had been thinking of teaching Hatha Yoga. Baba’s response to this news was so positive and enthusiastic that I was certain this would be a right turn on my life path. Later that year I attended a 6 month Teaching Hatha Yoga Training Course with Yogi Promod, disciple of Swami Rama, in Rishikesh, N. India. It was here that I began to learn the art of teaching and gained my first experiences of leading classes.
During the subsequent few years my teaching was mainly in India at Yogi Promod’s place or in Kriya Yoga Ashram where I lived. In 2006 I returned to my home in Malvern, England and began teaching on a part time basis. Then in 2008 local Sivananda Yoga Teacher Richard Beggs asked me to take over the running of his classes and so it was that I dedicated my full time attention to the teaching of Hatha Yoga. In 2010 I completed all three Anusara Yoga Immersions and in 2012 I completed the Anusara Teacher Training with Claire Murphy in Chippenham, Wiltshire. I continue learning from Senior Level Iyengar Yoga Teachers Prabhakara of The Birmingham Yoga Studio and Edgar Stringer of Yogatree, Wiltshire.
In May 2016 I gave birth to my son Darrah who is now my biggest life teacher and in 2017 I married Darrah’s father and my Iyengar Yoga Teacher Prabhakara.
In 2018 I completed a diploma course in Thai Yoga Massage Therapy with Barbara Wall of Paadena School of Yoga and Thai Yoga Massage Therapy with extra training in 2019 with Kira Balaskas of The School of Thai Yoga Massage, London. I am currently studying with Uma Dinsmore Tuli and Nirlipta Tuli of The Yoga Nidra Network. I am delighted to add this beautiful form of massage plus the art of guided relaxation to my yogic offerings.
In 2019 I graduated from Class Yoga making teaching yoga to children a string to my bow and I occasionally assist on the teaching of the Class Yoga Online course.
I am forever grateful to all who cross my path in yoga and hope that I may continue learning from and seeing all as my Divine Teacher.
Hilly Hannken
Om Nama Shivaya Guruve
– with great respect and love I honour my heart my inner teacher
and in this way I seek to honour the heart of all beings everywhere –