Hilary MacRae: Yoga Philosophy / Chanting
Hilary has been practicing, teaching and studying Yoga for most of her adult life & we are incredibly blessed to have her on our Teaching Faculty.
Originally trained as a teacher with the British Wheel of Yoga in the UK, she went on to do several more Trainings both in India and Europe in the tradition of Sri Krishnamacharya and his son, the late TKV Desikachar and was among a group of teachers specifically authorised by Desikachar to teach in the tradition of his late father.
She was Chair of the Education Committee of the British Wheel of Yoga and taught Teacher Training Courses, as well as being a Course Verifier and delivering continued Training Days for Teachers in Sanskrit, Ayurveda, Yoga Texts and Vedic Chanting.
She has a Bachelor of Arts from the School of Oriental and African Studies, University of London, in Sanskrit and Indian Religions and an Master of Arts in South Asian Studies, majoring in Sanskrit Texts.
She enjoys helping Yoga Practitioners access the Yoga Sutras and the transformative power of chanting.
Dani Affleck: Ayurveda / Teaching Assistant
Dani has been practicing yoga for over 10 years, and teaching since 2016.
She first discovered the practice whilst living with a Yogi in Brighton, UK, and got more of a taste of it as she travelled around Europe and South America, attending different festivals and volunteering in Spiritual Communities.
In 2016 she completed her first 200 hour Vinyasa Yoga Teacher Training at Krishna Village in Australia, a Yoga School influenced by the practice of Bhakti (Devotional) Yoga. In 2019 she returned to complete a 300 hour Yoga Teacher Training, as well as a 50 hour Yoga Training for Mental Health.
Dani has since gone on to complete more trainings in Trauma Informed Practices, Embodied Flow, Psychosomatics, and is currently pursuing a 300 hour training in Yoga Therapy with Svastha Yoga, under the guidance of the Mohan Family.
Dani’s path in yoga has led her to teach in a wide variety of settings, including Festivals, Schools, Gyms, Yoga Studios, Hospice, and in Correctional Facilities. She has worked with a range of ethnicities, ages and abilities, and is skilled in being able to adapt the practice and her teaching style to suit the people in the room.
Dani’s passion lies in bringing the practices of Yoga to marginalized and vulnerable communities. She believes everyone should have access to these practices, that have the power to transform people's lives, as it has done her own.
Through her own struggles with mental health, Dani has applied these practices and knows first hand how powerful they can be in creating positive change.
Her approach is inquisitive and inviting, compassionate and considerate of different people's needs, which allows space for people to explore their own experience and to learn how to respond to life in ways that best serves them.
We are very grateful to have Dani on the Team as we share many of her passions and values.