Kimberly Hankins
Tempe, AZ
Musician-Accessible Breathwork + Yoga
Kimberly Hankins, DMA, PD, RYT500 is a Violist, Violinist, and Trauma-Informed Yoga and Breathwork Facilitator. She empowers musicians to find freedom when performing through self-study, breathwork, and meditation. As an Accessible Yoga Ambassador, she works to make these practices easily approachable for everyone. She found yoga about 13 years ago after overcoming a playing-related injury, and over the last few years has shifted her focus from asana to pranayama, apana kriya, and conscious breathwork. She received her Advanced Breathwork Facilitator certification through Revelation Breathwork in 2020, and is an active member of Yoga Alliance and the International Breathwork Foundation.
As a violist and violinist, Dr. Hankins has performed as a soloist and chamber musician throughout the United States, Germany, Luxembourg, and Iceland. She is an outspoken advocate for musicians wellness issues, creating The Aligned Musician Podcast® in March 2019 where she works to end the stigma associated with playing-related injuries, chronic pain, and mental health struggles by providing a platform for musicians to share their personal journeys.
Dr. Hankins has a background in dance, yoga, and pilates, and during her academic pursuits completed a wide variety of trainings and certifications regarding: postural anatomy, corrective exercise, fitness training, nervous system regulation, yoga, and musicians wellness. Having studied with multiple Karen Tuttle students, she builds upon this pedagogy with an understanding of kinesiology to help students play with ease. As a trauma-informed yoga and breathwork facilitator, she offers 1:1 and group sessions through her website: thealignedmusician.com and provides workshops to music schools and private studios. She lead the ‘Movement for Musicians’ workshop series from 2019-2020 at Arizona State University, which focused on movement, breath, and meditation practices to avoid repetitive stress injury and performance anxiety. In Summer 2019 she was a guest presenter at Oh My Ears music festival, and in Summer 2020 was a guest Yoga for Musicians teacher for the Vancouver Symphony Orchestral Institute.
I've attended Kimberly's workshops, yoga classes, and group breathwork sessions, and all have left me feeling more empowered. Her beautiful personality shines through, yet she is so sensitive to everyone's needs and circumstances. In just one breathwork session, I felt a complete shift in my mood and emotions, and I felt so incredibly supported. That feeling has lasted over a week since my session, and I'm excited to explore her breathwork sessions even more! I always come back to her yoga classes because they are so accessible and feel so safe. Her workshops are incredibly informative and enjoyable. I'm so thankful for the work Kim is doing!
Elizabeth Knaub
Kimberly is a wonderful yoga instructor and musician. I consistently feel more free, open, and balanced after taking her classes.
Gavin Laur
Just did my first breathwork session with Kimberly - highly recommend it to anyone considering!! She is so amazing and I felt so comfortable with her! My mind feels clear and my body feels relaxed and rejuvenated after today’s practice.
Francesca Leo
I’ve tried yoga in the past and was never able to stick with it, but ever since I found Kimberly’s classes I’ve been hooked! As a musician, and more specifically a violinist, it really makes all the difference to have an instructor who knows exactly what you’re going through and creates a safe and relaxing space to practice. Highly recommend her, especially to fellow fiddlers!
Hannah Harris
Musicians, Kimberly is amazing and truly one of a kind. She has helped me so much and her wellness and yoga classes are truly beautiful. I really doubt I would be playing this comfortably if it weren't for her livestreams and classes.
Dana Wolpe
I had a session with Kimberly to do breathwork. On a conscious level, it's very simple. All you have to do is breathe (and maybe let out a primal scream lol) but on an energetic level, it is essentially surgery for the soul. Kimberly made me feel so safe and supported while she held a space for kinda just WHATEVER to happen. It was so massively healing for me.
Katie Skinner
This breathwork session was a worthwhile experience for me and I look forward to incorporating breath work more in the future. I feel like it helped me connect to my deeper self and confront some hard truths and open myself up to confronting those. Looking forward to the next one!
Ryan Vrabic