Kim Hankins

Kim Hankins is a yoga and barre teacher and violist based in Tucson, Arizona. Her yoga offerings include 26&2, Flow, Yin and Yoga for Musicians. She believes movement can be medicine, and likes to include practices that support longevity and joint health.

She created The Aligned Musician to educate musicians on functional anatomy and on prioritizing their health in a profession that often praises self-sacrifice. As a string player she developed shoulder tendonitis at a time when resources for performing artists were more limited, and she struggled with shame and guilt for years. Wanting no student or colleague to go through the same, she brought pilates and yoga knowledge into her private lessons, and went on to build a podcast and blog. She has been a guest yoga for musicians facilitator at orchestra festivals and workshops, and has presented at universities and conferences on finding a more ergonomic setup and playing with ease.

As a violist she has performed as a soloist and chamber musician in the United States, Germany, Luxembourg and Iceland, and has premiered works by 21st-century composers using electric viola, looping pedals and other technologies. She holds a DMA in viola performance from Arizona State University, where her project transcribed and recorded Ernest Bloch's Solo Cello Suites for viola, and an MM from Indiana University. She has stepped back from full-time orchestral life but still performs and teaches a small number of online students.