Shout Out: Hannah Lucas
As many of you will know from my work, I set a lot of store in community as a yoga teacher. One of the things I want to do on this Substack is introduce you to some of the people whose work I value. Today I want to tell you a little bit about another dear friend and regular co-conspirator, Hannah Lucas. Conversations with Hannah have been essential to exploring my thoughts around the history and practice of contemplation, and she always puts on the most tempting events and talks!
What is your name?
Hannah Lucas (she/her).
Tell us a little about yourself.
I'm based in Cambridge, UK, where I work as a postdoctoral researcher, lecturer, and part-time yoga teacher. My research specialism is in medieval literature, especially texts about mysticism and contemplation. I'm interested in how we can connect to these historical traditions, and what they can tell us about how to live well. I recently published a book about the medieval mystic, Julian of Norwich (of "all shall be well" fame) and the philosophy of well-being, and I convene a research network called 'Contemplation: theory / practice'. I'm happiest when I'm in nature, ideally wild swimming, or just drinking a morning coffee in the sun.
Tell us about your yoga journey.
I took my first yoga class as an undergraduate, and soon discovered Yoga Quota studio in Oxford, where the spark was kindled by wonderful teachers like Harriet McAtee. In 2021 I completed my 200hr certification with Harriet at Nourish Yoga Training. What began as movement practice for me quickly became a spiritual one, a way of trying to figure out what life's all about. Yoga has since come together with my academic work in entirely magical ways, with each informing and deepening the other. I now teach vinyasa-style and restorative classes within the university, all of which have an emphasis on inclusion, compassion, and intuitive and joyful movement.
How do you know Theo's work?
I met Theo as a trainer at Nourish Yoga Training, and have since taken as many of her courses as possible! I come back to her words when I need to reground my own teaching and practice. We've also worked together academically in a few different ways, and it's always a joy to get to be nerdy together.
What is catching your attention at the moment?
Teaching university students in the classroom and on the yoga mat, I think a lot about student well-being, especially in the wake of the pandemic. How can we support young adults figuring out who they are in a world that seems, in many ways, on the edge of collapse? How can we support neurodiverse students to thrive in higher education? Does yoga or contemplative practice have a place? We've seen the roll-out of mindfulness courses in universities, for better or worse. But I think it's important that "well-being" doesn't just become a tickbox exercise, and that we resist the flattening of the spiritual and communal parts of contemplative practice.
Is there something you're working on that you'd like to tell us about?
I published my book on Julian of Norwich and well-being earlier this year — it's written for a specialist audience, but if you're interested in learning more, you can listen to me talk about it on the Hermitix podcast:
Link to the book is here: https://cup.columbia.edu/book/impossible-recovery/9780231218689. And a more accessible overview is here: https://cupblog.org/2025/03/24/recovery-without-end-insights-from-a-medieval-mystic-hannah-lucas/.
If someone wants to reach out, how can they contact you?
Website: https://hannahalucas.com/. Instagram: @hannahlucasyoga. Email: hal32@cam.ac.uk.