Faces of Baptcare: Hilary Davis

There’s something almost celestial about meditation teacher and health coach, Hilary Davis. Her calming presence immediately puts the residents at Karana Residential Aged Care community at ease, and the trust she inspires is clear as they quickly open up and share their thoughts with her. Even the resident cat, Mona, approaches her curiously before slinking off to her sunbeam meditation. Between restful meditation exercises, we sat down to hear about Hilary’s journey from corporate lawyer to community healer.

What is your current role and what does it involve day to day?

I am a meditation teacher and health coach, and my business is called HD Wellbeing: HD Wellbeing. My days are a mix of teaching mindfulness and meditation in community settings like yoga studios, workplaces, aged care, and retirement villages or having one-on-one sessions with individuals. I also create resources that help people improve their health and reduce stress, create workshops, and, from time to time, record meditations for a meditation app. Every day looks slightly different, especially as I wear all the hats in my business!

What drew you to working with Baptcare and how long have you worked within Baptcare?

I first started working with Baptcare earlier this year as part of a “Community Workplace Program” that I did as part of a further meditation qualification. I had requested to work in aged care as I was interested in working with older adults, and Baptcare’s values around wellbeing and respect resonated with me. After the workplace program finished, I was invited to guide a monthly meditation session with the Karana community.

What led you to become a health coach and meditation teacher, and can you explain a bit about what you do/an average day in your working life?

I began my career as a lawyer, but I reached a point where I wanted to do work more connected to wellbeing and purpose. I retrained first as a health coach and later as a meditation teacher. After some particularly stressful times in my own life with some health issues with my children, I’ve experienced firsthand how powerful these practices can be in managing stress and supporting long-term health. These days, my work can include anything from leading a group through a mindfulness practice to working with a coaching client to planning a workshop for my community.

Did you always want to work within the health care space and what are some other jobs you’ve performed in your career?

At university, I studied Law and Science, before working as a lawyer for many years in the field of Intellectual Property. Working as a lawyer gave me valuable skills, but over time I realised that I most wanted to help people in a more direct and supportive way. Moving into health coaching and meditation has allowed me to combine my interest in science, wellbeing, and human connection.

What do you like about working in the aged care setting? How have our residents reacted to meditation? Can you share a particularly special work day or customer interaction you’ve had recently?

I love the work I do at Baptcare Karana and look forward to it every month. A special moment I had during the year was when a resident came to a session feeling stressed, emotional, and teary. However, when that person left the session, they commented that they felt so much better and were smiling and relaxed. Seeing those positive changes in someone’s demeanour that can happen after a mindfulness session makes me very happy. It is rewarding work.

What has surprised you about working in the aged care industry?

I’ve been surprised by how open many residents are to trying something new. While there can be an assumption that meditation is just for younger people, the residents prove that these kinds of well-being practices can benefit us at any stage of life. What I’ve also learned from working with the residents at Karana is that they all experience the same complex emotions, worries, and feelings that we all do, just within a different life context. It is the experience of being human.

What did you want to be when you grew up?

As a child, I wanted to be a writer and then an architect! In some ways, I feel like I’ve circled back to that childhood aspiration of writing because language is such a big part of my meditation work now – taking ideas and concepts and finding the words around those things to make meditations accessible and enjoyable and to support my participants in achieving a sense of ease within themselves.

Can you tell us two surprising things about yourself?

I love travelling and have been to some interesting parts of the world, including Cuba, during the US embargo. And, despite being interested in helping people cultivate calm and manage stress, my secret vice (well, now not-so-secret!) is a cheesy action film!

Please complete this sentence: My favourite weekend would include…

A walk in nature with my two dogs, time with family and friends, a yoga session, and some time curled up on the couch with a good book and a record playing.

What are two things on your bucket list?

I’d love to spend some time travelling through South America, as I’ve never been, and I’ve been learning Spanish on and off for a long time.

I’d also like to write a book on mindful living and wellness that makes these practices feel accessible and enjoyable for everyone.

If you could sit next to someone at a dinner party, who would it be and why?

I’d love to sit next to Jon Kabat-Zinn, a medical doctor who created the Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction Program and brought secular mindfulness to the Western world in the 1970s. He’s done so much interesting work in the field of mindfulness, and I’d love the chance to talk with him. It might not be the most mindful conversation, as I’d probably chew his ear off with questions, but it would be good to talk with him!