ABOUT

Hilda Charlton

Hilda Charlton (1906 – January 29, 1988) was a spiritual teacher, author, dancer, and healer who taught classes in meditation and prayer in New York City for twenty-three years in which she gave practical lessons to thousands for living a life of truth, courage and love.

Born in London in 1906, Hilda moved to the United States with her parents when she was four years old. She was raised in Salt Lake City, Utah, and Los Angeles, California. At the age of eighteen, she began performing as a modern dancer. For the next 20 years, she danced and taught in the San Francisco area. She toured India as a dancer from 1947 to 1950, and stayed in India for fifteen more years, pursuing. her study of eastern mysticism and meditation. She studied under the guidance of Sri Nityananda of Ganeshpuri, Sri Mahadevananda of Bombay, and Sri Sathya Sai Baba of Puttaparthi—world renowned spiritual masters and holy men.

Hilda settled in New York City upon returning to America in 1966 and became a spiritual teacher at the request of people she met. Over the years her classes grew in size from two people to more than a thousand. The location was moved from a student’s apartment to the basement of St. Luke's Church. Then in 1976, the location was moved to the nave and later to the Synod House of the Cathedral of St. John the Divine.

She taught on Thursday evenings at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine from 1976 until her last class in December, 1987. Her lectures were recorded and copies of those Lessons of Life are available on this website in our store. Click on the link below to hear her speak.

You can also read this transcript of one of her Lessons—Human Love, Divine Love.

Her teachings incorporated the fundamental principles of the world's major religions. Foremost in her classes, she stressed the importance of self-mastery, giving and forgiving, unconditional love, and remembrance of God.

Hilda’s lectures included poignant stories of her life, practical lessons for everyday living, and guidance in prayer and meditation. Her style combined humor, practicality, and deep insight into the human mind and spirit. Her teachings had a profound effect on the lives of thousands of people from all walks of life.

No greater testament can be found of Hilda's love than through the words of those whose lives were changed by her. Discover how Hilda touched and changed people's lives by reading their stories, in their own words, including what was said at her Memorial Service.

She died in New York City on January 29, 1988.