Yoga and Cycling

Find Your Pace. Restore Your Balance. Discover the Beauty of Umbria.

Escape to the rolling green heart of Umbria for a transformative week that weaves together Yoga, relaxation, and exhilarating bicycle rides through one of Italy’s most breathtaking landscapes. Guided by Yoga teacher Claire Cunningham and cycling guide Carl Ferri, this retreat is thoughtfully designed to welcome participants of all experience levels. Your home for the week will be an authentic Umbrian villa nestled in nature, complete with a swimming pool for unwinding after your practice or ride. Enjoy delicious, nourishing cuisine inspired by local flavors, and an atmosphere that feels both grounding and deeply restorative.

This retreat is open to beginners, intermediate, and advanced riders and yogis, as well as couples and solo travelers. You are free to take part in both Yoga and cycling or focus on just one, allowing you to shape the experience to your own rhythm. Whether you wish to recharge your body, clear your mind, connect with nature, meet like-minded people, or explore the rich culture of Umbria, this week is designed to support your personal rhythm and goals.

Why Yoga and Cycling?
Yoga complements cycling in the following ways:

Flexibility and posture

• The forward position in cycling can lead to tight hamstrings, hips, and back muscles; yoga helps to lengthen and stretch these muscles, improving your posture on the bike and reducing back, neck, and shoulder pain.

• This increased range of motion makes riding more comfortable and can help prevent injuries caused by repetitive motion and static positioning. 

Strength and balance

• Yoga builds strength in the core and stabilizing muscles, which is crucial for power transfer and stability on the bike.

• It improves balance, which is beneficial for handling the bike.

Recovery and performance

• Yoga helps with muscle soreness and fatigue after long rides, aiding in recovery.

• By syncing breath with movement, yoga can improve your breathing efficiency and oxygen delivery, which can increase endurance.

It also helps develop mental focus and resilience, which are important for more challenging rides. 

Yoga with Claire

The yoga classes will include steady postures (asanas), breathing techniques (pranayama) and relaxation (savasana). Claire encourages a mindful approach, and the flow of the class will leave you feeling both energized and relaxed. Claire: “I personally love the balance of strength and length that yoga provides the physical body. Also the emphasis on a breath-lead practice, which brings a sense of grounding and spaciousness. It shifts the energy and clears blockages both mentally and physically. Yoga provides a quiet space for feeling or ‘tuning in’ to what is happening on each particular day.“ As a former dancer, Claire brings detailed body and movement intelligence into her teaching practice.

Guided Cycling with Carl

Ride quiet country roads, medieval hilltop villages, and rolling vineyards with Carl’s expert guidance. He will offer posture tips, technique feedback and route coaching. Choose between gentle scenic rides or more challenging routes. Carl ensures every ride is uplifting, and tailored to your pace. As a cycling leader, Carl is adept at supporting riders of all abilities, taking the time to listen and respond to the needs of the group. He offers encouragement to help everyone keep moving forward, while ensuring the ride remains relaxed, social, and fun.

Classes will be scheduled in groups neared the date and once we know the level of the participants.

Bikes

Please get in touch to let us know your experience in cycling and yoga. You can bring your own bike, or we can arrange bike hire to be delivered to the retreat for you.

Shared Moments

In their shared moments that are open to all participants (yoga and/or cycling), Claire and Carl offer a welcome event, a yoga nidra session and a movie night. Additionally, shared moments will lead us on excursions to water falls and into nearby medieval towns.

Additionally, enjoy walks in the surrounding meadows and forests, or swim in the salt water pool at this beautiful eco-oasis. There will be plenty of time to relax, enjoy quiet reading corners, or a glass of wine under the stars.

Workshops can also be booked individually