Yoga & Cycling
Two complementary workshops with Claire Cunningham and Carl Ferri in cooperation with ImPulsTanz - Vienna International Dance Festival
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.Â
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.Â
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
Meet your workshop leaders
Claire is a warm and creative yoga teacher and wellbeing facilitator. She was previously a professional dancer and rehearsal director for several companies in the UK and Europe and therefore brings detailed body and movement intelligence into her teaching practice. She has studied several styles of yoga in India and Europe and holds a Yoga Alliance teaching qualification; a Forrest Yoga Teacher Training CET; a Japanese Bodywork certification from The European School of Shiatsu; a Relational Dynamic coaching certification; and an MA in Contemporary Dance. Claire has enjoyed running retreats in the UK, Spain, Greece and Italy, for the last 7 years.
Carl loves cycling for both fitness and mental wellbeing. It’s also the perfect excuse to catch up with friends, usually with a coffee stop and a generous slice of cake along the way. He began racing in his early 20s and went on to combine his passions for cycling and running by competing in duathlons for over a decade. During that time, he won multiple medals and set several course records. In recent years, Carl has chosen to slow the pace and focus on enjoying non-competitive rides. 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.
- Accommodation for 7 days (6 nights)
- 3 vegetarian meals daily
- 5 movement sesssions with Claire
- 5 cycling sessions with Carl
- Shared moments
- Talks with the teachers
- Access to pool and all other amenities of Tenuta di Poggiolame
- Shuttle to and from train station Fabro-Ficulle
Total costs for 7 days (6 nights) per person: from € 1,205 to € 1,895 (single or double room, private or shared bathroom).
Upon receipt of a deposit of 400 euro, the retreat is bindingly reserved. Please take note of our cancellation policy.
Number of participants: max. 16
A retreat in cooperation with ImPulsTanz
our rooms
Scaleni
28m² fits 2 people
Scaleni is part of the historic building and sits on the upper floor facing north and east. It features an open fire place and an open beam ceiling. Two beds (a single bed and a 140cm futon bed) furnish the room. Scaleni is directly connected to Axis, of which the guests will have to pass through Scaleni to get to the shared bathroom.
our rooms
Axis
18m² fits 2 people
Axis is a cute little double room (two single beds) facing east on the upper floor. It features open beams with terracotta tiles. It is connected to the front room (Scaleni), through which one will walk through to get to the hallway and to the bathroom, which is shared with Scaleni.
our rooms
Mana double
16m² fits 2 people
Mana double room looks out towards the pool. It is part of the Mana apartment which is a bit away from the other rooms. It shares a bathroom with Mana single.
our rooms
Alba
18m² fits 2 people
Alba is a double room on the upper floor of the original building with open beam ceilings and faces east and south. Its doublebed (160 cm wide) features a canopy. It shares a bathroom with Psoas and Vitus
our rooms
Psoas
16m² fits 2 people
The Psoas is a double room located on the upper floor of the original building with a historic open beamed ceiling. The windows face south and west. Psoas has a double bed (160 cm) and shares a bathroom with Alba and Vitus
our rooms
Gracilis
18m² fits 2 people
Gracilis is a double room and looks out the west side towards Montegabbione. It contains a double bed (160 cm wide). It shares a wheelchair accessible bathroom with Soleus, with whom it makes up an apartment
our rooms
Amiata
30m² fits 2 people
Amiata is a double room apartment with a gallery. Upstairs: double-bed (160 cm) & bathroom. Downstairs there are two single beds and a kitchenette. Private west terrace with a lovely view of our olive orchards and Monte Amiata.
our rooms
Atlas
35m² fits 2 people
Atlas is a double room and located on the upper floor of the main building with windows and balcony doors facing north and south. It has a private terrace of 30 m2 with a view from Monte Peglia to Monte Cetona. It also has a huge double bed (180x200) made of solid cherry wood.
our rooms
Mana single
14m² fits one person
Mana single is a single room looking towards the pool. It features its own terrace looking directly onto an olive grove and is part of the Mana apartment which is a bit away from the other rooms. It shares a bathroom with Mana double.
our rooms
Vitus
15m² fits one person
Vitus is a single, east-facing room on the upper floor of the historic building featuring original beams. The bed is 140 cm wide. Vitus has its own terrace and entrance (outdoor staircase). It shares a bathroom with Psoas and Alba.
our rooms
Soleus
22m² fits one person
Soleus is a single room and sits at the south west corner of the terrace, with its own furniture on the main terrace. It contains a medium size bed (140 cm wide) and a kitchenette. It shares a bathroom with Gracilis, with whom it makes up an apartment.
our rooms
Alba (as single room)
18m² fits one person
Alba is a double room on the upper floor of the original building with open beam ceilings and faces east and south. Its doublebed (160 cm wide) features a canopy. It shares a bathroom with Psoas and Vitus.
our rooms
Psoas (as single room)
16m² fits one person
The Psoas is a double room located on the upper floor of the original building with a historic open beamed ceiling. The windows face south and west. Psoas has a double bed (160 cm) and shares a bathroom with Alba and Vitus.
our rooms
Gracilis (as single room)
18m² fits one person
Gracilis is a double room and looks out the west side towards Montegabbione. It contains a double bed (160 cm wide). It shares a wheelchair accessible bathroom with Soleus, with whom it makes up an apartment.
our rooms
Piriformis
12m² fits one person
Piriformis is a single room with its own bathroom. Piriformis has a north-facing private terrace, which is pleasantly cool in summer. Piriformis is close to the kitchen and is therefore best suited to guests who like to get up early or who don't mind kitchen noise.
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