Piano-Yoga® Retreat at Cowslip Meadows
About this Event
About the Piano-Yoga® Retreat
‘It really does work... Many pianists have been helped with this unorthodox and unusual method’. Piano Professional Magazine
‘With her positive, non-defeatist approach [GéNIA] emphasises the joy and satisfaction of playing at any level and I would encourage any pianist, amateurs and professionals alike, to sign up to one of her courses.' International Piano
After the highly successful launch of Piano-Yoga® retreats at Kings Place, Steinway Hall, Schott Music, and internationally in Paris, Nice and Monaco—described as "inspiring" by Music Teacher Magazine and "refreshingly unusual" by International Piano Magazine—visionary pianist and Piano-Yoga® creator GéNIA returns with an all-new programme designed to give pianists, from advanced beginners to advanced level, everything they need to transform their playing while enhancing their overall well-being.
A retreat offers the ideal opportunity for immersion in this fun and effective new holistic piano method.
In just one day you can experience all that Piano-Yoga® has to offer, with a combination of pure yoga and relaxation classes, technical 'Piano-Yoga®' exercises, performance psychology and group piano masterclasses. Unlike regular Piano-Yoga® classes, a retreat provides the chance to completely disconnect from the daily grind and get into an optimal frame of mind to focus entirely on the piano in a nurturing environment. And for the solitary pianist one of the obvious benefits of a retreat is the opportunity to work on your piano as part of a group of like-minded people, make new friends and share ideas.
Recently, GéNIA was featured in Pianist Magazine, where she gave an in-depth interview about Piano‑Yoga®. You can listen to the 30-minute podcast here to discover more about the method, its principles and its benefits. https://rss.com/podcasts/the-pianist-podcast/3049091
Retreat Details
Date: Sunday, 6 September 2026
Venue: Cowslip Meadows, Leicestershire, LE17 6QF
Time: 11:00am–6:00pm
Arrival: From 10:30am
Closing Date for Registration : Sunday 23rd August 2026
Programme
11:00–11:30am — Introduction
A warm welcome to the retreat and an introduction to the holistic principles of Piano-Yoga®.
11:30am–12:10pm — Revitalising Your Spine for Piano Playing
A guided body session focusing on mobility, alignment and freedom through the spine, helping participants prepare their bodies for healthy and comfortable piano playing.
12:15–1:30pm — Establishing Correct Piano Posture
Explore how posture, balance and physical awareness can support greater freedom, control and expression at the piano. This session will address the perennial question: what does correct posture at the piano really mean?
1:30–2:30pm — Lunch Break
2:30–3:30pm — Mastering Articulation Skills with Piano-Yoga®
A practical piano session exploring staccato, legato and non-legato through the principles of Piano-Yoga®, with a focus on coordination, freedom of movement and technical clarity.
3:40–5:00pm — Piano Masterclasses
Participants will have the opportunity to perform and receive individual guidance from GéNIA in a supportive group setting.
5:00–5:20pm — Tea Break
5:20–6:00pm — Piano-Yoga® Exercises for Combating Stage Nerves
A restorative session combining breathing, movement, relaxation and mental preparation techniques to help manage performance anxiety and develop greater confidence, calm and focus.
Weather permitting, some movement and body-awareness exercises may take place outdoors in the beautiful surroundings of Cowslip Meadows. Otherwise, all physical sessions will be held in the dedicated yoga studio.
Surroundings
Nestled in the heart of South Leicestershire, Cowslip Meadows is a peaceful and sustainable rural retreat—a place to step away from the demands of everyday life, reconnect with yourself and enjoy quality time together. Surrounded by beautiful countryside, it offers the perfect setting to relax, recharge and be inspired.
In addition to the programme, guests can unwind in the privacy of a beautiful land, enjoy the lakeside wood-fired sauna, indulge in optional wellbeing treatments, explore scenic countryside walks, or simply embrace moments of stillness and reflection in nature.
What to expect
The retreat will be led by GéNIA, founder of Piano-Yoga®, internationally acclaimed concert pianist and composer, and a qualified British Wheel of Yoga teacher. Drawing on decades of performing, teaching and research, she has developed Piano-Yoga®—a unique holistic method that integrates the artistry of piano playing with the wisdom of yoga to help pianists play with greater freedom, ease and confidence.
Throughout the retreat, GéNIA will guide participants through Piano-Yoga® sessions that address piano playing from a truly holistic perspective, focusing on the interconnected relationship between the body, technique and mind. Sessions will explore posture, alignment, breathing, relaxation, healthy hand function, freedom of movement, concentration, performance psychology and efficient practice strategies. Participants will discover practical techniques to release unnecessary tension, improve technical control, enhance musical expression and develop a more natural and sustainable approach to piano playing.
Combining music, wellbeing, nature and relaxation, the Piano-Yoga® Retreat at Cowslip Meadows promises an inspiring and restorative escape, leaving you refreshed, re-energised and ready to begin the new piano-playing season on the right note.
Who Can Attend a Piano-Yoga® Retreat?
Piano-Yoga® retreats are open to amateur and professional pianists of all levels, from the age of 15 upwards.
Whether you are a conservatoire student looking to refine your technique, a concert pianist concerned about tension or injury, a piano teacher wishing to broaden your pedagogical approach, or an amateur pianist simply wanting to get more enjoyment from your playing, you are warmly invited to join us.
Leave your worries at the door, take off your shoes and enjoy your favourite activity in a friendly, supportive and relaxed environment.
No previous experience of yoga is necessary.
Partners and Non-Musicians
Participants are warmly invited to bring a partner, including partners who are not musicians.
Partners may participate directly in the Revitalising Your Spine for Piano Playing, Establishing Correct Piano Posture and the Piano-Yoga® Exercises for Combating Stage Nerves sessions, as well as join the group for lunch and tea. These sessions include practical work for the back, neck and shoulders, together with exercises for posture, breathing and relaxation, making them beneficial and accessible to everyone.
Partners are also welcome to attend the other sessions as observers. Alternatively, they may explore the surrounding countryside, relax within the grounds, or book one of the additional wellbeing treatments and facilities available at Cowslip Meadows.
Optional treatments and facilities include sports massage, aromatherapy massage and the wood-fired sauna. These must be booked and paid for separately, with prices starting from £35 for 30 minutes. Full details and prices are available upon request.
If the partner tickets are sold out but you would like to bring your partner please contact us directly at [email protected] and we will do our best to accomodate you.
How to Get There
By Train from London
Direct trains run from London St Pancras International to Market Harborough approximately every 30 minutes via East Midlands Railway.
A Unique Rolls-Royce Transfer
Guests may also choose to travel from Market Harborough Station to Cowslip Meadows in a beautiful 1949 Rolls-Royce Silver Wraith. The car, which once belonged to a British Governor-General and was used to transport visiting heads of state, can accommodate approximately four to five passengers per journey.
The drive takes around 15 minutes, with the fare £20 per person, helping to cover the cost of fuel while offering guests a memorable start to the day.
Alteernatively, reputable local taxi companies are also available, with fares typically starting from approximately £22–£25 per person. Contact details for both options can be provided upon request, and all transfers must be booked in advance.
We encourage participants to share taxi journeys to and from the station wherever possible, both to reduce individual travel costs and to minimise the environmental impact.
By Car
Cowslip Meadows is easily accessible by car.
As you drive uphill into Laughton from Mowsley/A5199 (the direction from which most visitors arrive), you will see the Laughton village sign on your left. Begin indicating right, and you will shortly see the distinctive wooden Acorn-shapedentrance gate, set back from the road, marking the entrance to Cowslip Meadows.
Free on-site parking is available for all retreat participants.
To discover the inspiration behind Piano-Yoga® retreats, visit GéNIA’s website piano-yoga.com
About Piano-Yoga®
A Piano Method for the 21st Century
Created by Ukrainian-born, London-based concert pianist and composer GéNIA, Piano-Yoga® offers a unique and holistic approach to piano playing, performance and teaching.
The method combines the foundations of the Eastern European piano school with principles drawn from yoga and other Eastern philosophies. Through an understanding of movement, gravity, breathing, posture and physical awareness, Piano-Yoga® helps pianists develop a more natural, organic and sustainable approach to their playing.
Piano-Yoga® addresses the pianist as a whole, focusing on the essential connection between body, technique and mind. It is designed to help pianists release unnecessary tension, improve coordination and technical freedom, develop concentration, manage performance anxiety and enjoy a healthier relationship with the instrument.
At the heart of the method is GéNIA’s book, Transform Your Hands: A Complete Ten-Week Course of Piano Exercises, available in paperback and as an e-book. The course offers a progressive programme for developing strength, flexibility, independence and control while encouraging pianists to work safely and without strain.
Piano-Yoga® also offers retreats, workshops, seminars, masterclasses, online courses and individual tuition for pianists, teachers and students around the world.
“It really does work.”
— Piano Professional
“A five-star course.”
— Music Teacher Magazine
“Fascinating… clear and precise.”
— International Piano
“The first entirely new piano technique in over 50 years.”
— Yoga & Health Magazine
About GéNIA
GéNIA is a Ukrainian-born, London-based concert pianist and composer, the founder of Piano-Yoga®, and a qualified British Wheel of Yoga teacher.
Described by The Times as “an outstanding musician… a natural pianist,” she has performed at many of the UK’s leading venues, including Wigmore Hall, the Barbican Centre, Southbank Centre and St John’s Smith Square.
Her music has been heard on Classic FM, BBC Radio and Scala Radio, and has appeared in numerous television and film productions. Alongside her international performing and composing career, GéNIA has devoted many years to researching the relationship between piano technique, physical wellbeing and performance psychology.
Drawing on her Eastern European musical training, extensive performance experience and knowledge of yoga, GéNIA created Piano-Yoga® to help pianists play with greater freedom, confidence and ease. Her teaching brings together technical expertise, physical awareness and an understanding of the mental and emotional demands of performance.
GéNIA has taught Piano-Yoga® and given masterclasses at Trinity Laban Conservatoire of Music and Dance, Dartington and CoMA Summer Schools, De Montfort University and Lewis University, among others. She has also introduced piano teachers to the Piano-Yoga® method through presentations and workshops for EPTA UK, EPTA Europe and the California Association of Professional Music Teachers in Los Angeles.
She has presented Piano-Yoga® sessions on BBC Radio London and Sky Arts and has led workshops, masterclasses and retreats throughout the UK, France, Monaco, the Netherlands, Cyprus, Ukraine and the United States.
Known for the effectiveness and practical nature of her teaching, GéNIA works with a wide range of students, from young beginners and dedicated amateurs to professional musicians, prize winners and high-profile actors preparing for piano-related film roles.
Her students have achieved excellent results in graded examinations with the Associated Board of the Royal Schools of Music and Trinity College London, progressing from Grade 1 through to Performance Certificates and Teaching Diplomas.
Where is it happening?
Event Location & Nearby Stays:
GBP 75.00 to GBP 155.00
