GéNIA, creator of Piano-Yoga®:

"After playing piano professionally for 30 years and teaching piano for the last 16, I have noticed that due to regular piano playing some people can experience similar physical and psychological problems. After observing students, colleagues and, of course, myself I have come to the conclusion that these problems can be alleviated if dealt with before they manifest.

There is a popular misconception that compared to the work of a dancer, a pianist’s work is mainly intellectually based. However pianists use the physical body as much as the mind - without both elements the expression of music would not be possible.

The most common physical problems for pianists are stiffness and pain in the shoulder girdle and lower back, stiffness and tension in the hips (mainly due to long hours of sitting), muscle fatigue in the hands, arms and right leg (due to pedaling), and a general feeling of blocked energy. As well as dealing with physical strain many pianists, especially those at a professional level, have to deal with the psychological stress of public performances.

Music students are expected and encouraged to practice a lot, some classical pianists practice up to eight hours a day. However, driven by the will to succeed they often ignore these issues continuing to practice and continuing to be deprived of the desired results because of the state of their physical and mental well-being.

After studying yoga for a number of years and then training to be a yoga teacher, I started implementing various yoga postures and exercises into the breaks between my piano playing sessions and found that the quality of my practice and my well-being improved tremendously.

The exercises outlined below are designed to help pianists during and after their sessions by helping to rejuvenate and stretch the body, particularly working on the upper back. You can do each exercise individually between your piano practice sessions or do them together as a sequence.

Try to take notice and observe the way your body is feeling and choose the exercises that feel suitable for you. Also remember that all breathing during these exercises is done through your nose, with the mouth closed, unless you feel blocked and congested. Next to each exercise I have outlined the benefits of each exercise."

Back Release

BENEFITS: Stretches the spine. Opens the hips. Warms up the upper body. Rejuvenates tired muscles. Restorative.

Props: Using a Grand Piano as a prop can be useful for stretching and releasing your back after a piano playing session. This exercise can also be done by placing your hands on a wall and then walking yourself backwards but is a little less effective. Recommended for adults only.

• Place your feet parallel and hip width apart
• Place your hands with your palms facing down on the lid of a grand piano (Do not do this with an upright as the height would not be appropriate).
• Start slowly walking backwards while keeping your hands on the piano until you find yourself in an L-shaped position
• Hold position for a few minutes and engage abdominal muscles by drawing them slightly inwards to support the back
• To come out of the stretch, slowly start to walk towards the piano while keeping your palms pressed on the lid until you reach an upright position

Reclining Waist Pose (Supta-Madhyasana)
Version 1

BENEFITS: Stretches the spine. Opens the shoulder blades. Improves circulation. Opens and stretches the front body. Restorative.

• Lie on your back and bend your knees bringing them towards your chest
• Stretch your arms out in a T-shape, keeping them shoulder level
• Roll onto your right side, bring your arm across the body placing your left hand on top of your right
• Slowly start to move just your left arm in a circular clock-wise direction leading with your fingers, tracing them along the floor until the left hand comes back to meet the right, repeat 3 times
• Roll onto your left side and repeat 3 times

Reclining Waist Pose (Supta-Madhyasana)
Version 2

BENEFITS: Opens the shoulder blades. Restorative.

Props: folded blanket

• Lie on your back with both legs straight
• Bend your right leg placing the sole of the foot on the mat
• Cross the left thigh on top of the right thigh
• Stretch your arms out at shoulder level in a T shape with palms facing upwards
• Move your body slightly to the left to align the left shoulder and hip
• Drop both legs to the right side encouraging both knees towards the floor.
• If knees do not reach the floor use a folded blanket under knees for support
• Make sure the left shoulder is firmly planted on the floor and keep the gaze towards the ceiling or turn the head to the left to intensify stretch
• Hold the posture for as long as is comfortable then release
• Repeat on the other side by crossing right thigh on top of left thigh

Lower back release (Apanasana)

BENEFITS: Draws the focus inwards. Opens the hips. Improves circulation. Releases tension in the lower back. Restorative.

• Lie on your back, drawing your chin in slightly, and bring knees towards your chest
• Stay here for a couple of breaths allowing your lower back to release into the floor
• Keeping knees pressed together, place hands on top of knees and circle in a clockwise direction 5 times
• Repeat in the opposite direction

Wrist Exercise

BENEFITS: Warms up upper body. Opens shoulder blades. Rejuvenates tired muscles.

• Stand with your feet parallel, hip width apart and your arms by your side
• Bend elbows, keeping forearms parallel to the floor and start rotating the wrists outwards 10 times then repeat in the opposite direction
• Finally interlock the fingers all the way to the webbing and rotate the wrists in a figure of eight movement 10 times and then repeat in the opposite direction

Spine and Arm Stretch

BENEFITS: Stretches the spine. Warms up upper body. Improves circulation. Invigorating.

• Kneel or stand with your feet parallel and hip width apart
• Interlock the fingers, extend the palms of the hands away from you and raise them overhead as you breathe in
• Make sure that the lower ribs are not protruding out and the shoulders are kept down and slightly back
• Take 3 breaths through your nose breathing into the side ribs

Shoulder release

BENEFITS: Stretches the spine. Opens the shoulder blades. Warms up the upper-body. Improves circulation. Opens and stretches the front body. Invigorating.

Props: Yoga belt or tea towel

• Sit on a chair or in a kneeling position, take hold of a yoga belt or tea towel stretch your arms out in front of you slightly more than shoulder width apart
• On an inward breath, with straight elbows, start to slowly raise the arms until they are in line with the ears
• Try to keep the shoulders down and the chest in and on an exhale bring the arms down and repeat 4 times

Shoulder Exercise

BENEFITS: Warms up upper body. Opens shoulder blades. Rejuvenates tired muscles.

• Sit on a chair or stand with your feet parallel and hip width apart
• Start to slowly make circular movements with your shoulders gradually increasing the range of the rotation
• Move shoulders simultaneously aiming to keep your elbows as straight as possible when shoulders are close to your ears
• Repeat 10 times in each direction

Cow Face (Gomukhasana) Arms

BENEFITS: Stretches the spine. Warms up upper body. Opens and stretches the front body.

Optional props: Yoga belt or tea-towel

• Bend the left elbow and slide the forearm up the spine towards the shoulder blades - you can help the left arm move upwards by taking hold of your left elbow and easing it towards the middle of your back
• Stretch the right arm above the head with palm facing forward, bend the right elbow and place the right hand below the nape of the neck between the shoulders
• If possible clasp both hands behind the back between the shoulders, otherwise use a yoga belt or tea-towel and grip ends with both hands
• Lengthen the front of the chest trying not to let the ribs protrude outwards, and extend upwards through the right elbow
• Take 3 long breaths and then slowly release from the pose and make a few circular shoulder movements
• Repeat on the other side this time interlock the fingers one notch along so it feels unfamiliar

(You may prefer to do the Spine and Arm Stretch described above before doing Gomukasana Arms on the other side)

Reclining Bound Angle Pose (Supta Badha Konasana)

BENEFITS: Opens the hips. Opens and stretches the front body. Rejuvenates tired muscles. Opens the shoulder blades. Restorative.

Props: It is recommended you use a yoga bolster, yoga belt and blankets for this exercise

• Sit with your lower back touching the short end of the bolster
• Draw the soles of your feet together and let the knees drop out to the side, you can slide rolled-up blankets under the thighs to offer additional support
• Take belt and attach the clasp at the end to form a wide loop
• Put the looped belt over your torso and position it at the back of the pelvis just above the buttocks then put the front of the looped belt under your feet
• Tighten the belt so it is snug but not so tight that it will constrict comfort
• Allow yourself to completely relax into the pose for 10-15 mins or for as long as is comfortable
• To come out of the pose loosen and remove the belt, gently push yourself into an upright position then draw and hug the knees into your chest

Photographer: Pamela Troni
Model: Trudi Oliveiro
Photos: © Piano-Yoga Ltd 

Photograph: Julius Beltrame