Bonjour 

We are Ema and Peter - co-founders of HeartSong Normandie. We offer a range of singing, meditation, reiki and holistic wellbeing retreats, workshops and individual sessions from our place in Mortain and various retreat and private venues across France including Normandy, Brittany and Pays de la Loire. From individual singing lessons and vocal coaching workshops, holistic wellbeing and reiki healing sessions, weekly singing, mantra and meditation groups to our residential and personalised non-residential retreat options - activities to suit everyone's schedule, needs and experience level.

Our mission is to offer a fun, friendly and supportive space where you can nurture your creativity and wellbeing - whatever your starting point. Complete beginners are always very welcome. At the heart of everything we offer here at HeartSong is a compassionate, authentic and non-judgemental approach to help you fully experience and reap the benefits of what you are doing, and to 'do what you love with love.' 

We look forward to welcoming you to HeartSong Normandie. 

Ema & Peter

Ema

Ema has over 20 years experience working in therapeutic social care and retreat settings and her integrative wellbeing practice is informed by her continued learning and professional development in holistic wellbeing therapies and methods. She has an MA Group and Intercultural Psychotherapy, BMus (Hons) Music (Goldsmiths, University of London), and has been a reiki practitioner for over 15 years and a Usui Shiki Ryoho Reiki Master-Teacher since 2010. She has further qualifications in holistic wellbeing practices including massage, acupressure, shiatsu, yoga nidra, meditation, qigong, spiritual life coaching, singing bowl massage/sound therapy and has just gained her Yoga Alliance accredited Yin Yoga teacher qualification. 

Ema has been a musician and sung in choirs since her early years. After gaining a scholarship and studying with Milton Keynes Music Centre (voice, classical guitar, brass and percussion) she went on to study for her BMus (Hons) Music at Goldmiths, University of London specialising in performance. She has continued to sing throughout her adult life and has performed in both classical, gospel and world music choirs and vocal masterclasses led by internationally renowned conductors and musicians including Hilary Davon Whetton, Barb Jungr, David Lawrence and Karen Gibson. 

Peter

Peter started off his musical life as a punk band frontman, singer-songwriter and guitarist in the 1970s and has continued to work as a professional musician ever since. Peter studied vocal coaching with the internationally renowned singing teacher and authority on the voice, Tona de Brett. He has over 30 years experience as a vocal coach, singing teacher, group facilitator and musical director working with everyone from chart stars, professional musicians, musical theatre and drama schools to complete beginners and those who think they are 'tone deaf'. He works sensitively with the emotional blocks and negative inner voices people can have that may have stopped them from singing completely or from opening and using their voice fully, authentically and enjoying the many benefits of singing.

Peter has run singing retreat holidays in France since 1997, and before the move to Normandie in 2021 Peter ran a creative wellbeing retreat centre in the Limousin region of France with his wife Ema. You can read more about that in their feature in The Guardian here. 

"Peter’s method is about helping people find and trust their voice, physically, emotionally and psychologically. He’s inspiring and encouraging yet thoroughly down to earth. There are a lot of references to bodily functions as well as the bad jokes."

The Guardian

Peter also teaches meditation and studied spiritual development, ministry and counselling with the OneSpirit Interfaith Foundation in London. He graduated and was ordained as an interfaith minister in 2004. He is currently studying for his Yoga Alliance accredited 200-hour Yoga Teacher Training.