An AWESOME experience!
Bigfuzzydoug
Member Posts: 154
Warning: Long post (as usual for me)
Two weekends ago I was privileged to be invited to go to the Wind River Cancer Wellness Retreat out in the foothills of NC. In a single hyphenated word... life-changing! You could also use words like 'amazing' and 'relaxing' and 'therapeutic' and 'needed' if you would like as well.
What is Wind River? After Shannon survived breast cancer in 2003, she and Dave chose to dedicate their lives to helping others with cancer. So she left her job as a Wachovia lawyer, he left his job as a nuclear engineer with Duke Energy and they moved out to the foothills of the NC mountains. This is now their "job", their life. They open up their home to survivors and help facilitate healing – FOR FREE! They rely on corporate and private donations to pay the bills. They try to host paying corporate retreats and when they run out of money, they work odd jobs. But it’s mainly about the 5-6 cancer wellness retreats they do in the Spring and Fall. This is THEIR home that they open up and not some second vacation property. How kind, loving and gracious is that?!
So the 3 days included: a relaxing setting to think, group discussions, one-on-one talks, nature, Eastern and 'alternative' healing techniques and all organic, natural, healthy foods. They invite friends who are trained and certified in various holistic healing arts and they volunteer their time to come out for the retreats.
Friday included some light morning yoga, Healing Touch, journal writing time and a private talk with Shannon. Then in the afternoon some watercolor painting by the water, Tai Chi, Reiki and a bon fire in the evening. I slept with the windows open so I could hear the water and bundled up against the cold with a couple of blankets, and for the first time in WEEKS... I slept through the night and didn't wake up with any coughing fits or nausea!
Saturday morning we did some Tai Chi, some more journal time and group discussions and then a hike down river. In the afternoon we did 'vibration therapy' with Tibetan singing bowls and some more yoga. The evening was a little more light-hearted with s'mores on the bon fire.
On Sunday we did meditation and group discussion before lunch and heading on home.
Ironically for me, the retreat had very little to do with cancer. It was about mostly about me, my stress and finding the happiness (finding "the simple") in my life that I have and don't really wish to change. Because to be honest - I have a really great life to begin with! The timing of my cancer diagnosis and treatment was very interesting. The stress of work, life and where in my mind I thought I "should be" or what I "should have in order to be happy" was really weighing on me hard. And then in an instant with those four magic words, "your biopsy was positive" - BLAM! Your priorities change and as one of Shannon's plaques reads, "cancer is instant enlightenment". So everything I focused on was elements of my own happiness and how to find it from within. The cancer was just a catalyst. The retreat really helped me to gain clarity about myself and what I need to do.
Words cannot express how grateful I am to Shannon and Dave and how important this retreat was for me. What an amazing experience it was. I am very lucky.
Two weekends ago I was privileged to be invited to go to the Wind River Cancer Wellness Retreat out in the foothills of NC. In a single hyphenated word... life-changing! You could also use words like 'amazing' and 'relaxing' and 'therapeutic' and 'needed' if you would like as well.
What is Wind River? After Shannon survived breast cancer in 2003, she and Dave chose to dedicate their lives to helping others with cancer. So she left her job as a Wachovia lawyer, he left his job as a nuclear engineer with Duke Energy and they moved out to the foothills of the NC mountains. This is now their "job", their life. They open up their home to survivors and help facilitate healing – FOR FREE! They rely on corporate and private donations to pay the bills. They try to host paying corporate retreats and when they run out of money, they work odd jobs. But it’s mainly about the 5-6 cancer wellness retreats they do in the Spring and Fall. This is THEIR home that they open up and not some second vacation property. How kind, loving and gracious is that?!
So the 3 days included: a relaxing setting to think, group discussions, one-on-one talks, nature, Eastern and 'alternative' healing techniques and all organic, natural, healthy foods. They invite friends who are trained and certified in various holistic healing arts and they volunteer their time to come out for the retreats.
Friday included some light morning yoga, Healing Touch, journal writing time and a private talk with Shannon. Then in the afternoon some watercolor painting by the water, Tai Chi, Reiki and a bon fire in the evening. I slept with the windows open so I could hear the water and bundled up against the cold with a couple of blankets, and for the first time in WEEKS... I slept through the night and didn't wake up with any coughing fits or nausea!
Saturday morning we did some Tai Chi, some more journal time and group discussions and then a hike down river. In the afternoon we did 'vibration therapy' with Tibetan singing bowls and some more yoga. The evening was a little more light-hearted with s'mores on the bon fire.
On Sunday we did meditation and group discussion before lunch and heading on home.
Ironically for me, the retreat had very little to do with cancer. It was about mostly about me, my stress and finding the happiness (finding "the simple") in my life that I have and don't really wish to change. Because to be honest - I have a really great life to begin with! The timing of my cancer diagnosis and treatment was very interesting. The stress of work, life and where in my mind I thought I "should be" or what I "should have in order to be happy" was really weighing on me hard. And then in an instant with those four magic words, "your biopsy was positive" - BLAM! Your priorities change and as one of Shannon's plaques reads, "cancer is instant enlightenment". So everything I focused on was elements of my own happiness and how to find it from within. The cancer was just a catalyst. The retreat really helped me to gain clarity about myself and what I need to do.
Words cannot express how grateful I am to Shannon and Dave and how important this retreat was for me. What an amazing experience it was. I am very lucky.
0
Comments
-
Wow
Sounds like an amazing experience, and I am happy for you that you were able to take it all in and enjoy the experience.
They sound like wonderful and special people to open their home that way.0 -
wow
Where exactly are they in NC (I am in va beach va and have family in western NC)? And how would I contact them for more information?
Do they accept a survivor AND caregiver (significant other)? And as head/neck cancer survivor, I might be concerned about ability to eat. But it sounds great!
Thanks in advance for any information you can impart.
Take care,
Joe0 -
Wind River Cancer Wellness Retreatsoccerfreaks said:wow
Where exactly are they in NC (I am in va beach va and have family in western NC)? And how would I contact them for more information?
Do they accept a survivor AND caregiver (significant other)? And as head/neck cancer survivor, I might be concerned about ability to eat. But it sounds great!
Thanks in advance for any information you can impart.
Take care,
Joe
They're "officially" in Tryon, NC off of 74 about halfway in between Asheville and Spartanburg. It is cancer survivors only (no spouses) and they are NOT a medical facility so you have to be able to care for yourself, provide your own meds and bring your own food if you have medical/religious/personal dietary restrictions.
All the information you need can be found at their website:
http://www.windriverservices.org
Including the link to make a donation! ;-)0 -
Nice
BFD,
I had read up on this place a few months back and have considered trying to go. What a nice endorsement from you. Thanks for sharing how powerful this was for you. I should be about ready Spring for their next retreats. Glad you had such a cool experience.
Bob0 -
Cool placeadventurebob said:Nice
BFD,
I had read up on this place a few months back and have considered trying to go. What a nice endorsement from you. Thanks for sharing how powerful this was for you. I should be about ready Spring for their next retreats. Glad you had such a cool experience.
Bob
Doug,
Thanks for sharing your experience. I pulled up their website and it looks like an inspiring place. Seven months out now and I really like myself and where I'm at right now, except for falling back into my workalholic regime. Wind River sounds like a place to put that into perspective or help me take that next step to move on.
Positive thoughts!
Greg0
Discussion Boards
- All Discussion Boards
- 6 CSN Information
- 6 Welcome to CSN
- 121.8K Cancer specific
- 2.8K Anal Cancer
- 446 Bladder Cancer
- 309 Bone Cancers
- 1.6K Brain Cancer
- 28.5K Breast Cancer
- 397 Childhood Cancers
- 27.9K Colorectal Cancer
- 4.6K Esophageal Cancer
- 1.2K Gynecological Cancers (other than ovarian and uterine)
- 13K Head and Neck Cancer
- 6.4K Kidney Cancer
- 671 Leukemia
- 792 Liver Cancer
- 4.1K Lung Cancer
- 5.1K Lymphoma (Hodgkin and Non-Hodgkin)
- 237 Multiple Myeloma
- 7.1K Ovarian Cancer
- 61 Pancreatic Cancer
- 487 Peritoneal Cancer
- 5.5K Prostate Cancer
- 1.2K Rare and Other Cancers
- 539 Sarcoma
- 730 Skin Cancer
- 653 Stomach Cancer
- 191 Testicular Cancer
- 1.5K Thyroid Cancer
- 5.8K Uterine/Endometrial Cancer
- 6.3K Lifestyle Discussion Boards