A Holiday Gift for YOU!

We are so excited to share this VERY special self-care gift from Wind River Alum, LeeLee Caughman (aka Lisa Payne) 
Lisa has created a self-care journal  that begins this Tuesday, November 21st that will help you journey and journal through the season.  

Lisa encourages you to take a few minutes to answer her positive questions/reflections each day! 

Visit LeeLee’s Life Lessons for more Positive Ideas or email LeeLee at to obtain your free Positive Holiday Journaling Guide today!

Words of Wisdom from Lisa:
“Enjoy your journaling and, most of all, practice self-care and hug yourself daily.”
 
​

Sign up by December 2nd!!!! 
​
Don't miss out on our Farewell Holiday Angel Program, a wonderful way to share Holiday love and offer someone a little touch of sparkle.  WIND RIVER ANGEL FORM

Two ways to be a Wind River Angel!  Nominate and/or Give.

Nominate: Do you know of a survivor in need, friend, loved one, or even a special caregiver/healthcare worker in the cancer community who could use a little extra sparkle this season. Here is the place to honor that special someone.  Let us help you share magic and connect the perfect Wind River Angel for your nomination.  
Give: Volunteer to be a Wind River Angel. As an angel, you get to share your words of encouragement, love, talents etc. with others.  You can sign up to give to an individual or adopt a family. 

Click here for more information and to sign up WIND RIVER ANGEL FORM

Since 2008 our dear friend Tai Chi Mike Gentile has been support Wind River with his amazing Tai Chi teachings, including the famous Chi Ball, Hug a Tree and of course, the Slinky Energy!

While supplies last, we are offering you one of Tai Chi Mike's DVD instructional videos.   Send us an email with your address and we will pop one in the mail to you!

YES, MAIL ME A TAI CHI MIKE DVD!

AND, if you no longer have a DVD player, we created a dozen short YouTube Videos with Tai Chi Mike at the beginning of the pandemic.  You can access them for free on our Wind River Retreats YouTube Channel 

Tai Chi Mike's Morning Warm Up
Tai Chi Mike's Breathing to the Four Corners
Tai Chi Mike's Balance and Neuropathy
Tai Chi Mike's Embrace the Moon - Instruction
Tai Chi Mike's Embrace the Moon - by the Waterfall
Tai Chi Mike's 8 Pieces of Brocade (Dave's favorite!)

And there are more Tai Chi Mike short video gems on our YouTube site, including several in Spanish!

THANK YOU MIKE FOR ALL THE YEARS OF LOVE AND LAUGHTER!

Wind River is offering you a fantastic meditation tool to help with full body relaxation, sleep support, and stress reduction.  Now through December 31, 2023 you can download Becca Odom's 10 and 20 minute Yoga Nidra meditations to use indefinitely!

YES!  I want to download Becca Odom's Yoga Nidra Meditations
Type in WindRiver under the coupon code
(code is good thru December 31, 2023)


​We live in a chronically overstimulated world and Yoga Nidra is one way to help manage the stress of life. Yoga Nidra (which means Yogic Sleep) is an ancient guided meditation practice. 

Some benefits of Yoga Nidra meditations include:

• Full body relaxation
• Sleep support  
• Stress reduction
• Increased our awareness and connection with our bodies.

Listening to these Yoga Nidra practices can be very supportive to listen to at the end of the day as you prepare for sleep. It is very common to drift between a dreaming and waking state but do your best to stay awake and with the practice. If the stillness is challenging or if you find it hard to stay awake, feel free to wiggle parts of your body as we scan through as that can often support the practice. 

Wind River has a special gift from our drumming guru Greg Whitt of Drum for Change.  Learn to drum using any table top!  Fun and easy to follow!

Access to this special offer is good through December 31, 2023 -- so don't wait!  

​
www.drumforchange.com/tabletop

Case-sensitive password:  wndRVR23

​NEW!  The Holiday season is the perfect time to focus on your beautiful essence. Body image can wreak havoc during this joyous time of the year. Understanding and being authentic with exactly how you feel about your body is a first step to gaining a positive body image.  Join me for this interactive session to explore the many tools that will support you along your journey to self-love, positive body image and ultimately a healthy lifestyle. (and an AWESOME holiday season)

Wednesday, November 1st 
6:00PM - 7:30PM
via ZOOM

Registration HERE - No Charge, Wind River is covering your workshop fee :)

  
Seventeen years ago, atop a remote mountain in Wyoming's Wind River range, Shannon and I began a trip that would change our lives forever. We had recently left our corporate roles, driven countless miles, and embarked on a week-long backpacking expedition into the wilderness. This adventure was an opportunity to breath deeper, free ourselves of our previous lives and contemplate where we wanted our life journey to take us next.   As the sun set at an elevation of 11,000 feet, we were overwhelmed by the profound power and healing offered by places like this. We yearned to share this sense of serenity, connection, and renewal, especially with the cancer survivor community we had become a part of following Shannon's battle with breast cancer several years prior. It was in that transcendent moment, perched on the edge of a cliff, that a daring dream was born.

Our dream was to recreate as much of our backcountry experience as possible. We aimed to harness the calming influence of the natural world, the freedom from the constraints of time, the benefits of healthy living, exercise, restful sleep, and the enchantment of serendipitous encounters with fellow adventurers on the trail. But there was one twist – we would offer all of this on our picturesque property in the foothills of North Carolina, and without the backpacks!

Filled with excitement, we dedicated the following weeks and months to shaping our vision and discovering our new purpose in life. The challenge remained – what should we call this endeavor? After several attempts and brainstorming sessions, it became clear that the perfect name was "Wind River," a tribute to the breathtaking location that had ignited our inspiration. From that mountain peak, our vision swiftly evolved into the inaugural Wind River Cancer Wellness Retreat in 2007 with the tag line   “…where hearts and minds meet”.

When we started, resources for cancer support, wellness, and survivorship were scarce. Our initial goal was simple yet profound: to create a haven for those confronting cancer—a sanctuary where they could calm their nervous system, learn tools for self-care and forge deep connections with fellow survivors in just four days.

But how to bring the magic of our backcountry experiences to cancer survivors?  We would establish a nonprofit so no survivor would ever have to pay for a retreat and we would begin to morph our very rough property in Western North Carolina into a cozy haven featured winding trails, inviting hammocks, a babbling creek, a soothing waterfall, and crackling campfires under the starry night sky. While we left the backpacks behind, we designed a retreat program with ample opportunities for relaxation, education, connecting with nature, storytelling, and the space to form lifelong friendships.

Our concept was to offer our survivors a variety of tools and techniques to help decrease their anxiety and feelings of powerlessness and increase their feelings of connection and control over at least a portion of their mental and physical health.  The idea was to empower them to become more involved in their own health and wellness.  
​
Over the years, our offerings continued to expand, thanks to our talented team of wellness practitioners - people who also believed in our mission of supporting cancer survivors by empowering them with knowledge and experiential learning.  Tai Chi, Healing Touch, nutrition, yoga, meditation, writing, art therapy, drumming and forest bathing—these were just a few of the programs we offered during retreats, and later through our Outreach programs and offsite retreats.  This variety of techniques enabled us to tailor our retreats and programs for the men and women we served.  We embraced individuals of diverse ages, backgrounds and life experiences as well as different cancer types and different stages of cancer.   We believe this model is as valid today as it was when we began 17 years ago.
​
Behind the scenes, volunteers consistently lent their hands, moving stones and earth, crafting heartfelt care packages, and adding their energy in countless ways. And of course the incredible and unwavering TLC and care provided by our teammate Cheryl Lecroy has been a huge factor to the healings of so many of survivors!   In addition, we owe a deep debt of gratitude to our incredible supporters and sponsors who generously allowed us to offer our Wind River Retreats and Programs at absolutely no cost to survivors over these 17 years. 

As time passed, we also began witnessing the enchanting phenomenon of “Wind River Magic” taking shape as many of our survivors paid it forward by establishing nonprofit organizations, pursuing careers in healthcare and wellness, discovering their true callings, and leading fulfilling lives grounded in gratitude and a commitment to the greater good.  This is what we consider the true legacy of Wind River to be.

It’s been a wild ride to be sure!  There were lots of twists and turns, highs and lows, uncertainty (especially in the beginning) and adventure, but it always came back to the simple question before each retreat, “what would best serve this particular group of survivors”.  We are proud of the services we have provided to the cancer community and humbled by the friendships we’ve made but after dedicating over 17 years to supporting cancer survivors we recognize the need to step back, prioritize our own health, and see where our life journey takes us next.  We will continue nurturing our current friendships and supporting the cancer community in a variety of ways but we will be concluding the operation of our current programs and newsletter at the end of this year.

The good news (I should really say “wonderful news”) is that over the past decade, there has been an explosion of programs and interest in supporting survivor’s self-care, both during and after treatments. We couldn't be happier about this trend and knowing that our community of survivors will have the resources they need makes it easier for us to step back and let others continue our mission.

Words alone cannot convey the profound gratitude that fills our hearts. Our gratitude extends not only to the many survivors who have touched our lives but also to everyone who has become a part of the Wind River Family. We extend our deepest thanks for your open hearts and the friendships you've shared. While our initial mission was to support OTHERS on their journey, OUR lives were enriched with love, healing, and inspiration from each of you as well.

We wish everyone of our Wind River Family calmness, joy and an abundance of "trail magic" in all the adventures that lie ahead for you.

With the utmost gratitude and love,

Dave and Shannon

Co-Founders of Wind River Cancer Wellness Retreats & Programs
Offering Retreats and Outreach Programs to survivors at no cost to them since 2007
Top of Form

Healing Mandala Workshop presented in partnership with Wind River Cancer Wellness Programs.  We are excited to offer this workshop for cancer community members of the Wind River family. Space is limited so please register today.


When life feels like “too much” for us, when emotions or physical sensations overwhelm us, it is helpful to have some support to assist us in being in the here and now. We can use a strong energetic container to hold us, to hold our emotions, to help us hold it all so that we are able to be present with our feelings in a way that is more bearable for us. We can let a mandala hold it for or with us. We can let the Earth and nature hold us and our feelings. We can ask the Divine, by whatever name we use, to support us. And we can invite our community to hold us as well. The support of a strong container allows us to be more present with ourselves, our bodies, our emotions, so we can become aware of what our soul wants us to know so we can heal and grow.

Using mandala creation, grounding activities, guided visualization and discussion, we will explore the wisdom your body and emotions have for you.

​Register HERE - No Charge:  https://www.eventbrite.com/e/keeping-your-center-in-times-of-change-tickets-735672314697?aff=oddtdtcreator

WHEN: Sunday, October 29, 2023
2:00PM - 4:00 PM EST (1:00PM - 3:00PM CST / 11:00AM - 1:00PM PST)

WHERE: Virtual Workshop hosted on Zoom

Third Thursday each month – Sept. 21st, Oct. 19th. Nov. 16th
3PM – 4PM
​
By Kiesa Kay. A monthly series of supported exercises in writing, art, and dance that will help release past pain and reclaim our power.

https://survivorspace.org/events/healing-art-of-writing/


The Transforming Trauma Workshop is a monthly series of supported exercises in writing, art, and dance that will help us love ourselves and release past pain as we reclaim our power.

During this one-hour workshop on the healing art of writing, you’ll learn fundamental skills you’ll need on the journey of telling your own story. We’ll talk about creating a sustainable life, setting aside time for writing, shielding ourselves from reliving the trauma as we express it, and self-care. When you go hiking, you make sure to have plenty of water, sunscreen, and good shoes. When you go writing, you make sure to have plenty of courage, support, and good tools. This workshop will give you the basics for beginning, including writing prompts and information on how to pace and protect yourself. All participants also will have the opportunity to schedule a one-on-one session with the facilitator about specific projects. 

beautiful piece to help anyone who may find themselves in the presence of a loved one at the time of their transition ...


When someone dies, the first thing to do is nothing. Don't run out and call the nurse. Don't pick up the phone. Take a deep breath and be present to the magnitude of the moment. 

There's a grace to being at the bedside of someone you love as they make their transition out of this world. At the moment they take their last breath, there's an incredible sacredness in the space. The veil between the worlds opens.

We're so unprepared and untrained in how to deal with death that sometimes a kind of panic response kicks in. "They're dead!" 

We knew they were going to die, so their being dead is not a surprise. It's not a problem to be solved. It's very sad, but it's not cause to panic.

If anything, their death is cause to take a deep breath, to stop, and be really present to what's happening. If you're at home, maybe put on the kettle and make a cup of tea.

Sit at the bedside and just be present to the experience in the room. What's happening for you? What might be happening for them? What other presences are here that might be supporting them on their way? Tune into all the beauty and magic. 

Pausing gives your soul a chance to adjust, because no matter how prepared we are, a death is still a shock. If we kick right into "do" mode, and call 911, or call the hospice, we never get a chance to absorb the enormity of the event.

Give yourself five minutes or 10 minutes, or 15 minutes just to be. You'll never get that time back again if you don't take it now.

After that, do the smallest thing you can. Call the one person who needs to be called. Engage whatever systems need to be engaged, but engage them at the very most minimal level. Move really, really, really, slowly, because this is a period where it's easy for body and soul to get separated.

Our bodies can gallop forwards, but sometimes our souls haven't caught up. If you have an opportunity to be quiet and be present, take it. Accept and acclimatize and adjust to what's happening. Then, as the train starts rolling, and all the things that happen after a death kick in, you'll be better prepared.

You won't get a chance to catch your breath later on. You need to do it now. 

Being present in the moments after death is an incredible gift to yourself, it's a gift to the people you're with, and it's a gift to the person who's just died. They're just a hair's breath away. They're just starting their new journey in the world without a body. If you keep a calm space around their body, and in the room, they're launched in a more beautiful way. It's a service to both sides of the veil.

Sarah Kerr, PhD, The Center for Sacred Deathcare
​https://www.facebook.com/SoulPassages/videos/610729049323633/?t=59
https://sacreddeathcare.com/program/the-principles-of-sacred-deathcare/
August 2018

A Shout Out of Gratitude to Haylo's Healing Arts Lounge.

Wind River was the beneficiary of this year's Fire Party receiving over $1800 in support for our cancer wellness programs. Cheryl with the help of Deb Culler and Joanne Mason Trull lit the flame to fire patina 50 copper shields that guests personalized and wore home as a memento of the experience. We were so excited to hang out with Wind River alumni; Nikki Milgate, Brendan and Rebecca Scott, Deb Culler, Joanne Mason Trull, and Michelle Shrum. The love and support given to cancer survivors who visit Haylo is truly special and we were honored to be a part of the 8th annual fire party.
​

Cheryl Lecroy has been an integral part of the Wind River team for 10 years, providing survivor support in nutrition, cooking classes, retreat host, cancer coaching and so much more!  Thank you Cheryl!
​

Reposted from our partner and friends Lung Cancer Initiative of NC.  
Throughout May, we have celebrated #WomensHealthMonth by telling the many stories of the survivors, providers, advocates and countless others who impact the lung cancer community. We would like to close this month with Cheryl Lecroy.

Cheryl is a certified grower and board member of Slow Foods International, producer for Produce RX (a program where doctors prescribe vegetables for low-income, at-risk patients) founder of Creative Juices Consulting and breast cancer survivor. Cheryl has worked with Wind River Cancer Wellness Retreats coaching survivors and building programs on wellness since 2013. Cheryl brings a committed dedication and excitement to sharing wellness practices that enhance the lives and health of cancer survivors.

“This year marks our 6th lung cancer retreat in partnership with LCI, and with this experience, we have learned that lung cancer survivors are simply superheroes. We are honored to continue to offer a little Wind River Magic to the superheroes who attend this special retreat. When survivors attend a Wind River Wellness Retreat, participants come as strangers and leave as family, opening a world of connection, love, hope, and a powerful network to others.”

There are many women in our network of hope and action who provide us all inspiration, motivation, strength and support.


Apply now for our 2023 Wind River Lung Cancer Wellness Retreat