Help Dear Jack fully fund 2022 programs for young adult cancer patients and survivors.
Open to young adult survivors (age 21-39 years old) and their partners who are one to three years removed from their last day of treatment, Dear Jack Foundation’s Breathe Now Wellness Retreats harness the transformational powers of yoga, meditation, and psychosocial breakout sessions to help couples renew, learn, and grow as they live their lives together post cancer.
These four-day retreats are professionally guided and thoughtfully designed to foster community and connection, both individually and as a group, through daily yoga and mindfulness practices, psychosocial sessions, and nutritional support, with an emphasis on healing the mind and body.
Due to overwhelming response, all 2022 Breathe Now retreats are currently full.
Please contact us if you are interested in learning more or becoming notified of future retreat dates and locations.
The following is our upcoming Breathe Now Wellness Retreat schedule for 2022.
Inn at Rancho Sante Fe: October 7-11, 2022
To qualify to attend a Breathe Now retreat, we require:
Below is a sample schedule of what a typical day may look like at a Breathe Now retreat:
*This is a sample schedule only and is subject to change.
We will announce 2022 retreat dates and locations in late fall 2021. Please complete the interest form to be notified of future retreat opportunities.
Locations for our Breathe Now retreats change from year-to-year. Typically we focus on Colorado, Arizona and California. We are always working to identify additional locations.
During the retreat, couples will participate in group sessions facilitated by our skilled clinicians to support them as they grow through survivorship together. Our Breathe Now Retreats utilize perspectives and theories supported by acceptance and commitment therapy, narrative therapy, group therapy techniques, and targeted couples-based interventions. Couples are encouraged to acknowledge the challenges they’ve encountered, their values as a couple, and the strength they have shown during their cancer journey.
No, absolutely not. We just ask that each participant is physically able (and willing) to participate in yoga as well as the other activities, like moderate hiking.
Dear Jack will work with the retreat venue to meet each participant’s dietary requirement to the best of our ability. If accepted to attend a retreat, you will have the opportunity to submit your menu selections prior to arriving at the retreat.
Dear Jack Foundation covers all costs for the retreat with the exception of travel to and from the resort destination, rental cars, and hotel incidentals (snacks and drinks that are not part of the provided breakfast, lunch and dinner each day).
The Breathe Series is an on-demand, free library offering educational videos to grow or enhance your skills in yoga, meditation, and breath work.
Feeling stressed? Stuck in a waiting room? Looking to wind down after your day? These videos are designed to be watched whenever you need them. Experienced yogis, those brand new to experimenting with mindfulness, and everyone in between will find useful guidance and support in this video series.
These videos are designed to be watched wherever or whenever you may need them, and you do not need anything to actively participate. However, below are some things that you might want while you participate.
Helpful Items to keep nearby:
These videos are designed to be watched whenever you need them. Experienced yogis, those brand new to experimenting with mindfulness, and everyone in between will find useful guidance and support in this video series.
In this class we define yoga and break down some basic poses while learning to breathe with ease.
This class is good to try at any stage of the cancer journey. We stay low to the ground (laying, seated and tabletop) while focusing on joint release, gentle flexibility and softening the body and mind.
This class involves standing poses and works on stability, balance and growing through what you’re going through.
This class moves slowly through a combination of grounded and standing yoga postures. When we practice moving slowly and fluidly on the yoga mat, we can embrace more of the flow in life.
This is a gentle, restorative yoga class. You are invited to check-in with yourself, soften and honor your body with Gratitude. We spend our time together in grounded poses either on our backs, sit bones or tabletop while learning how to navigate post treatment side effects. Always consult your medical practitioner first for clearance and consult yourself to be honest about contraindications.
There is a dual focus for this class. Physically we learn functional movements to restore range of motion in the shoulders chest while strengthening the back and core. There is also an invitation to connect with the heart space and the loss of something near and dear to the heart. It is suggested to take this class at least 4 – 6 weeks post treatment and to be gentle as you stimulate movement in tight areas.
Neuropathy effects 30 – 40% of people post chemo. This practice will bring you into connection with your body to work through sensations and/or numbness in your fingers, hands, toes and feet.
Lymphedema is caused by a backlog of lymph that is waiting to be pumped through the system. This class focuses on using dynamic movement and breathwork to stimulate the flow of energy in your body which helps with moving lymph through the areas where lymph nodes clean waste (neck, armpit/axillary, groin, behind knee).
This class introduces you to your breath more intimately. First we learn how to pay attention to our breathing and how to breathe properly. Then we practice how to control the breath in different ways. When we feel in control of our breath, it can feel like we have a greater sense of control in life as well.
This is the special breath we use in yoga. It is known as Ujjayi breathing or victorious breath because it can help during challenging yoga poses. The breath moves through the nose only and is audible, sounding like an ocean wave or Darth Vader.
Sama Vritti breath involves equal length inhales and exhales. Meditating on moving the breath in and out equally helps calm the whirlpools (vrittis) of the mind. This is an easy breath to tap into anytime to create a greater sense of balance.
This complete breathing practice focuses on moving breathe into the belly, ribs and chest to expand into the whole torso. This breath is fluid in nature and expands the diaphragm and lungs.
This breathing practice uses mantra (repetition of words/phrases) in sync with breath. It’s a like a meditation with the breath that invites in healing and peace.
This breathing practice focuses on alternating inhales and exhales through each side of your nose. The left and right side embody different energy and we need both to feel most in balance. Learn how to cleanse your channels and breathe intentionally to balance your body, breath, and mind.
Mindfulness is a buzzword but what does it mean? Meditation is a way to practice mindfulness. Through this introduction you will learn how to live more mindfully. It takes practice but once you know, you know.
This meditation practice teaches the proper seated position and how to take yourself internal through withdrawing senses. You will learn how to meditate using breath and how to simply begin again if thoughts pass into mind like clouds in the sky. It is a good basic meditation to try a few times and notice how it resonates.
This meditation uses visualization of warm, golden, healing light to promote a sense of healing within your body. There is strong scientific backing of the use of visualization and efficacy of outcome which is why athletes use it for sports. Meditation is a training method for conditioning your mind – body connection so give visualization a try.
This meditation creates a sacred space for caregivers so they fill their compassion cup back up. Self care is self love and to love others takes careful care of oneself. This space values duality behind getting real about the challenges of caregiving while also honoring the beauty of taking care of someone you love. The light and love in me honors the same in you – Namaste.
Deep Relaxation is a meditation that allows you to lie down, get comfortable with pillows, blankets and props while moving into a yoga sleep. This is a state of consciousness where you are aware of the subtle parts of your body and also at complete physical rest. This kind of meditation allows your parasympathetic nervous system (rest and digest) to go online and it is said that 30 minutes of Deep Relaxation/Yoga Nidra is as refreshing as 3 hours of sleep. I recommend that everyone try the Deep Relaxation because slowing down is hard to do and it’s lovely to put the brakes on the stress response for a little while.
Questions? Please email Director of Programs, Kayla Fulginiti:
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