“It felt like a big shot of power and positivity for the soul.”
John – Recovering from Cancer – Weekend Retreat
Led by Dr Helen Reynolds, Specialist Clinical Psychologist, Dr Bhavna Oza, NHS Doctor and Dannie MacLennan, Project Coordinator, SeaChange Retreats are bespoke retreats for adults impacted by cancer. Through surfing, yoga, mindfulness and specialist workshops, we offer participants the opportunity to take time out for themselves β to strengthen physically and emotionally; to feel restored and nourished; and to build connections with others with similar experiences. Supported by research and evidence, and guided by feedback and consultation, we are proud to offer our retreats to the cancer community. Retreats are free for participants to access, funded through grants and donations. Come and join us!
βI was feeling low, tired and with a lack of motivation I nearly cancelled attending.
But I can honestly say it was the best day I have had.”
Debs – Recovering from Cancer – Day Retreat
An opportunity to rebuild physical strength and resilience through surf and yoga sessions, mindfulness practice and specialist recovery-focused workshops. Leave feeling physically and mentally nourished, connected, and better equipped to deal with the challenges posed by cancer recovery.
A specialist, restorative weekend for family and carers of adults with cancer. Take a break in the ocean, take a breath in yoga, and develop your self-care through our specialist workshops delivered by Promas CIC. A weekend of time out and nurture to build your resilience and connection with others.
A bespoke weekend for adults living with cancer. Immerse yourself in the ocean, build strength in your mind and body, re-discover yourself through dance, and connect with others with similar experiences. A restorative weekend of reflection and time out set on the beautiful Cornish coast.
Fantastic day. Relaxed, stress-free and fun. All my requirements were catered for. All the team were caring, supportive and good company. Would 100% do it again.
Sue – Recovering from Cancer – Day Retreat
Following consultation with adults recovering from cancer, cancer-care and carers specialists and in line with current research, we have developed a tailor-made program of activities and workshops to support wellbeing. Find out more below.
I love the idea that recovery can be fun! It gives you a way to release negative energy in a happy, light way, as a change from the exhausting mental slog that it can sometimes be.
Dee – Recovering from Cancer – Weekend Retreat
“I came to this day not sure. I left feeling on top of the world.”
Ralph – Recovering from Cancer – Day Retreat
Our mission at SeaChange Retreats is to ensure that we are delivering safe, effective and evidence based interventions. Each element of our program is founded on clinical research and consultation with cancer survivors and professionals working in the field of oncology. Find out more here about why we are doing what we are doing, and why we are doing it where we are.
“It was a lovely weekend and Iβll definitely come back. Thank you! Itβs been wonderful!”
Mags – Recovering from Cancer – Weekend Retreat
Although we are living in an uncertain world, we hope that all our 2021 retreats will be able to go ahead.
As a therapeutic support group, we are exempt from certain restrictions, meaning that we are still able to meet even whilst restrictions on meeting indoors are in place. To enable us to do this we will be operating in a Covid-secure way. This information will be shared with all participants prior to each retreat, relevant to the guidelines at the time. This is likely to include, for example, symptom checks prior to attending; wearing face coverings during indoor activities; socially distanced interactions; an emphasis on hand hygiene and sanitising of equipment.
Please see our cancellation policy for information about what will happen should we need to cancel a retreat, or if you need to cancel your attendance. If you have any questions, please donβt hesitate to contact us at info@seachangeretreats.org.
We know that different people have different fitness levels and treatment can seriously take its toll on our bodies. In order to help you to get the most from the sessions it may be helpful for you to think about your current physical mobility, and at what point in your recovery post-treatment our retreats would be manageable for you. It might be that you are βgood to goβ from the off, or it may be that the retreats offer you something to aim for further down the line. There is no βcut-offβ for when you can join us post-treatment, we know that recovery takes time.
Laying on our bellies and shooting along the waves horizontally (usually with huge grins plastered on our faces!) is great. For some, it is absolutely enough and we can stick at this, either on surfboards or bodyboards, whichever is more comfortable. For those that wish to try and surf standing up (the best bit if you ask Dannie and Helen), there is a little more skill and finesse involved, but it is entirely achievable! To help you know a little more about what this entails, the following talks you through the process of standing up and some of the mobility needed β this might give you a little bit of a guide as to when would be a good time for you to join us if you want to stand and surf.
In order to stand on a surfboard you need to be able to move through a range of positions. These include laying on or pulling yourself on to the board while it is in the water, laying on your front, pushing yourself up with your arms to a βtable topβ kneeling position, and then moving up into a standing position. Donβt worry, all of this can be done slowly, and we generally get everyone to practice each stage several times before they move on so that they learn what feels comfortable for them, and learn to balance on the board. Again, you are welcome to knee-ride, or sit on the board rather than trying to stand if this works better for you.
If you want to then progress your surfing to the next level, being able to paddle is the next goal. This means having a range of motion in your shoulders (think: front crawl on a board). Donβt worry though, we will be on hand in the water to help send you on some epic waves if this too much of a challenge.
Surfing does take energy and is a bit of a cardio workout β knowing that fatigue is common in recovery, we will make sure to schedule lots of breaks and keep sessions short to help with pacing energy.
All this is easier than it sounds, and we will guide you through it with hands-on support in the water. It may be useful for you to talk with your medical team prior to attending to help you to decide when would be a good time for you to join us. If you would like to talk with our team about this too, please do get in touch.
Concerned about how covid-19 might be affecting our retreats? Click here to find out more.