Welcome to Pilgrims' Virtual Therapy Centre!

Pilgrims Wellbeing team aim to support you to be as well as you can; physically, mentally and emotionally. So, we are bringing a little of what we do in our Therapy Centres into the comfort of your own homes.

We hope it gives those of you who are unable to come in to see us a chance for you to get involved and feel connected.

We offer a range of pre-recorded sessions including relaxation, yoga, tai chi sessions, creative art sessions and exercise groups, so there is something for everyone. New programmes and one-off 'guest spots' will be added regularly, so please keep coming back to see what we're up to.

We also have two Zoom groups each week; one for patients and one for their family and friends.

We welcome any feedback, including suggestions of what you might like to see here, and would love to see any art / writing you are doing as a result of the groups. Please send anything you would like to share to [email protected].

How to get involved

Getting involved is simple.

We have a range of groups that anyone can access from our Pilgrims Virtual Therapy Centre YouTube channel. These are pre-recorded, but if you have any queries or comments after watching, please call us on 01233 504 133 or email us at [email protected].

For the live groups, you will need to have downloaded Zoom onto your phone, tablet or home computer. Please see our step-by-step instructions below if you need help doing this. If you are a patient at Pilgrims, please contact us and ask for a referral to the Virtual Pilgrims Therapy Centre, stating the group(s) you wish to attend. A member of our team will be in contact with you to give you the code and password needed to access the group. These are for patients of Pilgrims only, so please do not share these as it is important we protect the privacy of our patients and their loved ones.

Class descriptions

We all know that relaxation is beneficial to our body and mind and can help with many symptoms such as pain, fatigue, anxiety and breathlessness. However, most of us struggle to get into a good habit of regular practice. These videos are designed for you to follow along with our team members, taking you through a variety of relaxation techniques. There’s something to suit everyone!

This group teaches gentle movement and controlled breath using yoga techniques and guided visualisation. Yoga has been shown to have beneficial effects on anxiety, fatigue and some pain. Choose the class that suits your ability:

Video 1 – Seated yoga exercise class
Within this class are gentle exercises in a sitting position that combine breathing techniques with movement. As well as improving flexibility and balance, this can alleviate feelings of anxiety, fatigue and pain whilst promoting a general sense of wellbeing.

Video 2 – Chair-assisted standing yoga exercise class
Within this class are gentle exercises in a standing position using a chair for support. Movement is combined with breathing techniques, which helps to improve flexibility and balance whilst promoting a general sense of wellbeing.

A seated exercise class to help strengthen muscles and maintain function for everyday activity.

A home circuit exercise class where each exercise is designed to match your ability.

Writing is good for you! It can help clarify thoughts and feelings, improve mood and positivity, bring more focus to the mind, change your perspective on things, and through all these help you manage stress. No previous writing experience is needed.

We understand that you might not be leaving your home or going far at the moment, so join us for an exploration through nature. We will take you through the hospice gardens, on woodland walks and even down to the sea!

Join our Wellbeing Practitioners each week as they demonstrate a new art and craft idea that you can try with things you have around the house. Expertise is not needed, just a willingness to have a go! We hope you will send in a picture of your completed works of art so we can host a virtual gallery.

Our shared reading group is a place to relax and enjoy the texts being shared and the discussion that follows. There is nothing to read in advance, the group leader will simply read a short story and a poem aloud, which the group will listen to and chat about. You can just sit down and enjoy listening - there’s no pressure to read aloud or join in the discussion, although you are very welcome to do both. There is often a lot of re-reading of the texts, particularly the poems, and some group members like taking a turn to read aloud.

These groups are relaxing, absorbing and create a time and a place for personal contemplation.

You supply the coffee and cake and we’ll bring the chat! Our virtual café is a chance to talk with our Wellbeing Practitioners and other people accessing Pilgrims' Wellbeing services. It’s a lovely way to end the week.