Wellness Retreat

Find stillness in nature with a day of self care.

Focus on your wellness and spend the day immersed in nature on the peaceful grounds of The Morton Arboretum. During this one-day retreat, attend to your mind and body with gentle movement, meditation, and reflection.

Research shows that time spent among the trees has clear benefits for our mental, emotional, and physical well-being. Set aside the rigors of your daily routine and take time for yourself with tai chi, meditation, yoga, and mindfulness workshops.

Light morning refreshments and lunch are included.

Retreat Sessions

Arboretum Yoga

Yoga can help release stress and improve your health and well-being. Participants will practice poses, breathing, and meditation while connecting to nature in the tranquil setting of The Morton Arboretum.

Tea Meditation

Rooted in Chinese, Japanese, and Vietnamese tea traditions, this guided tea meditation invites you to slow down, open your senses, and enter the ritual of brewing as a portal to inner clarity. With each pour, a story unfolds, drawn from myth, folklore, or ancient wisdom, paired with a koan (a contemplative riddle that lingers like steam above the cup).

Tai Chi

Move your body with the grace and confidence of the ancient tai chi masters who learned the secret of balancing yin and yang: strength with beauty, power with peace, endurance with flow. TaijiFit™ is a form of tai chi suitable for beginners. There is no routine or choreography to memorize or get right.

Forest Therapy

Awaken your senses and reconnect with nature during these mindful walks with a certified forest therapy guide. On the walk, experience a series of guided, gentle invitations to open the senses, cultivate presence, and invite healing interactions between people and the natural world. To finish, enjoy a closing ceremony with tea made from plants foraged from the forest.

Live Sound Meditation

Experience the mental and physical health benefits of live sound meditation at The Morton Arboretum. Find a comfortable seat, close your eyes, and allow the crystal singing bowls to interact with your body. The intention of this meditation is to support you in achieving a state of deep relaxation. No skills, abilities, or beliefs are required to receive the benefits.

This program meets in person at the Arboretum.

Instructors: Kristy Belton, certified forest therapy guide, Prairie Pathways; Beth Bengtson, certified forest therapy guide; Titi Joerres, yoga instructor; Dawn Nader, certified tai chi instructor, Elevate Tai Chi; Natalie Schilke, certified yoga instructor; Jay Taylor, owner, Current Vibrations

Age: 16 and older

Course number: WELL300

Instructors

Kristy Belton, certified forest therapy guide, Prairie Pathways

Kristy A. Belton is a certified forest therapy guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy, a native plants enthusiast, and an Illinois master naturalist. She loves engaging in earth-centered practices, whether through gardening, volunteering for the DuPage County Forest Preserve, or guiding people in forest therapy and outdoor yoga practices. She is the founder of Prairie Pathways, an organization that offers rewilding practices to reconnect people to the land they live upon. Belton holds a PhD in political science and has more than twenty years’ experience in higher education, serving in diverse roles.

Beth Bengtson, certified forest therapy guide

Beth Bengtson is a certified forest therapy guide through the Association of Nature and Forest Therapy. She was also an education program guide at the Arboretum for more than 15 years, teaching nature education programs for youth and adults in both lab and outdoor settings. She has certifications in natural history and Natural Areas Conservation Training (N-ACT) Program through The Morton Arboretum. She works with a volunteer steward group restoring the Arboretum’s East Prairie, and she leads students and youth volunteers on natural areas restoration projects. She has a BA in English from the University of Iowa and, prior to entering the field of nature education, worked professionally as a writer and editor. She still enjoys writing freelance and personal projects. Her work has been published in literary journals and various print and online publications.

Titi Joerres, yoga instructor

Titi Joerres has been a dedicated student of yoga since the early 2000s and has learned to apply yoga in all aspects of her life, on and off the mat. She has a master’s degree in education, a 500-hour yoga certification, and is nearing completion of qi gong training. Joerres is known for her terrible dad jokes, childlike spirit, and ability to create space for her students to be playful and connect with their true selves. At the same time, her calm demeanor invites students to slow down and embrace the beauty of life through simplicity. Mentored by Gabriel Halpern, Chicago’s “Grandfather of Yoga,” she aspires to stay true to yoga’s roots by incorporating all eight limbs of yoga in her teaching. She goes above and beyond to ensure that students of all backgrounds have access to yoga practices and the freedom to access their most authentic selves.

Dawn Nader, certified tai chi instructor, Elevate Tai Chi

Dawn Nader has more than 15 years experience as a student and instructor in Wushu, Yang Style Tai Chi, and Straight Sword, and she is a certified TaijiFit™ Method instructor. Her journey toward wellness through the Chinese martial arts provides a perspective on using mindful movement as an exercise to empower the mind, strengthen the body, boost the immune system, and improve the condition of the human spirit.

Natalie Schilke, certified yoga instructor

Natalie Schilke has been practicing yoga since 2010 and blends her love for nature and wellness into all of her teachings. She is a registered yoga teacher and also holds a certification in children’s yoga, aerial yoga, and horticultural therapy.

Jay Taylor, owner, Current Vibrations

Jay Taylor is the owner of Current Vibrations and has been providing live sound meditation since 2018. He has facilitated over 1,000 sound meditation experiences. Taylor’s intention behind each of these meditations has been one of service, guiding participants to feel a deep sense of peace, relaxation, and harmony. It is his philosophy that people are trying their best all of the time, and that expanding the version of best can be accomplished through the release of stress, healing of trauma, and the loving consideration of the body. Taylor lives in Chicago and can be reached at Current Vibrations.

Questions about Registration
630-719-2468
Registrar-ed@mortonarb.org
Weekdays, 9:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m.
Format
In person
Saturday, November 8, 2025, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.
Thornhill Education Center and Thornhill Shelter (parking lot P-21), West Side
WELL300
Cost: $140
Member cost: $119
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