Adult Opportunities

Wellness Retreat

Find stillness in nature with a day of self care.

Content Detail

Focus on your wellness and spend the day immersed in nature on the peaceful grounds of The Morton Arboretum. Attend to your mind and body with a full day of sessions focused on 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 meditation, yoga and mindfulness workshops.

Light morning refreshments and lunch are included.

Registration closes Monday, November 2, 2026. Register early to reserve your spot.

Retreat Sessions

Kundalini Yoga

Kundalini yoga is a practice that combines physical postures, breathwork, mantra chanting, and meditation. It is designed to help you connect with your inner energy and raise awareness of your body and mind. By working with the breath, movement, and sound, this practice can support your overall well-being and encourage deeper self-awareness and relaxation. It’s a holistic approach to mindfulness that can be both calming and energizing.

A Traditional Chinese Tea Ceremony Demonstration

According to Confucianism, the art of tea is as much transformative on an introspective level as it is on a ceremonial level. The practice of drinking tea originated in China, using the leaves of the Camellia shrub. Cultural educator Yvonne Wolf will share about the origin of tea, its role in East Asian social interactions, and its many health benefits. With a demonstration of two varieties of Chinese tea, including a decaffeinated option, participants will engage in the ritual of tea handling, tea ware, and tea making, and enjoy a tasting session.

Mindful Mobility Stretch and Flow

Reconnect with your body and the natural world in this 60-minute practice designed to restore balance, flexibility, and ease. The session begins with a calming meditation to anchor your awareness in the present moment, helping you move with the grace and resilience of nature. Using a combination of standing and chair-supported exercises, we’ll explore stretches, mobility flows, and use gentle strengthening to release tension and awaken your natural range of motion. Each class is guided by a nature-inspired intention—such as stillness, growth, or renewal—encouraging harmony between your inner landscape and the world around you.

This program meets in person at the Arboretum.

Instructors:  Mandy Caverzasi, dance instructor; Laura Jaramillo, certified yoga instructor; Yvonne Wolf, owner, Chinese Intercultural, LLC

Age: 16 and older

Course number: WELL300

Instructors

Mandy Caverzasi, dance instructor

Mandy Caverzasi studied dance and choreography at Bryn Mawr College and trained to teach yoga at the Sivananda ashram in Kerala, India, and later with Yoga Detour. Her classes combine mindfulness, mobility work, and flow for a feel-good practice that is accessible and effective. She loves working with active, older adults, breaking down complicated movements and putting them together again. She is experienced working with adults with neurological conditions like Parkinson’s, M.S., and Alzheimer’s, and is skilled at building community. She also participated in the Dance Exchange’s 2025 Creative Aging Institute.

Laura Jaramillo, certified yoga instructor, Laura Listens, LLC

Laura Jamarillo is a licensed clinical professional counselor. She hopes that the work she does in this world will allow people to fully love and accept themselves. She specializes in working with a variety of different anxiety disorders including eating disorders. She is a tree hugger, a mom, a yogi, a lighthouse, a friend, and always a student. Learn more at Laura Listens.

Yvonne Wolf, owner, Chinese Intercultural, LLC

Yvonne is an intercultural consultant and founder of Chinese Intercultural, LLC. She offers professional intercultural training, helps businesses to expand their outreach, and shares the knowledge and skills she has acquired. Yvonne has lived in four different countries, including Japan, and is fluent in Chinese-Mandarin, English, and Danish. She was born in Taiwan, educated in the US and Europe, and is a native Chinese speaker.

What to Know

This program meets indoors and outdoors. Check the forecast and dress for the weather. Wear comfortable clothing and shoes, and be prepared to walk on wood-chipped trails and in grass.

Light morning refreshments and lunch are included. Most dietary restrictions can be accommodated.

Please bring something to write in and with, a yoga mat or blanket, and a water bottle.

Registration closes Monday, November 2, 2026. Register early to reserve your spot.

See Education Program Policies for information about cancellations, refunds, and scholarships.

Program Schedule

Saturday, November 7, 2026, 8:00 a.m. to 3:00 p.m.

Thornhill Education Center (parking lot P-21), West Side

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When a trip to the Arboretum inspires you to explore more, become a member to visit again and again.

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