7 Essentials Retreat

Bethany Retreat Center

AM
21 reviews
Sep 5 - 7, 2025
Group size: 1 - 25
7 Essentials Retreat
Bethany Retreat Center

21 reviews

Sep 5 - 7, 2025
Group size: 1 - 25

About this trip

The retreat starts at 5:30pm with dinner and ends Sunday morning. 


7 Stones: The Essentials of Well-Being as the Foundation of Your Spiritual Journey
A 3-Day Retreat on the Mountain – Fall in Pennsylvania

Reconnect. Recharge. Revitalize.


Nestled on top of a serene mountain in Pennsylvania, 7 Stones is a transformative retreat designed to reconnect you with your mind, body, and spirit. Set against the beauty of fall’s vibrant colors, this three-day journey invites you to recognize, appreciate, and honor all that you are—through mindful self-care, spiritual practices, and harmonious living. This is an opportunity to rejuvenate your body, refresh your mind, and deepen your soul's connection to God.


Embrace Your Fullness

In the embrace of nature, you will rediscover the essentials of well-being:

  • Food: Savor the delights of anti-inflammatory eating, crafted over an open fire. Learn how the right foods nurture the body and create balance for your spiritual life.
  • Movement: Strengthen your body and spirit with Tai Chi, Yoga, and Chi Gong. These gentle practices are designed to relax and invigorate you, helping you find peace and stillness within.
  • Creativity: Unleash your inner artist as you become a plein air painter, capturing the beauty of the world around you. Explore creative expression as a path to mindfulness and personal discovery.
  • Nature: Immerse yourself in the stillness of the mountain, where the rhythms of nature speak to the soul. Practice "Messages from Nature," tuning into the wisdom and tranquility of the environment.
  • Emotions: Master your emotions through both physical and reflective exercises that help you understand, express, and release what no longer serves you. Discover emotional freedom and stability.
  • Sleep: Cultivate restful, restorative sleep by creating a personalized sleep ritual. Delve into the art of dream interpretation and awaken your intuitive insights.
  • Spiritual Practices: Experience the deep peace of Centering Prayer and Lectio Divina, practices that originate in the ancient, mystic Christian traditions, that will strengthen your connection to God and center your soul.

The Path to Transcendence

Through these practices, you will learn how to integrate balance, joy, and contemplation into your daily life. Disconnect from the noise of the world, turn off the news, and tune in to the still, quiet voice of God within. This is a retreat that invites you to step out of the chaos and into a place of rest, renewal, and clarity. Here, you’ll rediscover your 

personal strength and the spiritual resilience that comes from honoring yourself in mind, body, and spirit.


Why 7 Stones?

The seven stones symbolize the seven essential elements of well-being that we will explore together—each one a cornerstone for building a healthy, balanced, and spiritually fulfilled life. Each moment of this retreat will guide you toward a deeper understanding of yourself and a closer connection with God.


Join Us

This retreat is for anyone looking to experience the healing power of nature, deepen their spiritual practice, and cultivate habits that support overall well-being. Whether you seek to reduce stress, enhance creativity, or simply live a more balanced and fulfilling life, 7 Stones offers a sanctuary of peace and growth. 

FACILITATOR BIO:

Elle Morgan is a passionate teacher, artist, and spiritual seeker, born and raised in the heart of Clearfield County, Pennsylvania. A proud resident of the countryside, Elle’s home is a newly renovated log cabin, originally built by her late husband. This cherished space is now in the process of being transformed into an artist and homesteader’s residency, a sanctuary for creativity, reflection, and personal growth.


For many years, Elle has been a dedicated educator, teaching Public Speaking and Theatre at Penn State and a number of Universities. In the Spring, Elle will retire from academia to embark on a new chapter of life. She looks forward to traveling to see her children and grandchildren in Boston, Brazil, and Albuquerque, while also attending and leading retreats in those places.

A certified yoga instructor, Elle’s journey toward well-being is grounded in mindfulness and movement. In addition to her yoga practice, she has also become known as an outdoor chef, delighting in the art of preparing nourishing, anti-inflammatory meals in nature. Elle’s love for cooking and nature come together in a way that invites people to savor both the food they eat and the environment they inhabit.


Through 7 Stones, Elle shares her wealth of knowledge and life experiences, guiding others on a path of mindful self-care, creative exploration, and spiritual connection. With humility and heart, she creates a space for personal growth and renewal, inviting each participant to honor their mind, body, and spirit in a way that leads to greater peace and balance.

What’s included

  • Breakfast
  • Lunch
  • Dinner
  • Lodging

Available Packages

7 Essentials Retreat
$275

Your Organizer


AM
Anawim Ministries (Bethany Retreat Center)
21 reviews
BETHANY RETREAT CENTER was established in 1982 by the Anawim Religious Community of Frenchville, Pennsylvania. It is a place apart to rest, renew and be recreated for those seeking a deeper relationship with God. Located on 140 acres of partially wooded land in the hills of Pennsylvania, the atmosphere is quiet and peaceful — only 15 miles off Interstate 80.

Reviews

Beautiful location and accommodations. The presenters were excellent and all expectations were met. I will definitely return.
By Brian O for 11th Step Retreat (March 2025) on Mar 18, 2025
The labyrinth retreat was absolutely amazing! It was well presented and well organized. The retreat center, food, staff and accomodations were perfect! I cannot wait to return. I have already told many people about my experience!
By Tammy B for Labyrinth Retreat on Mar 17, 2025
Excellent program. Mary is a wonderful leader who creates a safe place to explore our inner worlds. Thank you. And Bethany is simply lovely, perfect setting for retreats. Highly recommend!
By Kathleen M for Welcoming Forgiveness and Centering Prayer on Nov 01, 2024
This retreat was conducted by Mary Dwyer an excellent teacher and founding member of the Contemplative Outreach. I have been to separate retreats and one other with Mary. Both with Mary are highly impactful to my practice. Mary's experience leading retreats evokes a palatable sense of the Silence, a holiness arose around all of us until we broke the Silent on the last day of the retreat. A retreat full of long time meditators creates an environment thick with the Silence I came to meditate within. A retreat at Bethany provides a beautiful atmosphere for Contemplatives. Dwyer's command of the meditative techniques delivered within a hermeutic teaching method plant deep seeds I can't wait to realize.
By Paul B for Welcoming Forgiveness and Centering Prayer on Oct 27, 2024
It was a transformational experience. Nothing could have been better. Not the food, the setting, the people, the location, the weather.
By Dean T for Welcoming Forgiveness and Centering Prayer on Oct 24, 2024
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