Stream of Interbeing: Merri Creek Mindful Walking Day Retreat

A Day of Movement, Stillness, and Earth Connection

Step onto the land and slow your pace along the flowing waters of the Merri Creek.

When modern life feels fast or overwhelming, returning our attention to soil, sky, and water is one of the most restoring practices available to us. Traditionally known as a yatra (a meditative pilgrimage or sacred journey), this day retreat invites you to set aside everyday anxieties, ground your nervous system, and reconnect deeply with the living web of life. You may recall the Peace Walk earlier this year in the USA, which captures the spirit of this offering.

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Together in a supportive community of meditators, we will trace the waters of the Merri Creek downstream from East Brunswick to their confluence with the Birrarung / Yarra River at Yarra Bend Park. Through quiet movement, open-air reflection, and shared practice, we offer our attention back to the earth.

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What to Expect

Our day is designed around gentle rhythm, shared presence, and immersion in Melbourne's urban natural corridors.

• Mindful Group Walking: Silent, intentional walking along the unsealed and paved Merri Creek trails.

• Outdoor Practice: Short guided sitting meditations in peaceful green pockets along the route.

• Dharma & Reflection: Heart-centered Dharma offerings, nature connection invitations, and group sharing.

• Shared Pauses: Mindful morning tea and lunch breaks beneath the canopy of native trees.

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Fitness & Pace: The walk covers approximately 6 km over gentle, flat terrain with minimal gradient. A moderate level of general walking fitness is all that is required. To maintain the container of our shared practice, we walk as a collective group within earshot of one another.

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Gathering Details & Itinerary

• Date: Sunday, 3rd January 2027

• Time: 9:30 AM – 3:30 PM (Please arrive by 9:30 AM for a prompt 9:45 AM start)

• Start Location: CERES Community Environment Park (outside the Learning Centre garden), Roberts Street, East Brunswick.

• Finish Location: Yarra Bend Park (near Deep Rock Road), Fairfield.

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Practical Preparation

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What to Bring

• Food & Hydration: Pack your own water bottle, lunch, and morning tea snacks. We will be resting in natural spaces without nearby retail access.

• Comfort & Footwear: Wear comfortable, supportive walking shoes, layered clothing suitable for moving, and sun protection (hat, sunscreen).

• Weather Gear: Bring a reliable raincoat.

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Weather Policy

As an all-outdoor nature retreat, we practice in dynamic conditions. We will walk in light rain, so please dress appropriately. However, if extreme weather is forecast (dangerous winds, severe storms, or temperatures reaching 35°C or higher), the event will be postponed or canceled for group safety. You will be notified via email and SMS by the day prior, and any registration fees will be fully refunded.

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Transport & Parking

• Public Transit (Recommended): CERES is easily reached via the #96 Tram (Nicholson St) or the Blyth St bus line. At the end of our retreat, we will walk together to Victoria Park Station for easy train connections home.

• Vehicle Parking: If you drive and park at CERES in the morning, you can take the train/tram combination back to East Brunswick from the Yarra Bend area after we conclude.

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Generosity & Dana

In keeping with the ancient Buddhist tradition of dāna (generosity), the teachings on this retreat are offered freely by Suzie and Marion without a fixed tuition fee. Instead, the teachers rely on voluntary financial contributions to support their livelihood and ongoing work. At the conclusion of our day, you will be invited to offer a gift of dāna via cash or electronic bank transfer according to your means and heart's impulse.

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Facilitators : Susie Brown and Marion Miller

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About Suzie Brown

A lover of outdoor meditation, Suzie co-leads the annual High Country Walking 7-day retreat in the NSW Alps. She has been teaching in the Insight tradition for over a decade and completed Dharma Teacher Training in Australia with the Insight Meditation Institute and also with US Insight teacher, James Baraz (co-founder of Spirit Rock).  She also previously trained as a Mindfulness-Based Stress Reduction (MBSR) teacher. 

Suzie co-founded Melbourne Insight Meditation (MIM) in 2009 and now also teaches with Sydney Insight Meditators and offers retreats around Australia and online. Suzie has been a mentor in Jack Kornfield and Tara Brach's Mindfulness Mentor Teacher Training Program (MMTCP) - she now teaches in their online meditation platform, Banyan.

Suzie has also worked as a climate and environmental activist for two decades and was the co-founder of Parents for Climate. She regularly teaches Eco-Dharma and mindful approaches to dealing with climate anxiety and grief.

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About Marion Miller

Marion’s down-to-earth approach is informed by these core streams: Coaching, Mindfulness and more broadly the Insight Meditation tradition, Ecotherapy and The Work that Reconnects. She facilitates the Eco Leaders: Nature-based Mindfulness and Leadership 8-week online program with Insight Meditation Institute, as well as local circles for community, council and co-leads the seasonal Earth Circle day retreat in Melbourne. She is also a volunteer on the Insight Meditation Institute committee.

With over two decades of experience supporting individuals, communities and organisations across Australia, Marion is on a mission to support the flourishing of both people and our precious earth. Along with coaching, teaching and facilitating, she is a studio artist working from her Glen Iris studio, and is currently developing The Eco Retreat, a nature-based retreat, organic farm and regeneration project on 70 acres in Boonah, Victoria on the Surf Coast.