Our next immersion will be 16th to 23rd March 2025.
You can register interest now to experience our life-changing Lifestyle Medicine Immersion Retreat at the Yarra Valley Living Centre in Yarra Junction, Victoria.
Our immersion retreat lasts seven days, Sunday to Sunday. We make it that length so you have enough time to experience the wellness that follows eating a whole food plant-based diet and making a few other simple lifestyle changes. In less than a week, participants commonly report more energy, less brain fog, better mood, improved blood pressure, less bloating, improved sleep and reduced arthritis pain. Relief from pain is consistently reported, even among those already eating a healthy diet. The extra tweaks we suggest to participants to optimise health and the immersive week that includes all the domains of lifestyle medicine leads some of our participants to say it was the best week of their lives.
You can enjoy delicious whole food plant-based meals plus cooking demonstrations, yoga, meditation, films and benefit from the educational lectures by experts in plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine Dr Malcolm Mackay (General Practitioner), Jenny Cameron (Nutritionist & Wellness Coach) and Dr Peter Johnston (Dietitian).
Book your place at our nextimmersion 16th -23rd March 2025
See more photos of theYarra Valley Living Centre
Who comes to our immersions?
- Health-conscious people who want to learn how to achieve optimal health and well-being whilst preventing major chronic diseases using an evidence-based nutrition & lifestyle approach.
- People who want to improve their health and well-being but don’t know where to start or who to trust in the confusion of nutrition information.
- People who are suffering from a chronic disease such as type 2 diabetes, heart disease, or long Covid and are interested in learning how nutrition & lifestyle changes can improve these conditions.
- Those who want the reassurance of making significant lifestyle changes with medical supervision at hand 24/7
- Those who want to lose weight in a way that optimises health and is sustainable
- People who know how to lead a healthy lifestyle but struggle to put it into action.
- Those already on the healthy whole food plant-based path who love to have someone else prepare delicious meals and are looking for connection with like-minded people
- It is also for those who would like an inspirational holiday in a picturesque part of Australia where kangaroos and other native animals graze in the fields around the retreat centre.
Wherever you are on the health spectrum this immersion is the best way to kick-start your health transformation in a community of like-minded people. Check out the feedback from previous participants.
What you will learn
- How to use nutrition to achieve optimal health
- The role of lifestyle medicine in preventing and managing disease
- How to design a fitness program
- A calorie density approach to weight management
- Tips for shopping and label reading
- How to prepare simple and delicious plant-based meals
- How to overcome barriers to a healthy lifestyle
- The best resources to use to help you with this lifestyle
NB If you are unsure whether the lifestyle changes we recommend are right for you – you can relax in the knowledge that we support you however far you want go in a healthier direction.
2025 Prices ($AU)
- $2750 per person in a single-sex multi-share room
- $2850 small single room with no ensuite
- $2950 per person twin share
- $3600 single occupancy
What’s included?
- 7 night’s accommodation at the Yarra Valley Living Centre, Yarra Junction, Victoria
- Delicious whole food plant-based meals from Sunday night through to Sunday breakfast (special dietary needs can be catered for)
- Medical supervision (for those who need it)
- Plant-based nutrition and lifestyle medicine education sessions with a nutritionist, a dietitian and a medical doctor
- Nutrition and lifestyle medicine consultations
- Cooking demonstrations, a shopping tour
- Meditation and yoga classes
- Movies, walks and other activities
- Supportive, small group interaction
- Ongoing support for all participants via online meetings, webinars and an online support group
Not included:
- Transport to and from the venue
- Massage therapy (available for an additional fee)
A typical day will look like this:
- 6:45-7:45 Morning activity (optional): e.g. exercise class, yoga, walking
- 8:15-9:00 Breakfast
- 9:15-11:15 Morning presentation
- 11:30-12:30 Cooking demonstration
- 1:00 Lunch
- 2:00-4:00 Afternoon presentation/discussion/workshop
- 5:30-6:00 Meditation
- 6:15 Dinner
- 7:00 Movie night
- Download the most recent program
Dates in 2025
- 16th to 23rd March 2025
- NB This will be the only 7-day immersion at the Yarra Valley Living Centre in 2025
Register for our next Lifestyle Medicine Immersion16th to 23rd March 2025
Ask a question about the Immersion program
Can’t attend an immersion? Join our mailing list to be informed of other programs and events.
Want to ‘try before you buy’? Join us at our next 4-part online webinar series so you can get to know us. The next series is tbc. Cost $130 and we offer $50 off the immersion price to those who have done our webinar series. See Plant-Based Nutrition Webinar Series
The immersion is brought to you by Dr Malcolm Mackay and Jenny Cameron from Melbourne Lifestyle Medicine, Plant Based Health Australia with Peter Johnston from Perfect Human Food. Our team also includes vegan chef Julia Grueskin, personal trainer/functional fitness specialist Graham Elliss. and family therapist/trauma counsellor Larisa Freiverts.
