What’s Happening?
Toowoomba’s Queens Park and Botanic Gardens have become the setting for the city’s first yoga-poetry trail.
Running until 28 June, the trail invites park guests to move through the gardens at their own pace. Along the way, they can read poems and try related yoga poses in a calm outdoor setting.
The idea comes from local yoga teacher and poet Heather Smith, known as The Yoga Poet. She published her debut yoga-inspired poetry collection last year, One Day: Poems of Resilience, Revival and Rapture.
The trail is also being held in the lead-up to International Day of Yoga on 21 June. It sits alongside a four-day program at The Write Gallery, inside The Lighthouse at 126 Margaret Street, Toowoomba.
Why It Matters?
The trail gives locals a free and gentle way to enjoy Queens Park through movement, words and reflection.
It also brings Heather’s work into a public space, making poetry and yoga more accessible to the wider community. Her book is described as a reflective and playful collection inspired by life on and off the yoga mat.
One Day opens with the line, “One day I walked the dog over a bridge and found a warrior…”
That mix of everyday life, movement and meaning sits at the centre of the Toowoomba trail.
Local Impact
The project adds a creative wellbeing activity to one of the city’s best-known parks.
Families, walkers, yoga lovers and poetry readers can take part without needing equipment or prior experience. The trail is free, self-guided and spread across Queens Park and the Botanic Gardens.
The gallery program also gives locals a chance to meet Heather and hear more about the book. It includes an exhibition, a birthday celebration, chair yoga and children’s sessions.
By The Numbers
- The Queens Park and Botanic Gardens trail features 10 installations, each pairing a poem with a related yoga pose.
- One Day brings together 32 poems with illustrations and Sanskrit descriptions across a 144-page book.
- The Write Gallery will host 4 days of free events from 20 to 23 June, with sessions for adults, children and the wider community.
Zoom In
The Write Gallery program gives locals several free ways to connect with Heather Smith’s work during International Day of Yoga week.
Events will be held at The Write Gallery, inside The Lighthouse at 126 Margaret Street, Toowoomba.
- Yoga-poetry exhibition- Saturday 20 June to Tuesday 23 June, 10 am to 3 pm
Visitors can view selected excerpts from One Day, along with Smith’s reflections on their origin and meaning. - Opening celebration and birthday event- Saturday, 20 June, 2 pm
The free event is open to everyone. Bookings are appreciated for catering through TryBooking. - Chair Yoga with a Dash of Poetry- Sunday 21 June, 11 am to 11.45 am
A free adults session with gentle chair yoga, stretching and poetry in a relaxed setting. - Mindful Movement with Metaphors- Monday 22 June and Tuesday 23 June, 3.45 pm to 4.45 pm
A free children’s session for ages seven and over. Bookings are essential through bit.ly/kidsyogapoetry.
Parents are welcome to stay and join in, or drop children off and return. The children’s sessions will cover breathing, mindful movement and ways to express thoughts and feelings through words.
Zoom Out
Heather’s work brings together poetry, yoga and personal reflection in a form that feels close to home.
Her book, One Day, includes copper foil embellishments and is positioned as a gift or keepsake. Free local delivery is available for Toowoomba orders, while a $10 flat rate applies for other Australia-wide destinations.
By linking the book with Queens Park and The Write Gallery, the project places local creativity in shared community spaces.
What To Look For Next?
Locals now have until 28 June to follow the yoga-poetry trail through Queens Park and the Botanic Gardens.
The event may open the door for more creative wellbeing experiences in Toowoomba’s public spaces.
