Join up to 14 journeyers for what alumni call the "most transformative experience" of their lives. Feel greater peace, love, joy, and harmony; learn how to flow with life's challenges; and manifest durable transformation in this 8 week journey, including:

• 6 day in-person retreat,

• 3 psilocybin mushroom ceremonies,

• 2 weeks of virtual preparation,

• 5 weeks of virtual integration,

• Inner Circle peer support groups,

• ongoing community access, and

• tax-deductible donation to Ceremonia church.

Awaken is the first of Ceremonia’s 3-stage Arc of Durable Transformation: Awaken, Heal, and Manifest. Our intention is to guide members to unimaginable levels of peace, joy, and spiritual connection while avoiding undue suffering.

Awaken’s 6 day  all-inclusive retreat includes experiential workshops at the intersection of psychology and spirituality, science and shamanism. Our objective is to facilitate safety and skill with surfacing, allowing, and being with what may arise in the psychedelic experience. The 6 day program is organized as Mind, Body, Spirit, Unity, and Integration informed by the latest technologies of psychotherapy and ancient wisdom of sacred shamanism. These tools then become integral parts of how we can relate with our feelings and triggers back in the real world to be our Highest Self instead of avoiding or suppressing. 

We gather in Ceremonia's sacred space in beautiful Denver, Colorado with a carefully curated group of amazing and loving souls. Awaken is suitable for members who have little to no experience with ceremony or psychedelic therapy as well as those who could benefit from a more guided transformational process. Our experienced facilitators and team of therapists have guided more than 300 founders, leaders, and creators through their transformational journeys with plant sacraments.

As a non-profit 501(a)(8) entheogenic church, your donation is tax-deductible. Visit our website for more information about Ceremonia and what sets us apart.

Ceremonia’s home offers a truly special campus for our journeys and your next event. The 8,800 sq. ft. space on 2 acres features a heated indoor pool, steam room, hot tubs, and large workshop spaces. Ceremonia is conveniently located halfway between Denver and Boulder just forty minutes from Denver airport.

• 40 ft heated indoor pool
• massive outdoor patios
• steam sauna
• cold plunges
• indoor hot tub
• outdoor hot tub
• koi pond and grotto
• meditation spaces
• 2 acres of land
• 10 minute walk to Standley Lake

Transformation begins within. Inside-Out Mastery is the process of deepening awareness, developing skills, and expanding capacity—allowing you to navigate both psychedelic experiences and daily life with greater clarity and resilience.

Mindfulness: Awareness Creates Choice

We can only change what we are aware of. Mindfulness sharpens present-moment awareness, helping us recognize our thoughts, emotions, and sensations without judgment. This foundation of safety allows us to explore deeper layers of our psyche and engage with life more consciously.

Skills: Tools for Navigating Experience

Real transformation requires the right tools. Inside-Out Mastery integrates evidence-based techniques from psychotherapy and psychospirituality, helping you move beyond suppression and avoidance. Whether it’s Internal Family Systems, Somatic Experiencing, or NLP, these skills empower you to embrace challenges instead of escaping them.

Capacity: Holding More, Growing More

The deeper we go, the more capacity we need. Expanding emotional and energetic resilience allows us to stay present in intensity, whether during a psychedelic journey or everyday struggles. By strengthening our ability to hold discomfort, we unlock greater joy, love, and personal power.

Beyond the Ceremony: Preparation & Integration

Psychedelics open the door, but Inside-Out Mastery ensures you can walk through it. Through guided workshops and practices, you’ll develop a sense of safety before your journey and the tools to integrate insights afterward—turning peak experiences into real, lasting transformation.

As a non-profit church located in beautiful Colorado, we provide access to these transformational experiences in a way that most providers cannot.

The sacred entheogens that we serve are integral components of the Ceremonia religion. As such, our sacred practices and use of these sacraments are protected by the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), which has been upheld in the Supreme Court in concern with other plant sacrament churches. Additionally, Colorado recently decriminalized psilocybin mushrooms and DMT (the psychotropic compound in Ayahuasca) on November 9, 2022 in Proposition 122.

Awaken is designed for members who have little to no experience with ceremony or psychedelic therapy. Within the retreat, our experienced facilitators serve the sacred entheogenic sacrament of psilocybin mushrooms in three ceremonies in accordance with the Ceremonia sacred practices. These are provided in escalating doses as an introductory on-ramp to the psychedelic experience.

Ceremonia is a non-profit, entheogenic church that combines the most advanced practices in psychology with the wisdom of sacred shamanism. Our goal is to produce deep and durable transformation in service of greater connection to one’s Higher Self—the Divine within—by facilitating a synthesis of science and spirituality through online mastermind trainings and experiential retreats.

 
Austin Mao (Co-founder & Head Minister) is a writer, speaker, serial entrepreneur, and certified psychedelic integration coach. Most recently, he was the Program Director and facilitator for 1Heart, a leading Ayahuasca retreat for thought leaders and founders. Since 2020, Austin has participated in the spiritual journeys of more than 300 entrepreneurs, including Fortune 500 executives and Silicon Valley Unicorn founders.

Zachary Cohen (Lead Facilitator & Minister) is a certified coach, and founder of Authentic Vermont, with a decade of experience guiding transformation and self-awareness. Since 2016, he has worked actively as a psychedelic facilitator, combining ceremonial wisdom, coaching expertise, and a deep connection to nature. Based in northern Vermont, Zachary’s approach is rooted in authenticity, fostering profound growth and connection in those he supports.

Supporting Staff include leading psychologists and psychedelic-assisted therapists.

"Working with Ceremonia was truly life-changing... the impact on my life, relationships, kids, and even business cannot be overstated. I don't just feel like a different person. I am a different person."

- Josh Linkner

5X Tech Entrepreneur, 2X New York Times Bestselling author, Venture Capital investor

See more reviews at www.ceremoniacircle.org/reviews.

"This weekend with Ceromonia was life changing... The space is beautiful and really fun; the other participants had great energy and open hearts; and the overall experience was magical... Highly recommend for anyone who wants to get to the next level and is looking for truly expert guidance!"

- Alex Raymond (CEO of Kapta & Host of the Conscious Entrepreneur Summit)

"This was a really beautiful transformative experience... there's a tremendous amount of growth that happened and ultimately, I'm just humbled and honored to have been a part of it... the type of work that transpired here has has the power to change the world because because we're changing ourselves... if you're looking for something different, that's going to require you to do something different. And and I know that I've experienced something truly magical here."

- Dillon Dygert (2x Exited Founder)

"I just feel much more integrated and free and open and very humbled for the path ahead.... living from a place of selflessness and from a place of love and abundance and selfless service and care and community.... it shows and you're just integrity and dedication is very inspirational and valuable for the world. Thank you"

- Elvie K (Head of Strategy at Major Financial Firm)

"Austin is incredibly caring, wise and experienced in this subject matter. He has taught me a great deal about psychedelic and plant medicine integration and has been instrumental to my own personal consciousness journey."

- Dr. Anna Yusim (Clinical Faculty, Yale Medical School)

Best-selling Author, Fulfilled: How the Science of Spirituality Can Help You Love a Happier, More Meaningful Life

"The retreat space, the retreat environment, invites an opportunity for growth, because you're around all different kinds of people from different backgrounds and different states and countries. And if you come with an open mind, you can receive a lot of healing and a lot of support. "

- Kathleen Hooper (Musician)

"It's really allowed me to relate to the world in a different facet with without having to try to figure it out myself. "

- David Coombs (Coach)

"As the CEO of a psychedelic medicine technology company, I'm so happy to have met Austin and developed both a deep personal friendship, as well as a fruitful working relationship with him... One attribute that is immediately obvious about Austin is his ability to balance both the theoretical and the emotional sides of personal growth... I am incredibly grateful to have Austin in my life, and couldn't recommend him more highly for anyone seeking the masterful blend of skills he offers."

- David Champion (CEO of Maya Health)

"[It] was the most profound experience of my life and having Austin hold space with such grounded, beautiful love, helped me to feel absolutely safe within my own, personal journey of self-discovery."

- Erik Oberholtzer (Founder & CEO, 58% Water)

"It was the combination of Austin’s spiritual and practical approaches that really freed me to continue my path. Understanding my physical body, my brain, and the interaction with the work, was crucial for me to grow and evolve... Simply put, Austin guided me into the work and has inspired and energized me weekly in the proceeding nearly two years. The beautiful symmetry of the leader and guide also seeking comfort, support and guidance from those whom he is leading became part of my blueprint; we all are on the path, we are all one, we are never alone, there is a way and all of us are guides in our own way."

- Matthew Horeczko (Attorney & Founder of Matt-Law)

If you complete our full program and still feel dissatisfied, you may request to receive some or all of your donation back. Deposits are non-refundable outside this guarantee, though they are transferable to future journeys. For more information visit our website: https://www.ceremoniacircle.org/journeys/guarantee

Note: Journey Scheduling and Cancellations

1. Minimum Participant Requirement: Each journey requires a minimum number of participants. If this number is not met, Ceremonia may cancel or reschedule the journey, providing at least 14 days' notice. In the event of cancellation, deposits are non-refundable but transferrable to a future journey, and any payments beyond the deposit will be refunded.
2. Date Changes: For journeys scheduled more than three (3) months in advance, Ceremonia may adjust the dates with at least 30 days' notice. If the new dates are not suitable, deposits remain non-refundable but can be transferred to another journey. Any non-deposit payments will be refunded upon request.