8 Week Program
6 Day Retreat
3 Psilocybin Ceremonies
Awaken is the first of Ceremonia’s 3-stage Arc of Transformation working with the sacrament of psilocybin mushrooms. In Awaken, you will gain an awareness of your patterns, emotions, and limiting beliefs; feel self-empowered to move from victimhood to creatorship; and commit to pursue self-reflection and constant transformation.
Awaken is suitable for people who have little to no experience with ceremony or psychedelic therapy as well as those who could benefit from a more guided transformational process. Within the retreat, our experienced facilitators serve the sacred entheogenic sacrament of psilocybin mushrooms in three ceremonies. These are provided in escalating doses as an introductory on-ramp to the psychedelic experience.
The Path to Wholeness
Learn how our 8-week Awaken program accelerates the human experience towards self-acceptance, self-love, and abundant joy.
Testimonials
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"Working with Ceremonia was truly life-changing... Austin was the ideal guide to discover spiritual awakening... He was kind, supportive, professional, and caring. The perfect balance of mastery and compassion."
Josh Linkner
5x Tech Entrepreneur
2x NYTimes bestseller
Venture Capital investor -
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"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 -
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"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."
Anna Yusim, MD
Clinical Faculty, Yale Medical School
Best-selling Author -
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"[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 of 58% Water -
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"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
5 Day Sacred Retreat
Day 1: Mind
The day of the Mind contains workshops to help you question your limiting beliefs and transmute lower energies of shame, fear, and anger to courage, trust, and peace. You will feel an opening into a curated field of group safety and vulnerability through intentional authentic relating. This enhances your capacity for non-resistance to be with what is—an essential tool for the evening’s plant sacrament ceremony.
Day 2: Body
The day of the Body is designed to provide tools and experience around helping you release suppressed emotional energy. This introduces shadow work: the elevation of the lower energies of shame, guilt, fear, desire, anger, and pride into the light of awareness. You will learn tools from psychodrama and somatic psychotherapy that will enable you to trigger, release, and be with long suppressed energies in a healthy way. These tools will help you explore the depths of your Self within the evening’s plant sacrament ceremony.
Day 3: Spirit
The day of the Spirit begins with breathwork, cold plunges, and contrast therapy to simulate and overcome the fear of death, which is believed to be the source of all fear. You will then learn tools of meditation and and presencing to connect with one’s Inner Child and Highest Self without plant medicine. This, in turn, provides awareness of one’s internal sovereignty and power to create their reality that gets crystallized within the evening’s breathwork experience.
Day 4: Heart
The day of Heart starts with a special day ceremony where we celebrate life, relationships, and all the avenues that led us to this present, beautiful moment. All of the tools of the Mind, Body, and Spirit integrate into your Inner Power to accept, allow, and love your Self for the perfection that you are. The day carries into workshops on conscious creatorship and abundance: a pathway to manifest our Highest Vision of love, joy, and peace.
Day 5: Soul
Finally, the day of Soul ties everything together by grounding a new way of being discovered through the Preparation and Retreat. The Integration workshops provide tools to translate the ineffable, felt-sense experiences within the psychedelic experience into actionable tools that can be employed in daily life. We practice these tools by intentionally acting out triggering situations so that our members can respond healthily with intuition instead of reacting with impulse back at home.
8 Weeks of Preparation & Integration
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Online Preparation Course
Training videos, psychospiritual readings, consciousness exercises, meditations, rituals, routines, and health/nutrition guidance
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Preparation Workshops
Two 1.5-hour Full Circle Preparation workshops that develop shared foundations and community
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Online Integration Course
Psycho-spiritual readings, practicums, accountability tools, meditations, rituals, and routines
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Integration Calls
Four 1.5-hour Full Circle Integration calls that continue support and guidance after a transformational retreat
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Inner Circle Peer Groups
Five 1-hour Inner Circle peer group calls led by expert facilitators for more intimate sharing and accountability
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Community Access
Our growing community of creators who have also awakened their Higher Selves, sharing resources, support, and love
Sacrament: Psilocybin Mushrooms
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Psilocybin mushrooms are fungi that contain the psychoactive compound psilocybin, a naturally occurring psychedelic capable of producing powerful experiences.
We believe that psilocybin mushrooms are uniquely suited to accelerate communion with Wholeness, the quality of enlightenment that represents the complete integration of all parts of one’s self in service of complete acceptance and unconditional love of Self–which is, in a non-dual state, complete unconditional love of all beings.
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Psilocybin mushrooms have a long history of use in spiritual and religious rituals, dating back to pre-Columbian Mesoamerican cultures. Despite Spanish attempts to suppress their use, indigenous shamans in Mexico and Guatemala continued to use psilocybin mushrooms in secret for over 400 years. Swiss chemist Albert Hofmann isolated psilocybin from the mushroom Psilocybe mexicana in 1959 and it was marketed for use in psychedelic psychotherapy. The popularity of psilocybin as an entheogen grew in the 1970s due to increased availability of information on mushroom cultivation. However, research into its effects was hindered by increasingly restrictive drug laws.
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Psilocybin is the active compound in certain mushrooms which causes mind-altering effects such as euphoria and perceived spiritual experiences. The compound is converted by the body to psilocin, which has therapeutic effects. It is being studied as a potential treatment for depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress disorder, addiction, and other disorders. The FDA has designated psilocybin as a "breakthrough therapy" for depression. The potential therapeutic effects of psilocybin may be due to its ability to reset the brain's control system, the Default Mode Network, which is overactive in certain mood disorders such as depression and anxiety.
Meet the Team
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Austin Mao
Program Director & Head Minister
Austin Mao is a renowned psychedelic facilitator and keynote speaker, bridging science, spirituality, psychology, and shamanism. As co-founder of Ceremonia, Colorado's pre-approved psychedelic healing and facilitator training center, he has guided over 500 individuals, including Fortune 500 executives and industry leaders.
Austin has spoken and taught on stages around the world, including TEDx, Mindvalley, and major psychedelic conferences.
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Dr. Gerry Grace
Clinical Facilitator & Lead Instructor
Dr. Gerry Grace, Ph.D., is a psychotherapist and spiritual director with over 25 years of experience in trauma-based care, integrating psychological science with spiritual wisdom. A passionate advocate for uniting the mind and heart, he draws from integral theories, wisdom traditions, and plant medicines to support deeper healing and spiritual awakening. As a trainer in evidence-based PTSD treatments and a dedicated researcher of plant medicine’s potential, Gerry bridges science and spirituality to enhance human awareness and presence.
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Clayton Ickes
Lead Clinical Facilitator & Minister
Based in Boulder, Colorado, Clayton Ickes has supported over 150 individuals through transformative psychedelic experiences. A Licensed Therapist (LSW) with more than eleven years of dedication to the field, he has held key roles in the psychedelic community, including President of the National Board of Psychedelic Club. Trained in Clinical Psilocybin Facilitation, Experiential Psychedelic-Assisted Somatic Therapy, and more, Clayton offers a grounded, heart-led approach to healing and is set to be one of Colorado's first licensed clinical facilitators.
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Zachary Cohen
Lead Facilitator & Minister
Zachary Cohen 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.
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Kedar Shashidhar
Lead Facilitator & Minister
Kedar Shashidhar is a certified Relatefulness facilitator, coach, and founder of Relateful LA, known for blending Western psychology with ancient spiritual traditions to foster deep emotional and relational growth. Creator of The Unshakable Self, Kedar empowers leaders to cultivate resilience and relational intelligence for thriving in modern complexity. As a musician, he combines global medicine songs with Indian classical improvisation, using music as a powerful medium for healing and connection.
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Nicole Derseweh
Facilitator
Nicole Derseweh is a medicine woman, intuitive healer, and integration coach with nearly a decade of experience guiding transformational ceremonies. Trained in Internal Family Systems (IFS), somatic therapy, and Reiki, she blends ancient wisdom with modern healing modalities to help individuals awaken to their true selves. Having studied under renowned shamans, including Shipibo Maestra Estela in Peru, Nicole holds a deeply sacred and compassionate space for healing, connection, and personal transformation.
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Ethan Babbage
Facilitator & Coach
Ethan Babbage, NBC-HWC, is a National Board Certified Health & Wellness Coach and Ceremonia’s Journey Manager, where he oversees retreat operations and facility management. With over a decade of plant medicine experience and training from Blue Morpho Academy, Ethan has supported hundreds of clients as a psychedelic guide and integration coach. Combining holistic mental health expertise with Internal Family Systems and meditation, Ethan takes a heart-centered approach to guiding others on their transformative journeys.
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David Angel
Facilitator & Coach
Since 2018, David Angel has guided deep emotional healing through a blend of ancient wisdom and modern therapies. Initiated on sacred Incan land in the Ausengate mountains and trained in the Peruvian jungle with revered healers like Curandera Daniela Riojas, Maestro Camarampi, and Ashaninka Maestro Charini, his journey unlocked the power of energy clearing. Integrating indigenous practices with approaches like Internal Family Systems, dream unfoldment, and Circling, David empowers authentic inner healing.
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Peter Benjamin
Coach
Peter Benjamin, ACC, is a transformational coach and co-founder of the Avalon Coaching Institute, with over a decade of experience leading 1,000 workshops and retreats in communication, transformation, and embodied partswork. Renowned for sparking deep connections, Peter’s expertise lies in fostering transformative relationships through experiential learning and group dynamics. His dedication to personal and professional growth has made him a sought-after leader in the fields of coaching and human development.
Content vs. Process
More than 95% of our participants share that this is the most transformative experience of their lives. With this extraordinary opportunity comes an equally extraordinary responsibility. We believe that tools from psychology and psychospirituality are essential for safe and durable transformation.
The foundational framework for Awaken is the Hawkins’ Map of Consciousness. This Map by renowned scientist and spiritual teacher David Hawkins offers our participants a tool to discern what they are experiencing, be with what is, and escalate to higher states through the pathway of surrender. In this way, we are able to transmute our content through a process of responsibility, acceptance, love, and ultimately peace.
Our Sacred Space
Community
Imagine sharing what our alumni call “the most profound experience of my life” with others embodying the same powerful transformation. What bonds could be formed?
When you invest your energy into a Ceremonia journey, you are also joining a community of incredible humans that have dived into the innermost corners of their hearts. Together, we have breached the limiting beliefs that have barricaded us from our Highest Selves. Together, we have embraced, cried, screamed, danced, celebrated, and contemplated the cosmos. Together, we are stronger, more resilient, connected, and empowered.
Together, we celebrate the ceremony of life.
Alumni Gallery
FAQs
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We believe that psilocybin mushrooms have a more gentle, familiar, and manageable experience than Ayahuasca or other sacraments. This can allow an easier transition into the transpersonal space of connection with one’s Higher Self as well as support in working with more challenging psychedelic experiences.
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We are a non-profit entheogenic church that serves plant sacraments to facilitate connection with one’s Higher Self, which we believe is the source of divinity. 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.
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Ceremonia’s ministers and facilitators guide the experiential retreat and group calls. We also invite expert psychotherapists, spiritual teachers, and plant medicine facilitators to support in the creation and facilitation of the program.
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Each stage of Ceremonia’s 3-stage arc of Awakening, Healing, Manifesting requires completing the prior training. Qualifying for the Awakening training is on a per application basis. In general, if you are serious about doing The Work and do not have any contraindications with the sacraments, we would love to have you.
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We work with a variety of creators from entrepreneurs to artists, visionaries to psychologists, and even other plant medicine facilitators.
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Studies show that group therapy is as effective if not more so than individual therapy. The group dynamic provides a field of vulnerability, accountability, and shared experience that can enhance the feeling of safety for each individual in the group. In addition, group experiences unveil insights and tender moments that may shed light on unseen corners of an individual’s consciousness.
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Our programs usually fill up within a month of the retreat. The deadline to sign up is two weeks before the in-person experience.
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Yes, Ceremonia is a non-profit 501(a)(8) church. As such, all donations collected are tax-deductible including the donations for the journey or scholarship program.
Blogs
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Content vs. Process: the Key to Durable Transformation
“Content” are the emotions, stories, beliefs, and challenges that come up in therapy and ceremony. “Process” are the tools by which we can transmute our content into love and peace. While the felt-sense of a new way of being with your content is the compass, the process is the map on how to get there.
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The Human Experience: the Mind, Body, and Spirit
The human experience consists of three layers: the mind, body, and spirit. The mind is a sharp tool. The body experiences emotions and projects intuition. The spirit is the ever-present, incorporeal knowing that is Love.
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Modern Enlightenment: How to Awaken, Heal, and Manifest
This talk presented by Ceremonia co-founder, Austin Mao, presents the 3-stage Arc of Transformation of Awaken, Heal, and Manifest towards living a more joyful, peaceful, love-filled, and purposeful life.
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The Pursuit of Wholeness
Wholeness is more than a state of being. It is a practice of persistently feeling truly and deeply. It stems from a value of consistently honoring one’s Self, allowing the beingness of life to exist, and surrendering pain before it becomes suffering.
Money Back Guarantee
Money Back Guarantee
More than 95% of our participants have expressed that this is one of the most transformative experiences of their lives. We 100% guarantee your satisfaction with our journey or you investment back.