Opening
Description
The Psilocybin Journey Retreat at Orenda Path of Awakening is a sacred weekend designed for deep inner inquiry, emotional release, and spiritual transformation. This retreat blends ceremonial guidance, preparatory practices, somatic grounding, and gentle integration to help participants connect with higher consciousness, heal past patterns, and access insight that supports lasting personal growth.
Held with reverence, safety, and highly experienced facilitators, this retreat offers an intentional setting for exploring expanded states of awareness. Through guided ceremony, nature immersion, breathwork, reflection, and supported integration, participants experience clarity, connection, and awakening that carries forward long after the retreat concludes.
This is a weekend for those seeking depth, meaning, spiritual awakening, healing, and a renewed relationship with themselves and the world.
Who This Retreat Is For
This retreat is ideal for individuals who are:
Not suitable for individuals with certain medical or psychological contraindications. Screening through the Honor Yoga Foundation application is required.
01
Seeking emotional healing, spiritual connection, or a transformative experience
02
Ready for guided inner work supported by experienced facilitators
03
Feeling called to release old patterns or emotional burdens
04
Open to consciousness exploration within a safe ceremonial container
05
Looking for clarity, direction, or a shift in perspective
06
In need of rest, reflection, insight, and reconnection with purpose
Retreat Inclusions
- All meals
- All healing practices
- Your own bed in a shared room
- Group support circles
- Nature immersion
- Pre-retreat preparation
- Post-retreat integration support
- Orenda gift bag
- Retreat materials
- All sessions and workshops
- 2 nights lodging
-
Gourmet meals prepared by
Executive Chef Ashish Kapoor - Gentle yoga, restorative movement, & mindful breathwork
- Healing workshops and reflection sessions
Full access to all retreat spaces:
- Yoga studio
- Meditation loft
- Fire circle
- Nature trails
- Communal lounges
- Yoga studio
- Meditation loft
- Fire circle
- Nature trails
- Communal lounges
Travel
- Travel to and from Orenda is not included.
Retreat Schedule Overview
Sample Weekend Flow
(Timing intentionally general to support flexibility and presence.)
Arrival & Departure
Arrival
Fri between 1:00 – 2:00 PM
Departure
Sunday by 11:00 AM - 12 PM
Friday
- Arrival & check-in
- Opening ceremony & intention setting
- Gentle grounding movement
- Dinner
Saturday
- morning movement
- breakfast
- morning workshop
- lunch
- afternoon programming
- dinner
Sunday
- breakfast
- closing ceremony
- Departures
Accommodations
& Room Upgrades
All participants are guaranteed their own bed in a shared room with the minimum $500 donation.
Both spaces are warm, clean, & intentionally prepared for comfort and healing.
Shared Room Options (Included)
Chakra Bedroom
7 twin beds in a peaceful, ground-level shared room
Loft Bedroom
2 twin beds in a cozy loft space (requires ability to climb a ladder)
Private Rooms
(Available With Additional Donation)
Participants may upgrade to a private or semi-private suite by increasing their donation. Fundraising tools are available to support room upgrades.
Private rooms range from modest to premium-suite upgrades, depending on availability and donation level. Participants are encouraged to fundraise, seek sponsorship, or make an additional contribution to receive their preferred room.
Available Private
& Semi-Private Suites
Ahimsa Suite
A private sanctuary inspired by the principle of non-harm, offering warmth, softness, and a gentle atmosphere for deep healing and restoration.
Murphy Cabana
A charming standalone cabana offering privacy, rustic beauty, & a retreat-within-a-retreat feel—ideal for quiet integration & personal reflection.
Shanti Suite 1
A peaceful semi-private suite shared with one other participant. Spacious, calming, & designed to support both privacy & connection.
Karma Suite
Another serene semi-private suite offering comfort, soothing energy, and clearly defined personal space for rest and reflection.
Namaste Suite
A bright, harmoniously designed private suite that supports lightness, ease, and spiritual alignment throughout the retreat.
Prana Suite
A revitalizing private room infused with natural textures, clean lines, and peaceful energy. Perfect for participants desiring renewed vitality.
Mountain Suite
A serene, spacious suite with mountain views and calming natural light. Perfect for those seeking solitude, depth, and luxurious rest.
Ahimsa Suite
A private sanctuary inspired by the principle of non-harm, offering warmth, softness, and a gentle atmosphere for deep healing and restoration.
Murphy Cabana
A charming standalone cabana offering privacy, rustic beauty, & a retreat-within-a-retreat feel—ideal for quiet integration & personal reflection.
Shanti Suite 1
A peaceful semi-private suite shared with one other participant. Spacious, calming, & designed to support both privacy & connection.
Karma Suite
Another serene semi-private suite offering comfort, soothing energy, and clearly defined personal space for rest and reflection.
Namaste Suite
A bright, harmoniously designed private suite that supports lightness, ease, and spiritual alignment throughout the retreat.
Prana Suite
A revitalizing private room infused with natural textures, clean lines, and peaceful energy. Perfect for participants desiring renewed vitality.
Meet Your Facilitators
Maria Assunta Parrella
Ceremony Leader & Intuitive Guide
Maria Assunta Parrella is a clairvoyant, yoga teacher, and energy healer, and the founder of Honor Yoga and the Honor Yoga Foundation. With over 30 years of experience in spiritual leadership and intuitive guidance, she brings deep wisdom, integrity, and grounded presence to the ceremonial space. Certified in psilocybin integration, Maria weaves energy work, intuitive insight, and conscious awareness to support participants through meaningful inner exploration. Her work creates a safe, sacred container where healing, clarity, and transformation can naturally unfold.
Dena Gillespie
Ceremony Facilitator & Energy Healer
Dena is a Reiki Master, yoga teacher, and energy practitioner who brings warmth, intuition, and deep compassion to the healing space. With a background in nursing and lived experience as a special-needs mother, she holds a rare blend of clinical awareness and heart-centered presence.
Trained in Reiki, Shamanic Reiki, and 13th Octave sound healing, Dena supports participants in ceremony through gentle energy work, breath, and grounding practices that help the nervous system feel safe and supported. Her approach weaves together ancient healing traditions with modern mindfulness, allowing participants to relax into their experience and reconnect with their inner wisdom.
Robert Ponte
Ceremony Facilitator & Yoga Guide
Robert is a yoga teacher and mindfulness facilitator known for his grounded presence, steady leadership, and deep respect for the healing journey. Trained in Ashtanga yoga under David Swenson, his work is rooted in breath, embodiment, and the belief that lasting vitality comes from staying connected to the body and breath. In ceremony, Robert supports participants through gentle movement, breathwork, and energetic grounding, helping create a safe, calm, and supportive container for inner exploration. His balanced blend of structure and intuition allows people to relax, trust, and connect more deeply with their experience.
Ashish Kapoor
Director of Hospitality
Ashish creates nourishing, gourmet meals designed to support healing, deepen rest, and bring joy to the retreat experience. His cooking is an integral part of the nurturing environment at Orenda.
Lilyvette Pardo
VP of Retreat Participants
Lilyvette is your dedicated participant coach. She supports you before, during, and after the retreat. She helps with:
- Emotional check-ins
- Pre-retreat preparation
- Post-retreat integration
- Fundraising support
- Assistance with room upgrades
- Ensuring you feel held, guided, and supported throughout the journey
Her steady, loving presence is a cornerstone of the Orenda experience.
Christa Olson
Community Connector
Christa Lee Olson is an intercultural educator and facilitator with more than two decades of experience helping people reflect across cultures, find their voice, and connect through shared human stories. A former Senior International Officer, professor, and global engagement leader, she has spent her career convening groups, guiding meaningful dialogue, and fostering compassionate understanding. Christa brings her depth in intercultural reflection, her grounding yoga practice, and her intuitive presence to lead the Sacred Story Circle prior to each retreat, creating a safe and thoughtful space for participants to arrive, connect, and be witnessed.
Application Instructions
Your application is not complete until your deposit is received.
Once Steps 1–3 are complete, our team will review your application and notify you of the next steps.
Schedule Your Required 15-Minute Conversation
t the end of the application, you will find a link to schedule a short call with the Retreat Chair or Lead Facilitator. This conversation ensures the retreat is a supportive and appropriate fit and that we can meet your needs safely.
Submit Your Refundable $500 Deposit
A refundable deposit is required to complete your application. Your deposit holds your place while your application is reviewed, becomes your retreat donation if you are accepted, and is refunded in full if you are not accepted.
Request Hardship Support (Optional)
If you are experiencing financial hardship, you may request partial or full sponsorship directly within the application. No applicant is turned away for financial need. Sponsorships are distributed based on available funding and level of need.
Acceptance and Pre-Retreat Requirements
If accepted, you will receive your full pre-retreat packet, which includes safety and preparation guidelines, a packing list, optional journaling or pre-retreat practices, payment instructions if any remaining balance is owed, and details for your virtual group orientation. These materials will be sent once your acceptance is confirmed.
Request Hardship Support (Optional)
If you are experiencing financial hardship, you may request partial or full sponsorship directly within the application. No applicant is turned away for financial need. Sponsorships are distributed based on available funding and level of need.
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Mission Reminder
Honor Yoga Foundation is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit dedicated to reducing suffering and fostering healing through the practice of yoga. Through retreats, outreach, and purpose-driven studios, we help awaken the gifts within every human being.
Donor Assurance
All donations are tax-deductible as allowed by law. Every contribution supports our programs, scholarships, and community initiatives that bring yoga to those who need it most.
Honor Yoga Foundation
59 Lawrencia Drive
Lawrenceville
New Jersey 08648
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Mountain Suite
A serene, spacious suite with mountain views and calming natural light. Perfect for those seeking solitude, depth, and luxurious rest.