Ayahuasca Retreat in Austin, TX
Ayahuasca Church USA
AYAHUASCA IN AUSTIN, TEXAS
AN AUTHENTIC SPIRITUAL EXPERIENCE
New Life Rising is a nonprofit 501(c)(3) church dedicated to carrying the spiritual traditions and teachings of ayahuasca into our culture with reverence and integrity. We are honored to bring our signature top-rated ayahuasca retreats to Austin, Texas.
Ayahuasca Retreat in Texas
After more than a decade of hosting ayahuasca retreats in Costa Rica, New Life Rising now calls Texas home. Our ayahuasca church in Texas offers the opportunity to experience this sacred work in an authentic, intentional, and deeply supportive setting, without the need to travel internationally to Costa Rica or Peru. Our approach is rooted in four core principles: Safety, Intimacy, Tradition, and Integration.
Our Texas ayahuasca retreats are an invitation to step away from everyday life, turn inward, and deepen your connection with God, spirit, and yourself. We honor the immersive nature of this work by approaching ayahuasca with patience, respect, reverence, and intention.
Our retreats are intentionally designed with spaciousness and care because we have witnessed that the most profound benefits of ayahuasca come not from rushing healing, but from living it. With a full day of rest and reflection between ceremonies, there is time to slow down, process what has emerged, and allow the experience to unfold naturally before returning to the medicine.
Through experienced facilitation, integration circles, group sharing, and continued post-retreat support, we help participants carry the insights of their experience beyond the retreat and into meaningful, lasting change in their everyday lives.
Become a Member
We warmly invite you to become a member of New Life Rising Church, a 501(c)3) interfaith spiritual community for those seeking a deeper, personal connection with God through intentional practice, prayer, and communion with the sacred sacrament of ayahuasca.
Join our community to receive church updates, invitations to ceremonial offerings, monthly gatherings, and opportunities to connect more deeply with our shared spiritual path.
What to Expect
A THOUGHTFULLY PREPARED EXPERIENCE FROM START TO FINISH
From preparation to integration and everything in between, we've considered every element to maximize the spiritual benefits of ayahuasca by blending ancient healing wisdom and modern therapeutic practices.
Allow yourself to fully retreat into an experience that is designed to nurture you every step of the way.
What's Included:
A SAFE, INTIMATE & TRAUMA-INFORMED HEALING EXPERIENCE
This is deep work, done right with experienced facilitators, small groups, and real support.
New Life Rising is honored to be recognized as one of the top-rated ayahuasca retreats in the world. After more than a decade of holding transformative retreats in Costa Rica, we are now bringing our work to the United States to share this sacred spiritual practice with those seeking a deeper connection with God, personal healing, self-discovery, and growth.
As we began designing our program, one thing stood out to us about ayahuasca retreats in the United States: most are offered as weekend experiences, with two or even three ceremonies squeezed into just a few nights. Then, before there is any real time to rest, reflect, or process the experience, the participants are sent home and expected to step right back into everyday life by Monday morning. That approach leaves little room for genuine communion, real integration, or the depth of support that sacred work like this deserves.
It was surprising to see how common these weekend-style retreats have become. While we understand the appeal of trying to fit such a profound experience into the demands of modern life, rushing the process really does a disserviece to your
Recognizing the need for deeper & supportive healing opportunities, we've decided to bring our signature ayahuasca retreats to the United States. These immersions are designed to offer space for reflection, connection, ceremony, and community, creating a more grounded and meaningful path for those called to this work.
Join us at New Life Rising Ayahuasca Retreat Texas for traditional ayahuasca ceremonies. It's an opportunity to deeply connect with yourself and heal in a serene environment.
OUR MISSION & VALUES
SINCE 2014
Sharing the magic of this medicine is a great honor and a great responsibility. Ayahuasca has been the catalyst for every great transformation in our lives, and we are committed to guiding others on their journey to healing. We accept people from all walks of life in a non-judgmental environment.
As individuals who have had trauma experiences, we understand the importance of having a safe space that encourages vulnerability for authentic self-reflection and discovery. Healing can be painful, and we are here to support our guests so that they feel seen and held throughout the process.
For more than a decade, we have committed ourselves to this path, and we respect the Peruvian Mestizo traditions that have been handed down from our teacher and his teacher before him. As part of that tradition, we complete master plant dietas that give us the tools necessary to create a protected sacred ceremonial space.
We hope to help you find a renewed sense of peace and joy in your life as you embark on a beautiful journey to uncover your full potential.
SAFETY
PHYSICAL & ENERGETIC
Safety extends beyond the scope of medical considerations. It includes a protected ceremonial space and energetic safeguarding.
Your safety is our highest priority. From our comprehensive screening protocols to the meticulous preparation of the ceremonial container, you are protected every step of the way. We keep emergency medical equipment on site and our staff are trained in emergency response protocols. Using a trauma-informed approach, we create a protected energetic space and have the knowledge and experience to support even the most difficult experiences.
TRADITION
PERUVIAN MESTIZO TRADTIONS
Trained in the ancient Mestizo practices, we bring authenticity along with a balance of masculine and feminine to our space.
We honor a spiritual lineage of highly respected shamans, including our teacher Don Ron Wheelock, and his teachers before him: Don Agustin Rivas Vasquez and Don Jose Coral Mori, who also mentored Pablo Amaringo and Eduardo Luna, the authors of 'Ayahuasca Visions'. Through master plant dietas, Jeanae and Matt have gained powerful spirit allies and work in harmony, expertly weaving a playful balance of masculine and feminine energies.
INTIMACY
14 GUESTS - ONE SHARED PATH
The people you share this experience with will forge lifetime bonds and will impact your experience as much as the medicine itself.
Keeping the groups intimate ensures that we are able to provide everyone with individualized attention and create an atmosphere that feels like family. We also keep our groups small to ensure that we can manage the energetic container of each ceremony. Our retreats have a minimum of 4 facilitators: Our Ayahuasqueros Matthew and Jeanae, who lead the ceremony, along with 2 additional helpers: one female to assist the women and a male to assist the men.
INTEGRATION
MAKING THE HEALING LAST
Respectful, intimate group sharing circles begin the process of integration, and the support continues once you return home.
Our share circles are a place where each guest’s experience is honored and held with respect. We listen in supportive silence, and allow each guest to put words to their experiences, to feel their emotions, and to receive the loving support of their community. However, we know the work doesn't stop there, so we offer two follow-up integration calls, ensuring you have the guidance and connection needed as you navigate bringing your experience into everyday life.
THE GUIDES
Matt and Jeanae have been working with plant medicine since 2014. It was through ceremonial work that they met and where their love was forged.
Together, they have been trained through a powerful lineage of healers in the Peruvian Mestizo traditions going back generations. Matthew and Jeanae are deeply dedicated to their path and continue to grow in their work by traveling to the Amazon every year and completing master plant dietas. These dietas allow them to connect with the great spirits and receive insightful teachings and medicine songs called Icaros. They use these tools and songs in the ceremonies to guide the participants through the ayahuasca experience.
Matthew possesses a strong intuition and is highly sensitive to energetic subtleties. These skills allow him to adapt the songs of the ceremony to meet the energy needs of the room. Jeanae has a very gentle and nurturing energy. Her singing and flute playing invite softness into the space. Matthew brings a grounded masculine energy, while Jeanae brings a motherly feminine energy, creating a perfect balance and play between the two polarities.
To provide responsible ceremonies, we limit our ayahuasca retreat size so that the energetic space is maintained with respect to each individual's experience. Jeanae and Matthew lead each ceremony with love, compassion, and a desire to share the beauty of the sacred medicine with all who seek healing.
Your physical and emotional safety are our highest priority.
While ayahuasca is safe when used properly, there are a few medical conditions and medications that are contraindicated with ayahuasca. Every participant is asked to complete a medical questionnaire over the phone to ensure the safety of our ayahuasca retreats. In case of emergency, Matt and Jeanae are certified in CPR and have training with the use of our AED (Automated External Defibrillator).
Our small groups enable us to provide quality service and attention to every guest. Each ceremony is supported by 4 team members : Our ayahuasqueros, Matthew and Jeanae, who drink ayahuasca with each group to help guide the experience and 2 additional helpers, who do not drink during the ceremony and are there to assist any participant that may require attention. A male responds to the men and a female responds to the women, ensuring that everyone feels safe and comfortable during such a vulnerable and emotional experience.
Ayahuasca in Texas: Legal Status, RFRA Protections, and Retreat Opportunities
Ayahuasca is a traditional plant brew from the Amazon that has gained increasing recognition for its potential to support personal growth and emotional healing. At the same time, its traditional use has always been deeply spiritual, serving as a way to commune with God, connect with the spirit world, and receive guidance beyond the ordinary realm. In the United States, its use navigates a complex legal landscape, balanced by protections under the Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA).
What is Ayahuasca?
Ayahuasca is a ceremonial brew traditionally used by indigenous communities in South America for centuries. It combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with Psychotria viridis leaves, resulting in a potent mixture that creates a visionary state. Participants often report profound insights, emotional release, and a sense of divine connection during guided ceremonies. While ayahuasca remains classified under federal law as a Schedule I substance, its application in sincere religious or therapeutic contexts continues to evolve, offering pathways for safe and meaningful experiences.
The Role of RFRA in Protecting Ayahuasca Use
The Religious Freedom Restoration Act (RFRA), enacted in 1993, plays a pivotal role in safeguarding religious practices involving ayahuasca. RFRA prohibits the federal government from substantially burdening an individual's sincere religious exercise unless it serves a compelling governmental interest and is the least restrictive means of achieving it. This legislation has enabled certain religious groups to obtain exemptions for ayahuasca use, emphasizing respect for spiritual traditions while addressing public safety concerns. As a result, RFRA provides a legal foundation for communities to incorporate ayahuasca into their practices, fostering an environment where faith-based healing can thrive without undue interference.