The Art of Facilitation Immersion
An Invitation to Deepen Your Skills
Introduction: A Clear Path to Facilitation
Facilitating ceremonies requires more than just guiding others through meaningful experiences. It involves learning how to hold space with humility, integrity, and care. Whether you work with plant medicines, psilocybin mushrooms, psychedelics, or other healing modalities, this journey demands personal growth and the ability to create supportive environments for others.
Becoming a skilled facilitator can feel like a solitary or unclear journey. You may find yourself wondering how to access mentorship, gain useful feedback, or balance personal growth with the responsibility of supporting others. The Art of Facilitation Immersion was created to address these needs by offering a learning environment rooted in mentorship, hands-on practice, and shared growth.
Over three months—including a six-day retreat in Malibu, California—you will have opportunities to develop your skills, explore your strengths, and refine your role as a facilitator. This program focuses on practical tools, teamwork, and fostering confidence in your facilitation style, no matter your chosen modality.
Whether you are new to facilitation and seeking foundational tools or an experienced guide looking to refine your skills, this program offers tailored support to meet you where you are.
Facilitation comes with its own set of challenges, no matter your level of experience.
If you are new to facilitation, you may wonder how to develop the skills and confidence needed to support participants effectively.
If you are an experienced facilitator, you might seek opportunities to refine your style, collaborate with peers, or gain new insights to strengthen your practice.
How do you gain hands-on experience in facilitation while ensuring participants feel supported?
Where can you find constructive feedback to refine your unique style?
How do you balance your personal growth with the responsibilities of guiding others?
What steps can you take to create safe, ethical environments for this work?
Without clear guidance or a supportive community, these questions can feel overwhelming. Recognizing and addressing them is a vital step toward becoming a confident and effective guide.
The Challenges: Navigating the Facilitator’s Path
The Solution: Why This Program Stands Out
The Art of Facilitation Immersion addresses these challenges by offering facilitators of all levels a practical, supportive environment to refine their skills, and deepen their understanding of this work. Through experiential learning, mentorship, and collaboration, the program equips facilitators with the tools they need to navigate their roles with clarity and care.
What Makes This Program Unique?
Real-Time Practice: Gain hands-on facilitation experience during ceremonies. Practice skills like grounding participants, managing group energy, and offering support during challenging moments—all while receiving guidance and feedback from experienced mentors and peers.
Music for Ceremony: Music is an integral part of this immersion. A team of skilled ceremonial musicians will guide participants in creating a supportive musical atmosphere during ceremonies. You’ll have opportunities to share your own music, and to collaborate with the team and fellow participants. Explore the art of channelling music effectively and collaborate with others to enhance ceremonies through sound healing techniques.
Hands-On Healing: For those with experience in energy healing modalities such as Reiki, there will be opportunities to practice hands-on healing during ceremonies, with guidance and feedback from mentors. The program emphasizes obtaining permission, respecting boundaries, and tailoring energy healing practices to the needs of each participant in ceremonial settings.
Supportive Community: Build lasting connections with a small group of like-minded facilitators who share your commitment to growth and service.
Cultural Teachings: Gain insights from ancient traditions. As part of the immersion, you will hear some parts of the creation story from the Yawanawá, offering valuable cultural and spiritual context for plant medicine facilitation. These teachings provide a deeper understanding of the lineage and wisdom that inform this work.
Ethical and Practical Foundations: Discover how to create safe, ethical spaces while maintaining clarity, boundaries, and integrity in your practice.
Personalized Mentorship: With direct support from experienced facilitators, you’ll receive guidance tailored to your unique path and facilitation style.
Integration Support: Post-retreat calls and one-on-one mentorship sessions help you reflect, integrate lessons, and refine your facilitation approach.
“This program is designed to provide both personal growth and practical training, ensuring that participants leave feeling prepared and supported in their journey as facilitators.”
Our Commitment
With a group size of just 10–12 participants, we are devoted to providing a transformative experience with personalized support.
High Mentor-to-Participant Ratio:
Benefit from individualized attention and guidance throughout the immersion, and a strong team of 7 facilitators at the in-person retreat.
Dedicated Support Team:
A full team will support your journey on every level.
Comprehensive Program:
Experience a balance of experiential learning, practical training, group calls, and one-on-one mentorship, all supporting your personal growth and healing.
Meet Your Lead Facilitator:
Dennis Notten
Dennis Notten brings over a decade of experience as a facilitator and mentor in plant medicine traditions. Originally from the Netherlands, Dennis began his career as a classically trained musician, performing internationally with renowned orchestras. While thriving in his career, he felt a calling to explore healing practices that aligned with his evolving purpose. This journey led him to Brazil, where he immersed himself in the teachings of the Yawanawá tribe and the Santo Daime tradition.
With the Yawanawá tribe, Dennis completed nearly two years of dieta—intensive periods of spiritual study and connection. During these times, he worked closely with several master plants and the energy of the serpent, often regarded in indigenous cultures as the Mother of All Medicines and a symbol of wisdom and transformation. These experiences provided Dennis with meaningful insights into balance, renewal, and growth, deeply influencing his approach to facilitation.
Passionate about preserving indigenous traditions, Dennis co-founded the Escola do Feitio in the Yawanawá territory—a school dedicated to reviving and maintaining the sacred art of preparing Ayahuasca. He was instrumental in planting over 2,500 Ayahuasca vines and 1,200 Chacruna plants in the Amazon rainforest, helping to ensure these vital plants and ancestral knowledge are preserved for future generations.
Having led more than 450 ceremonies worldwide, Dennis's approach is rooted in listening, integrity, and creating sacred spaces that honor Indigenous cultures. He believes that facilitation is about creating a space where others feel supported and seen—not about control, but about building trust and genuine connection.
As a mentor, Dennis emphasizes integrity, cultural respect, and experiential learning. He supports facilitators in uncovering their unique strengths, fostering collaboration, and navigating the responsibilities of this work with care.
In the Art of Facilitation Immersion, Dennis will guide participants through ceremonies, lead interactive workshops, and provide personalized mentorship. Drawing on his extensive experience, he will help participants refine their facilitation skills, cultivate a confident and ethical approach to their work, and navigate their unique journeys as facilitators. Dennis will also lead all Zoom calls and one-on-one mentorship sessions during the 3-month container, ensuring consistent guidance and support throughout the program.
The Program: A Transformational Journey
Starting April 2025
3-Month Program
6-Day Retreat in Malibu
4 Ceremonies
Preparation Phase
Group Calls:
Two 120-minute calls in early April to set a strong foundation and refine our intentions for our time together.
Get to know each other, discuss ethics, and prepare for the retreat.
Optional One-on-One Mentorship:
Personalized support for your readiness.
In-Person Retreat
From April 22–27, gather in Malibu for a six-day immersion.
Key Components:
Four Ceremonies:
Participate in two night and two day ceremonies with the Grandmother medicine.
Practice facilitation in real settings with guidance and feedback.
Facilitation Practice:
Hands-on experience in essential skills.
Receive valuable feedback from mentors and peers.
Workshops and Discussions:
Topics include creating safe spaces, trauma-informed care, and ethical practices.
Cultural Teachings:
Learn stories, sacred songs, and wisdom from various traditions.
Music Integration:
Collaborate with skilled musicians.
Share and develop your musical contributions to ceremonies.
Hands-On Healing:
Opportunities for those experienced in energy healing modalities.
Guidance on respectful and effective practices.
Collaborative Learning:
Co-create ceremonial spaces with peers.
Holistic Practices:
Optional yoga, meditation, and breathwork to support self-care.
Post-Immersion Integration
Group Integration Calls:
Four 120-minute calls in May and June for reflection and support.
One-on-One Mentorship Sessions:
Two personalised 1-hour sessions to refine your facilitation style.
Additional Resources:
Ceremonial playlists, a cookbook with ceremonial-friendly recipes, and a curated reading list.
What You Will Take Away
Practical Experience:
Real-world facilitation practice with support and feedback.
Meaningful Feedback:
Actionable insights to develop your unique facilitation style.
Personal Growth:
Deeper connection with your work and clarity in your role.
Collaborative Skills:
Tools to work effectively within a team.
Ethical Foundations:
Understanding of creating safe and respectful ceremonial spaces.
Supportive Connections:
A network of like-minded individuals committed to ethical practice.
Your Commitment
Program Dates
Preparation Calls: Beginning of April 2025.
In-Person Retreat: April 22–27, 2025, in Malibu, California.
Integration Calls: Four calls in May and June 2025.
Personalized Mentorship: Two one-on-one mentorship calls with Dennis via Zoom, scheduled during the program.
Time Investment
Preparation Phase: Approximately 2 hours per week.
Integration Phase: Approximately 4 hours per week.
Investment
We are committed to making this experience accessible.
Full Exchange Fee: $7,500.
Early Bird Pricing: $6,250 if you apply and make a deposit before February 1, 2025.
Sliding Scale Options: Limited spots available for financial support.
Payment Plans: Offered to enhance accessibility. Contact us at mail@sacredjourney.earth to enquire.
AN INVITATION TO BEGIN...
The path of facilitation requires care, intention, and a willingness to grow. If you're ready to develop your skills, gain practical experience, strengthen your self-awareness and build meaningful connections within a supportive community, we invite you to join the Art of Facilitation Immersion.
This program is open to facilitators across all modalities—whether you work with plant medicines, psychedelics, or other healing approaches. With limited spaces available, we aim to provide an intimate and personalized learning experience.
Join a community committed to growth, ethical practice, and shared learning. Together, we'll navigate the art of facilitation with clarity and purpose, equipping you with the tools and confidence to embrace your role fully.
If you have any questions about the program, we would love to hear from you. Please get in touch via: mail@sacredjourney.earth