AWAKEN: Sacred Plant Journeys for Gay Men
A 7 day retreat in Costa Rica for gay men seeking to let go of old wounds and reconnect with their most authentic selves through guided ceremony, music, embodiment and integration
We guide you from “not being enough” into compassion, and wholeness.
900+ participants have joined Qasa so far
What Awaken Is
Across 7 days, participants are guided through sacred plant ceremonies. These are intentionally held spaces for deep inner work, with respect for indigenous wisdom, while honoring the needs of modern GBQT+ men. Led by experienced facilitators, each ceremony is designed to be trauma-informed and grounded in consent and care.
These immersive retreats invite you into profound connection – with yourself, with community, with the earth, and with something greater.
It is a non sexual space created to help you feel safe, present, and supported as you explore greater clarity, belonging, and aliveness.
Deep Inner Work
Guided journeys, reflection, and embodied practices that support clarity and reconnection.
Queer Centered Space
A space designed specifically for gay men, grounded in belonging, consent, and care.
Fully Private Container
All retreat activities and meals are exclusive to your group.
Integration Focused
Preparation, support during the retreat, and integration after you return home.
Feel held by the land
Waterfalls, jungle air, quiet reflection, nature is always part of the journey.
No Pressure. Plenty of Choice.
You are in charge of your pace. Everything here is opt in.
AS SEEN ON
Two Sacred Paths, One Shared Intention
Awaken offers two retreat paths. Each one works with a different sacred plant tradition and each one has its own feel, but both support the same deeper intention: reconnecting with your wholeness, clarity, and aliveness.
Choose your journey:
🌿 Grandmother Vine
A guided journey known for depth, surrender, inner listening, and powerful perspective shifts that can help you see your life with greater honesty and clarity.
Often chosen by men who feel called to a deeper, more intense path of reflection and release.
When:
Apr 19 – 25 / July 26 – Aug 1, 2026
🍄 Mycelial Muse
A guided journey known for heart opening insight, emotional release, creative reconnection, and gentle but profound inner exploration.
Often chosen by men who want openness, clarity, and a softer entry into deep inner work.
When:
May 17 – 23, 2026 / Aug 9 – 14, 2026
Both paths are held with care, preparation, and integration in a fully private, queer centered container.
Why Men Come to Awaken
We’ve welcomed more than 900 men to our retreats.
All Qasa experiences center on:
RECONNECT
with yourself in a safe, queer affirming space
Step
into greater clarity, purpose, and self trust
Deepen
your connection to inner wisdom and the living world
Move
old stories and patterns that no longer fit
Experience
embodiment practices that spark creativity, self expression, and joy
Remember
what it feels like to be fully alive in your body and your truth
The Arc of the Journey
Prepare
Before you arrive, we support you with screening, practical guidance, and intention setting so you can come in grounded and informed.
Experience
At Qasa, the journey unfolds through guided ceremony, embodiment, reflection, nature, rest, and connection.
Integrate
What happens here matters because of how it lands in real life. Integration is part of the retreat, not an afterthought.
The Arc of the Journey
Prepare
Before you arrive, we support you with screening, practical guidance, and intention setting so you can come in grounded and informed.
Experience
At Qasa, the journey unfolds through guided ceremony, embodiment, reflection, nature, rest, and connection.
Integrate
What happens here matters because of how it lands in real life. Integration is part of the retreat, not an afterthought.
Meet Your Facilitators
Awaken is guided by experienced facilitators who hold this work with depth, integrity, and care. Each retreat is supported by a team committed to safety, presence, and a truly queer centered experience.
Rocky Heron
Rocky Heron is an artistic wonder – a singer, songwriter, yoga instructor, and alignment coach with an ability to weave together community through devotion and skillful embodiment.
Ash Ruiz
John Jacob Mubarak
John Jacob Mubarak is a passionate advocate for holistic healing and integrates the power of sacred plants, breathwork, psychology…
Publio Valle
Rafael Gondim
Rafa is a native of Brasil and a lifelong seeker of healing, connection, and transformation. His journey has led him through diverse landscapes…
2026 Retreat Dates
After you apply through the screening process, you can choose the retreat path and date that feels right for you.
April 19 to April 25, 2026
Grandmother Vine
Facilitators: Rocky Heron, Publio Valle, Rafael Gondim
May 17 to May 23, 2026
🍄 Mycelial Muse
Facilitators: Rocky Heron, John Jacob Mubaraki
July 26 to August 1, 2026
🌿 Grandmother Vine
Facilitators: Ash Ruiz, Rocky Heron
August 9 to August 14, 2026
🍄 Mycelial Muse
Facilitators: Rocky Heron, John Jacob Mubaraki
What’s Included
Retreat Experience
- Guided ceremonies
- Embodiment, movement, and meditation
- Integration circles and reflection practices
- Preparation support before arrival
- Post retreat integration support
- Community connection throughout the week
Stay + Logistics
- 6 nights of accommodation
- Chef prepared meals and tropical beverages
- Ground transportation to and from the airport
- A fully private retreat container
- Access to the Qasa community
Investment starts at $2,950 (all included)
Stay at Qasa
All cabins are handmade primarily from locally-sourced bamboo, and while they are protected from the elements and enclosed in mosquito netting, they are open air and have spectacular views of the jungle. Private and shared accommodation options are available.
Room options include shared 4 bed cabins, shared twin cabins, private king cabins, and private deluxe cabins.
Our Retreat Amenities include
Spectacular waterfalls
Enjoy six major waterfalls within walking distance along the Diamante River.
Beautiful yoga shala
Our shala space is a beautiful covered bamboo structure reaching out into the jungle with a direct view of the Diamante waterfall.
Communal bathroom and showers
All cabins share a beautiful bamboo bathhouse with hot water
Communal 5 person outdoor shower
3 private individual showers
Gym
Comprehensive collection of free weights (machines and cardio not available).
Pristine Nature
Located on a gorgeous 300-acre property in one of the world’s most biodiverse places in Costa Rica.
Abundant hiking
Explore several kilometers of private hiking trails right on the property.
On-site bodywork
Care for your body with a massage or energy work complimented by relaxing sounds of nature (additional cost).
Massages offered in your cabin or in our outdoor massage temple.
IS THIS FOR YOU
Awaken is the right fit if you:
- Want a safe, queer centered container for deep inner work
- Are open to ceremony, reflection, embodiment, and integration
- Value consent, privacy, and community
- Want to explore at your own pace
- Are looking for something deeper than a vacation or party
This may NOT be a fit if you
- Want a purely hedonistic or unstructured experience
- Do not want screening, preparation, or integration
- Are looking for pressure, performance, or intensity for its own sake
- Are not open to a consent forward group container
You are in charge of your pace.
Everything here is opt in.
You can participate from the edges.
Research Spotlight: Psychedelics & LGBTQ+ Wellbeing
We proudly partnered on a prospective naturalistic study exploring the impact of a 7 day psychedelic retreat experience for LGBTQIA+ participants.
This research matters because queer communities have long been underrepresented, and at times harmed, in psychedelic spaces. Our role in this work reflects Qasa’s commitment to safety, inclusion, and experiences designed with queer people in mind.
Key Findings:
Mental Health
Participants reported significant reductions in depression, anxiety, and stress - improvements that persisted at the three-month follow-up.
Quality of Life
Measures of psychological, social, and environmental wellbeing all increased, with many describing a greater sense of stability, purpose, and joy in daily life.
Spiritual Connection
Many experienced a deepened sense of meaning, connection to something larger, and a renewed relationship with their own inner wisdom.
Self-Compassion & Authenticity
Participants reported feeling more comfortable in their identities, more self-accepting, and more willing to express their authentic selves.
Beyond the numbers, personal accounts revealed themes of belonging, liberation from shame, and profound emotional release. Many participants described the retreats as life-changing, offering both immediate breakthroughs and tools for continued growth.
This section shares findings from one prospective naturalistic study. Our retreats are non medical experiences for personal and spiritual development, and we do not diagnose, treat, or guarantee outcomes.
More Ways to Experience Qasa
Awaken is one path into deeper clarity and reconnection. Qasa also hosts other experiences for gay men centered on embodiment, adventure, play, and belonging. If Awaken is not the right fit, our team can help you find the experience that is.
🌱 Awaken
Sacred plant journeys for clarity, renewal, and deep inner work.
🔥 Unleash
Embodiment, touch, and conscious sexuality in a consent forward container.
🌴 Out & Wild
Nature, adventure, and brotherhood through movement, play, and exploration.
We also host special gatherings and community events throughout the year.
See Qasa for Yourself
A closer look at the land, the spaces, and the feeling of being here.
If Awaken is calling you, start with the application.
Spaces are limited to keep the experience intimate, supported, and fully private.
All guests go through a short screening call to help ensure this retreat is the right fit.
APPLY HERE
We take seriously every application so we appreciate you take the time to apply by booking a call with our team and provide your contact info. We will get to know you better, answer all your questions and guide you through the booking process.
frequently asked questions
FAQs
Got questions about our retreats in Costa Rica? Read the FAQs or get in touch via the contact form below.
Need more insights? Read our comprehensive blog about all things retreat-related in Costa Rica.
Qasa is a queer sanctuary nestled in the lush Costa Rican jungle. We are a hotel and retreat center offering a mix of transformative experiences, playful freedom, embodied pleasure, wellness, and connection — all centered around the LGBTQ+ community. Whether you’re coming for a retreat, a hotel stay, or an event, we welcome you with open arms (and optional clothes).
While our retreats are predominantly for GBTQ+ men, our hotel welcomes all guests who value conscious community, natural beauty, and authentic connection – regardless of background, identity, or how you love.
Qasa offers an eco-chic boutique hotel and transformational experiences, including sacred plant journeys, nature-based adventures and embodied pleasure retreats. We also offer intentional gatherings, parties, and festivals, as well as daily world-class classes, workshops, and events.
Yes! You can stay with us as a hotel guest during “off-retreat” times. It’s a beautiful way to enjoy nature, community, and rest. Check availability here.
Key community agreements include respect, radical self-expression, inclusivity and non-judgment, clothing-optional, consent, sex positivity, intentionality, responsible use of consciousness-altering substances, clear communication, and co-creation.
Absolutely. We celebrate body freedom and comfort. Nudity is welcome in common areas, and respected as a non-sexual form of self-expression. Please always sit on a towel 🙂
Yes. We are an adults-only space (18+). Our programming and environment are not suitable for children.
Yes, Costa Rica has a good track record in terms of safety, and its growing social acceptance of the LGBTQ+ community makes it a relatively safe destination.
In Costa Rica, personal participation in sacred plant ceremonies for spiritual growth is not penalized under current law, with enforcement focused on trafficking rather than individual practice. While the landscape remains unregulated and evolving, ceremonies conducted in genuine spiritual contexts may benefit from constitutional protections; we honor these traditions with full respect for Costa Rican law and culture.
After you apply, our team will invite you to a short screening call to help ensure this retreat is the right fit for you.
Yes. Awaken is held as a fully private retreat. Activities and meals are exclusive to your group.
We include preparation before arrival, support during the retreat, and integration after the retreat.
No. You do not need previous retreat experience. What matters most is openness, honesty, and willingness to engage at your own pace.
Awaken is a non sexual sacred space grounded in consent, care, privacy, and depth.
Your investment includes accommodations, meals, airport transportation, retreat programming, facilitation, and integration support.
Awaken is a non medical retreat for personal and spiritual development. Our focus is on supported inner work, preparation, and integration in a trauma informed setting.
Getting to QASA
- Qasa is located 3.5-4.5 hours from San Jose International airport (SJO), and roughly 1.25 hours from Quepos Airport (XQP) which has regular flights from SJO on Sansa Airlines and Green Airways
- After booking a stay at Qasa we will be happy to help you book a private taxi through a trusted provider. Private taxi rates (subject to change) are approximately:
- $180 from San Jose or SJO Airport
- $80 from Quepos or XQP Airport
- $90 from Manuel Antonio
- $30 from Dominical
- $30 from San Isidro
- If renting a car, a 4×4 is required to access the hotel in the rainy season
- The most economical option to arrive is to take a public bus to San Isidro or Dominical and then take a private taxi
