Von Miller's Journey

NFL Star Von Miller & His Ayahuasca Retreat:

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Pausing for his Soul

The National Football League is an esteemed world that praises endurance, where pushing forward is the only path that's taught, where doubling down is often the only option. It can be a rewarding life path, but also a tough one. On the body, on the mind, on the soul.

For men, especially those who have built their lives in environments like the NFL, the characteristic of vulnerability is very rarely present. American Football teaches resilience, being tough, and the constant ability to push past the pain...But what about the pain that doesn’t show up on an X-ray? What about the silent battles—the weight of expectation, the pressure to always perform, the parts that are buried so deeply that we forget they were ever there?

Most athletes won't pause long enough to ask these questions. Most will keep charging forward, building walls around their hearts, convincing themselves that survival is the same as living.

But then, there are the few who do something different.

Von Miller is one of those men.

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Where did Von Miller’s Journey with Ayahuasca Take Place?

In the 2024 offseason, Von Miller took on a choice that had nothing to do with football and everything to do with himself. He traveled to Costa Rica, away from the familiar roaring stadiums, the weight rooms, and the endless cycle of training and recovery patterns.

On the quiet Esterillos hill overlooking the Pacific Ocean, he joined fellow NFL stars Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Poyer for his journey inward.

At the Costa Rican retreat center at Behold Retreats, for six days and nights, the men set aside everything they knew about football and began redefining their definition of strong. They then stepped into the healing powers of an Ayahuasca Ceremony.

Von Miller was no stranger to hardship. A veteran of the game, he had battled through injuries and all of the relentless demands of professional sports. Ayahuasca is much holistic healing: physical, spiritual, emotional, all of it. For the first time, Miller was connecting all parts of him. Parts that he had prior ignored for so long.

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Did Von Miller Do Ayahuasca with Aaron Rodgers?

Yes, in ceremony with Aaron Rodgers and Jordan Poyer, surrounded by our expert facilitators who guided them through the experience with top-tiered care. Of course, the process was not easy, no good things ever are. Ayahuasca is known for her ability to revealing truths, some may be beautiful and some painful, but nothing that the soul is not ready for. She asks you to surrender, to let go, to trust, something NFL players are not accustomed to so easily.

Rodgers has been open about how psychedelics have helped him process childhood wounds and find a deeper sense of self-love. Poyer spoke of shedding his ego and seeing himself in a new light. Miller chose to listen to his soul, understanding that he had been silencing an inner voice for years and it was time to let the voice speak.

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A Warrior’s Reflection to Heal

This is not the kind of work you can objectively measure in points, touchdowns, or sacks. There are no highlight reels for the kind of healing that happens during an Ayahuasca experience. But what we do know is that those who go through this journey do not leave the same as they arrived.

Von Miller, the warrior, the competitor, the man who has spent his life giving everything to the game, took a moment to ask himself: What else is there in this world? What else is there in myself?

His spiritual retreat was a pause. A reset. A moment of clarity in a life that has always been about the momentum. And it takes incredible courage to stop running and start listening. But many people are catching on.

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More Than a Game, More Than an Ayahuasca Retreat

Von Miller’s journey is part of a greater shift happening in the world of sports. More and more athletes are coming to Behold, recognizing that true performance isn’t only the physical conditioning part but about mental clarity, emotional healing, and spiritual alignment. Studies have even began being taking place on the increased readiness for your body to get into Flow State, after going through an Ayahuasca experience.

For those who are constantly moving, constantly pushing, constantly striving for the next win, there is something incredibly powerful about choosing stillness. The clarity it brings, is just shy of a miracle, if we may say so ourselves.

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Are You Ready to Listen?

Not everyone is called to Ayahuasca. But for those who feel the whisper, who sense that there is something more waiting to be discovered, this is your sign to listen.

Behold Retreats provides a safe and expertly guided space for deep transformation. If you feel ready to realign with the truth of who you are in a small intimate group setting, we are here to guide you.

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👉 Apply Now and take the first step toward something greater.

Because sometimes, the bravest thing you can do… is to stop.