About The Awakening Trainings
True Wisdom Is
Ignited From Within.
For over 25 years, The Awakening Trainings has grown into a proven, experiential methodology, refined through study with spiritual teachers and high-performance coaches across the world, and tested on thousands of participants who’ve walked through the Journey and come out the other side changed at the root, not just on the surface.
25+ Years · 1,000+ Graduates · Small Groups Only · San Bernardino Mountains, CA · Application Required
Now Enrolling for Journey 1 Nov 8-12, 2026
Kerry Smith
Lead Trainer & Co-Founder
Lead Facilitators, The Awakening Trainings
Kerry & Colin Smith
For more than two decades, Kerry and Colin Smith have dedicated their lives to helping people reconnect with their innate capacity to heal, grow, and live with greater purpose. Their work is rooted in a simple belief: every person already holds the wisdom they need within themselves. Lasting transformation doesn’t come from fixing who you are – it comes from uncovering the truth of who you’ve always been.
Their own journey began through personal adversity when their son was born with physical and cognitive challenges. That experience became the catalyst for a lifelong commitment to understanding the connection between the mind, body, and spirit. Since then, they have traveled extensively, studied in India, and trained with many of the world’s leading experts in personal development, breathwork, spirituality, performance, and healing.
Together, Kerry and Colin combine decades of experience, evidence-based practices, and spiritual wisdom to create immersive transformational experiences that help people move beyond limiting beliefs, unresolved emotional patterns, and past trauma. Married for more than 25 years, they are committed to living the work they teach every day—as facilitators, business owners, parents, and partners – guiding others toward greater freedom, fulfillment, and authentic living.
- Refined over 25+ years of live facilitation
- Draws on breathwork, sound healing & somatic practices
- Informed by spiritual teachers and high-performance coaches
- Tested on thousands of participants worldwide
- Results at the root, not surface-level behavior change
- Small groups only, intimate, always personal
Our Philosophy
We Are Not Gurus.
We’re Guides.
We don’t lecture. We don’t ask you to follow us, believe what we believe, or hand over your power to anyone standing at the front of the room.
Our team lead trainers, facilitators, and support staff alike exist to do one thing: create the conditions for you to access your own truth and heal it yourself.
No Gurus
We’re not here to be followed. We’re here to be useful, and then to get out of your way.
No Scripts
Every participant’s experience is individual. We follow the person, not the curriculum.
No Following
We don’t create disciples. We create people who don’t need us anymore.
Awakening Breathwork
Breathe Your Way Back to Balance. Your breath is one of the fastest ways to influence your nervous system. Through guided breathwork, you’ll learn how to move your body out of stress and into a state of calm, clarity, and healing. As your breathing changes, so does your ability to think clearly, process emotions, sleep better, increase energy, and respond to life with greater confidence and ease.
Meditation
Meditation isn’t meant to feel frustrating or out of reach. During The Journey, you’ll learn advanced yet practical techniques that help you move beyond simply sitting with your eyes closed and into a deeper state of awareness, peace, and presence. Whether you’re a beginner or have meditated for decades, these teachings will transform your practice and give you the confidence to continue long after the training ends.
Sound Healing
Healing Beyond Words. Not all healing happens through thinking or talking. Sound healing allows you to slow down, release tension, and experience deep rest while your mind and body integrate the breakthroughs you’ve experienced throughout the training. It’s an opportunity to simply receive—to let go, recharge, and reconnect with yourself.
Private Retreat Setting
An Exclusive Retreat Experience. The Journey is held in a private retreat setting that offers the perfect balance of comfort, nature, and privacy. Every detail is designed to create an environment where you can feel safe enough to let go, present enough to do the work, and supported enough to experience lasting transformation.
Health Nourishment Tab
Food That Supports the Work. Transformation doesn’t stop with your mind—it includes your body. Every meal is intentionally selected to provide clean, nourishing fuel that supports focus, emotional well-being, and sustained energy throughout the week. It’s one less thing to think about, allowing you to be fully present for your Journey.
What to Expect
We intentionally don’t provide a minute-by-minute schedule because part of The Journey is arriving with an open mind, free from expectations. While we keep the experience a surprise, here’s what you can count on:
- Five transformational days beginning Sunday morning and concluding Thursday afternoon.
- A beautiful private mountain retreat in the San Bernardino Mountains. Exact directions are provided after you’re accepted into the program.
- A safe, supportive environment where you’ll be encouraged—but never pressured—to participate at your own pace.
- Small group experience with shared accommodations designed to foster connection, community, and personal growth.
- Wholesome, nourishing meals provided throughout the retreat. (Feel free to bring your favorite snacks or any specialty items.)
- Time for reflection and integration throughout the week, allowing you to process your experience and recharge.
- Experienced facilitators who are with you every step of the way, providing guidance, encouragement, and support.
- No prior experience is necessary. Whether this is your first personal development retreat or you’ve been on this path for years, you’ll feel welcomed and supported.
- A complete packing guide and everything you need to know will be sent well before your arrival.
Is The Journey
Right For Me?
You don’t need to have meditation experience, breathwork experience, or a background in personal development. You simply need a willingness to show up with an open mind and a desire to grow. Participants come from all walks of life, and you’ll be supported every step of the way.
Our Facilitators & Support Staff
Every person on our team is here because this work changed their life first.
Kerry Smith
Lead Trainer & Co-Founder
Kerry Smith is a transformational coach, breathwork expert, and passionate teacher dedicated to helping people awaken to their highest potential. Her work blends practical tools with spiritual wisdom, empowering individuals to release emotional blocks, deepen self-awareness, and create lasting transformation in every area of life.
As a Certified High Performance Coach, Breath Expert and Analysis Practitioner, Relationship Coach, Yogacharini, Reiki II practitioner, Sound Healer, and best-selling author, Kerry brings a unique combination of science-backed coaching and heart-centered leadership to every training she leads. Her foundation in public speaking, yoga, and competitive athletics as a Division I soccer player allows her to connect with people through both compassion and accountability. She believes every person already possesses the wisdom they need—and that with the right guidance and tools, they can step into a life of greater joy, purpose, and fulfillment.
Colin Smith
Co-Founder & Facilitator
Colin Smith is a transformational facilitator whose grounded presence and intuitive guidance help people reconnect with their inner strength and capacity for healing. Drawing from years of study in breathwork, energy work, meditation, and spiritual practice, he creates experiences that help participants move beyond fear, emotional patterns, and limiting beliefs into greater clarity and freedom.
A Breathwork Specialist, Reiki II practitioner, Sound Healer, and Kriyaban, Colin combines ancient wisdom with real-world experience in a way that feels both accessible and deeply impactful. His background as a commercial pilot, professional surfer, world-class diver, waterman, and black belt in Brazilian Jiu-Jitsu reflects a lifelong commitment to discipline, resilience, and personal mastery. Whether leading a transformational process or living life with intention, Colin embodies the belief that lasting change begins from within.
Rose Stratton
Certified Awakening Breathwork Facilitator &
Certified High-Performance Coach
Rose is a Certified Awakening Breathwork Facilitator, Certified High-Performance Coach, and OR Manager at Vail Valley Surgery Center. As a staff member with Awakening Trainings, she creates a safe, supportive environment where others can grow, transform, and reach their highest potential. When she’s not in the OR or facilitating trainings, she enjoys the beach and the outdoors.
ANGIE FITZMAURICE
Certified Awakening Breathwork Facilitator
Angie is a Certified Awakening Breathwork Facilitator and a dedicated educator with more than 35 years of teaching experience. As a Lead Staff Member for Awakening Breathwork Journey Trainings and Retreats, she is known for her calm presence, compassionate heart, and ability to help others feel safe, seen, and empowered. Angie is deeply committed to helping people discover greater freedom, healing, and lasting transformation
CAMILLE LACEY
Certified Awakening Breathwork Facilitator,
Owner and head coach of 88THIRTY’s men’s Premier Division UPSL team
Camille Lacey is a Certified Awakening Breathwork Facilitator, owner and head coach of 88THIRTY’s men’s Premier Division UPSL team, a B licensed coach with over 25 years of experience. As a Staff Member for Awakening Breathwork Journey Trainings and Retreats she builds meaningful connections through sincerity and kindness, fostering a supportive presence and determination to helping individuals embrace growth, overcome obstacles and achieve resilient enrichment
MAX BANDY
Certified Awakening Breathwork Facilitator
Max is deeply passionate about meditation, spirituality, and personal transformation. He brings a grounded presence, genuine compassion, and an unwavering commitment to helping others cultivate deeper connection, lasting growth, and meaningful change. With a quiet strength and authentic heart, Max has a remarkable ability to make people feel seen, supported, and empowered. He is the kind of person who makes you feel stronger simply because he’s in your corner.
The Community
This Is a Community.
Not a Following.
The Journey is intentionally small. Intentionally intimate. Not because we’re trying to be exclusive for its own sake, but because real transformation requires real attention, and that only happens in a room small enough for every person to be truly seen.
When you walk through the Journey, you don’t just leave with tools. You leave with a community of people who’ve done the same deep work you have, and who understand exactly what it took to get there.
Truly Seen
Small groups only. Because real work requires real attention.
Deeply Connected
You leave with people who understand exactly what it took to get there — because they did it too.
Lifelong Supported
The community doesn’t end when the Journey does. Graduate resources, group sessions, and ongoing connection.
From the Community
What it means to do this work
with other people.
Before I attended this training I felt completely unfulfilled and pretty dead inside, even though I was very successful in my field. After the training, my life changed for the good. I can feel again. I can love again. I wish I had gone 20 years ago.
Brett
Deputy Program Manager
It is the best investment you can make in yourself and a loved one. It is life changing in the best way. It is not about how “good” or “bad” life is. It is about leveling up to reach your full potential and purpose.
Deborah
Manager & Great Writer
If you are ready to move to a different level, take the training and go full throttle, and meet life on the other side.
Dennis
Sales Manager
“We don’t create a following.
We create a community.”
— Colin & Kerry Smith
Ready When You Are
The Room Is Built.
The Question Is Whether You’re Ready to Walk In.
Applications for the November 8–12, 2026 Journey are now open. Space is limited and intentionally kept small.
Schedule a short call with one of our team members to answer any of your questions and see if The Journey Training is a good fit for you.
