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Atmosphere and feature ratings above are based on Best Retreats research (November 2026). They will be updated if Temple of Umi submits its own information.

Temple of Umi: An In-Depth Review for Ayahuasca Ceremonies near Atlanta, Georgia, USA

Temple of Umi, also called Aya Healing Church, is a self-described ayahuasca church near Atlanta, Georgia, that sells weekend retreats with two ayahuasca ceremonies, integration circles, breathwork and sound healing, per its Atlanta page. Its lead shaman, Harmel D. Codi, was arrested in Alabama after customs intercepted a package addressed to Codi, per the Daily Journal, and a federal judge accepted Codi’s guilty plea in September 2026, per the court record. The site also tells visitors that ayahuasca is legal under religious exemptions without showing any exemption, publishes no prices, address, legal entity, medical staff or emergency plan, and relies on stock photos and filtered reviews.

🎯 At a Glance

• Locations: An unpublished site “near Atlanta, Georgia”; its map pin sits in suburban DeKalb County, while a review aggregator lists a Marietta ZIP code.
• Approach: A church model with ayahuasca as its sacrament, led by unnamed “Qero Inca Priests” and “Amazonian Shipibo Healers” alongside Western wellness practices.
• Suitable For: No one until the legal and leadership questions are resolved. Not suitable for people taking antidepressants or with heart or psychiatric conditions.
• Costs: No price of its own is published; its pages show general US price ranges from $500 to over $5,000 that contradict each other, and its shop sells “healing bundles” from $75 to $397. No deposit or refund terms were found.
• Overall Assessment: A marketing-heavy church whose lead shaman pleaded guilty in a federal case, with an unsupported legality claim and no published safeguards. Directory evaluation: D.

💬 What Guests Are Saying

A Google review widget on its own site shows 4.2 from nine reviews but displays only positive ones, and an unclaimed Birdeye profile shows 5.0 from 43 with only a few positive excerpts visible. Visible reviews praise caring staff and a safe atmosphere. No Retreat Guru, Tripadvisor or AyaAdvisors listing was found, and no reviews of 3 stars or lower are visible, although the 4.2 average implies some exist. If you have attended, we encourage you to share your experience through our submission form.

🚩 Incident Report

We searched review platforms, court records and news for reports involving Temple of Umi, Aya Healing Church and Harmel D. Codi.

• Deaths and serious injuries: None found.
• Sexual misconduct: No allegations found.
• Theft and fraud: None found.
• Legal action: Codi was arrested in Birmingham, Alabama, after US Customs and Border Protection intercepted a package meant for Codi, and a federal case was pending in the Northern District of Alabama in May 2025, per the Daily Journal; Codi’s defense lawyer cites a 2024 federal indictment, per a post of his lecture. On September 25, 2026 a federal judge accepted Codi’s guilty plea in a 2026 case, per the court record. The offense and sentence are not stated in the sources found.

Other facilitators are known by first name only and were not searched, so the absence of other findings offers limited assurance.

If you have experienced or witnessed an incident with this center, please report it confidentially.

🔍 Critical Notes

Who runs it. Codi is described as its lead shaman by the Daily Journal; reviews refer to a shaman called “Mel”, possibly the same person (unverified). The site calls itself a church and mentions a non-profit but names no legal entity, and no DEA exemption, court ruling or settlement covering it was found.

Screening and medical support. A medical screening form and consultation call are mentioned, and one page lists SSRIs, MAOIs, heart conditions and severe psychiatric conditions as reasons to avoid ceremonies, but no medical staff or emergency plan is published and other pages are vaguer. Its pages also promote ayahuasca for PTSD, addiction and trauma while disclaiming any treatment purpose.

Marketing. Most site images are stock photos, the site has about 90 near-identical “ayahuasca retreat near me” pages for towns across the US, and its blog publishes its own “best retreat” lists.

Status. Unclear; the site was updated in May 2026 and says retreats are full with a waiting list, but no dated retreats are shown and its lead shaman pleaded guilty in September 2026.

Legal context. DMT is a Schedule I substance in the US and people have been federally prosecuted for ayahuasca possession, while the UDV and Santo Daime churches won the right to use it through specific court cases, per Wikipedia. Several other churches reached settlements with the DEA in 2024 and 2025, per the Daily Journal. Calling itself a church does not by itself make ceremonies legal.

🆘 Screening & Mental Health Risks

Ask who will lead your ceremony and what legal protection, if any, applies before paying. ICEERS notes that ayahuasca’s MAOI component makes it dangerous with SSRIs and other serotonergic drugs and that it is contraindicated for people prone to psychosis. Never stop a psychiatric medication to qualify for a ceremony without your prescriber’s guidance.

🧪 Brew Substance

Ayahuasca served as a church sacrament; its source is not published. Ayahuasca combines the Banisteriopsis caapi vine with a DMT-containing leaf, as Erowid explains.

📍 Location, Setting & Style

• Setting: An undisclosed natural setting in the Atlanta area.
• Rooms: “Comfortable lodging surrounded by nature” is claimed; no photos of the actual property are published.
• Style: A US church model mixing ayahuasca with yoga, breathwork, sound baths and energy healing.

Practical guidance: The site is about an hour from the Atlanta airport, according to a third-party page; transfers are not described.

Should You Book?

No, not while its lead shaman’s federal case and the legal basis for its ceremonies are unresolved. If you still consider it, ask in writing for the legal entity, any DEA exemption, the address, who leads ceremonies, the price and refund terms, the medical screening rules, and the emergency plan. Read our guide to verifying retreat facilitators.

The Team & Story

Temple of Umi presents itself as a church where ayahuasca is a sacrament, not a drug. We did not independently verify anyone’s training.

Prep & Integration Tips

Before you go: Disclose every medication and condition in writing and plan any change with your own doctor. After you return: Arrange support from a qualified therapist at home. Our guide on how to research ayahuasca incidents can help you check any center.

Pros & Cons

Book Your Ceremony

Its program is described on its website. Best Retreats does not take bookings; learn more about our mission.

Last reviewed November 2026.

This article is for informational purposes only and is not medical advice. Consult a qualified medical professional.