Ascend Mushrooms is a pioneering wellness brand rooted in the heart of Bend, Oregon. Mushrooms have taken us on a journey far beyond what we expected. From expanded states of consciousness cracking us open, to functional mushrooms rebuilding our bodies, Ascend Mushrooms became our way of bringing it all together. This isn’t just a brand, it's a mission.

Our journey began in the middle of chaos. During the pandemic, we found ourselves navigating the most difficult circumstances of our lives and were searching for something that could support us during this time.

We were doing all the usual things — journaling, meditating, being in nature, and working out — but nothing reached the parts of us that needed healing.

Enter: psychoactive mushrooms. After weeks of research on their healing power for PTSD and other mental health conditions, we began to explore them ourselves. They cracked us open and showed us what we already knew but had forgotten—that the body holds an infinite well of intelligence and healing potential.

Then, just when we thought the dust was settling, boom — we found black mold in our apartment. Months of relentless fatigue, brain fog, sleep issues, and digestive struggles finally made sense. Functional mushrooms became our go-to, supporting our physical health while we worked to rebuild. What started as a curiosity quickly became non-negotiable.

We started infusing functional mushrooms into our matcha and cacao to consolidate our supplementation process. Friends started coming over, trying our blends, and asking for more...like a lot more. Until one day, we looked at each other and said, “Wait… did we just start a business?”

Still, we wanted to be sure. So we did what any deeply committed (and slightly over-the-top) people would do—we took this to a medicine journey, set our intentions, and asked, "Are we meant to pursue this?"

The answer was a resounding yes. Three months later, we moved to Bend, Oregon, ready to go all in.

From the beginning, we knew Ascend Mushrooms wasn’t just about selling products, it was about creating a platform for healing and transformation.

Tay deepened this mission by enrolling in a nine-month breathwork facilitator training, uncovering another profound truth: deep healing and transformation does not require psychedelics.

In fact, you can use the power of your breath to access expanded states of consciousness that facilitate deep healing, clarity of thought, connection to self, creativity, bliss states, heightened self-worth, anxiety and depression support, and so much more.

This understanding will continue to shape the future of Ascend Mushrooms as we expand into offerings that go beyond functional mushrooms in 2025. Stay tuned...