In The Land of Enchantment
“This is a place where heaven and earth truly meet within you and around you.”
You’ve worked hard to create a meaningful event for your community, and the right setting can take them even deeper into your experience.
Imagine yourself hosting your next gathering in the serene high desert of New Mexico, surrounded by the beautiful “Santa Fe style” architecture, which brings the flavors of ancient cultures together with the land’s unparalleled natural beauty. The graceful lines of our enchanting adobe-style structures have their roots in dwellings built by the Anasazi – the predecessors of the modern Pueblo people – two millennia ago. Our modern buildings have the classic features of contoured walls, flat roofs, vigas (round wooden beams), and inset art display niches, drawing you into a rich history while enjoying all the benefits of modern comforts.
Whether it’s an immersive retreat experience, a special outdoor celebration, a large-scale event, or a place to bring together friends and family, the enlivening energy, stunning grounds that nourish the spirit, and uniquely beautiful gathering spaces of The Chi Center will infuse your event with a deep sense of wonder, healing, and peace.
When you stay with us, we provide everything you need. Our per-attendee pricing includes the use of all indoor and outdoor common areas, lodging in our inviting, newly-updated rooms, and 3 clean-lifestyle meals per day that can be customized for your specific tastes. We can include the use of our stages, fiber-optic internet, quality A/V equipment, and other presentation essentials, to make your experience as enjoyable and easy as possible.
Our beautifully appointed lodging areas are ideally suited for overnight retreats for 25 – 50 attendees, although we have indoor seating space for up to 300 people. To easily facilitate a larger gathering, we also have RV hookups on the property and plenty of room for pavilion-style tents, parking, water, and high-speed internet that can serve daytime groups of up to 1,000 or more.
We host our own Wisdom Healing Qigong Retreats on the property about 16 weeks of the year, and are delighted to share this magical place for other life-enhancing events, too. For reservations or inquiries, email rooms@chicenter.com.
Let’s create an event your community will treasure for a lifetime.
The Chi Center is located approximately 30 minutes outside of Santa Fe, near the charming New Mexico village of Galisteo. Our uniquely beeautiful venue sits upon 150 acres of a spectacularly scenic region in north-central New Mexico known as the Galisteo Basin. The wide-open spaces afford 360° panoramic sky-scapes, framed by the Ortiz Mountains to the southwest, the Cerrillos Hills to the west, the Sangre de Cristo Mountains to the northeast, and the Jemez Mountains to the northwest. The private countryside contains hiking trails, arroyos, ancient petroglyphs on a rocky ridge-line, giant cottonwood trees, 3 labyrinths, a rustic outdoor learning hut, a ceremonial water wheel, formal portales, decks, courtyards, and several fountains. One of our most beloved features is a large tree-lined koi meditation pond, surrounded by statuary, a gazebo, outdoor rockers, recliners, and hammocks.
All this is set within the expansive and true darkness that reveals the Milky Way on the many clear nights. As soon as you arrive you will feel the same healing energy of the land that the native people of this area have been drawn to for thousands of years.
GALISTEO, NM. Replete with natural beauty that has made it a favorite filming location for the motion picture industry, Galisteo New Mexico is a small village-town with access to the many conveniences in nearby Santa Fe. May westerns have taken advantage of the stunning backdrops of this southwestern paradise, from Silverado to Crazy Heart – parts of Legion and Thor were also filmed here. Galisteo is home to a variety of artists and celebrities who value the peace and privacy afforded by its location; Ambassador David T. Killion, artists Bruce Nauman and Susan Rothenberg, and fashion designer Tom Ford all hang their hats here.
Though secluded, Galisteo is not remote: the nearby towns of Santa Fe, El Dorado, and Glorieta offer culture, shopping, dining and schools that make Galisteo appealing to even the most cosmopolitan. The Agora Shopping Center just 15 minutes away offers local restaurants, boutiques and groceries, while the sights and sounds of Santa Fe are just 25 minutes to the north. Outdoor activities abound, in line with the New Mexico lifestyle – visit the Pecos National Park, journey through the Cibola National Forest, or hike the stunning Galisteo Basin Preserve to fully enjoy all this beautiful land has to offer.
SANTA FE COUNTY, NM. With dry, warm summers and snow-filled winters, Santa Fe County is beautiful year-round. A high-desert county, the elevation begins around 5,000 ft above sea level and reaches more than 7,100 ft at its highest points. The incredible terrain provides world-class hiking, biking and skiing; indeed, one of the New Mexico’s largest ski resorts, Ski Santa Fe, is located here. Over 400 miles of mountain biking trails cross the county, and USA Today, Singletracks Magazine, and the International Mountain Biking Association have all honored the county as one of the top mountain biking areas in America. Also awarded for its 600 miles of hiking trails, the area is considered a premiere destination for trail and high altitude running, and horseback riding, fly fishing, and golfing are top-notch as well.
For those seeking more relaxation, Santa Fe County can deliver exceptional opportunities to nourish their senses in art, architecture, and historic landmarks. Traditional Native American culture is celebrated alongside American artists like Georgia O’Keefe, and many galleries showcase upcoming artists. Theater and opera thrive as well, with family friendly installations like Meow Wolf sharing the limelight with the celebrated Santa Fe Opera. The cutting-edge productions are set in a breathtaking outdoor theater, whose electronic libretto system (one of only two in the world) delivers translations of the works directly to each audience member’s seat. With so much beauty in one place, Santa Fe County is sure to move you: as D.H. Lawrence said in 1917, “Touch the country [of New Mexico] and you will never be the same again.”
The Chi Center offers several unique gathering and teaching areas. Our most requested and beloved space is a 50-foot round post and beam kiva. If you’re seeking a space that’s both grounding and uplifting, you’re sure to love this. The softly curved walls – halfway submerged into the earth – enrich the sounds inside the building, making it the perfect place for rest, reflection, movement, dance, teaching, and sound therapies. In the tradition of Native Americans, the kiva is a special type of sacred building designed for ceremonies and important meetings and seats up to 140 people, auditorium style.
Your community will love waking up in our bright, comfortable, welcoming rooms, luxuriating in the peace that infuses every part of our land.
Nourish your senses with stunning vistas, grounds, and the restorative atmosphere at The Center in the Galisteo Basin of New Mexico, while nourishing your body and spirit with delicious, consciously crafted meals designed to your unique preferences. Along with your retreat program, you will have time to relax and enjoy our arroyos, petroglyphs, labyrinths, and trails. The natural, sacred beauty surrounding you is a healing experience all on its own.
"The Land is alive... as the Natives remind us..."
The magic of the natural elements change with the seasons and time of the day; each moment offers our senses and souls deep connection to the expansiveness of creation.
The beauty and power of the land invites us to reflect and contemplate the nature of our being and our lives.
Gillian creates and manages local, national, and global partnerships for gatherings and programs to be held on-campus at The Chi Center in New Mexico. She thrives when in relationship with individuals and organizations seeking transformational change in themselves, communities, and society through deep learning, spiritual practice, and unique opportunities to engage. She has spent many years operating public and private retreat centers and also specializes in program strategy and design, community outreach, and public engagement. Originally from Placitas, New Mexico but away for 18 years, Gillian followed her heart back home to New Mexico and now lives in Santa Fe with her youngest child.
Sallena is our company Director and Integrator who strategically and creatively mobilizes people, systems, and resources to bring creative visionary ideas into form. She oversees all in-person and online Chi Center operations; and she leads the stewardship and cultivation of our brand and culture by promoting the right messaging in the right timing to the right teams, communities, and audiences. Sallena also has a creative aesthetics streak as a self-taught designer of beautiful places, things, and experiences. She’s a grandmother of five charming and brilliant kids; a lover of live music, beautiful food, and fine craftsmanship; and an ardent traveler.
Master Gu shares his joyous teachings and extensive master skills to train your ability to expand wisdom and energy. Born and raised in China, Master Gu received extensive Qigong training under Grandmaster Pang at the largest Qigong medicine-less hospital in China. He has mastered the unique ability to lead the collective energy field to accelerate personal and global healing. Named The Qigong Master of the Year by the World Congress for Qigong and TCM, Mingtong Gu leads retreats and workshops internationally with tens of thousands of people. Master Gu is the author of key books and the Pure Qi Online series that translate the ancient teachings of Wisdom Healing Qigong for contemporary times. Master Gu is on faculty for Esalen Institute, Omega Institute, 1440 Multiversity, Spirit Rock Meditation Center, and the Shift Network. He has been a keynote presenter at Institute of Noetic Science (IONS), Wisdom 2.0, US Journal Training, PBS, and the Festival of Faiths. He has additionally spoken at VISA, GOOGLE, Mile Hi, and the Energy Psychology Conference. He founded the Chi Center, a beautiful 79 acre retreat center located 20 minutes south of Santa Fe, to bring Qigong wisdom to benefit others, based on his success working with all ages and many physical and emotional challenges.
