Welcome To Your Chi Center Retreat FAQ Page

Your Accommodations:

Each room at The Chi Center is unique! Premium Rooms have something special about them, e.g, more privacy, more amenities, etc. Standard rooms are lovely, too.

All guest rooms share bathrooms with between 1-3 other guests.

• We do our best to assign all rooms to meet your needs and budget, so please be sure to click here to fill out all your Retreat Preferences asap! We are looking forward to seeing you at The Chi Center in New Mexico in 2026! 
• Are you coming to the retreat(s) with a friend or family member and staying in the same room? If so, Click Here to submit their info
• If you have selected a double room The Center Team will assign you a same-gender roommate.

Please write to rooms@chicenter.com if this applies to you.

Meals:

Our meals are served buffet style. We do our best to provide locally sourced, organic, healthy, whole foods at every meal. Vegetarian, Vegan, and Omnivore options will be available at every meal. Please complete your food preferences and list any allergies in your Retreat Preferences form, which can be found in the Accommodations section above. Our kitchen team needs this information now to purchase ingredients in advance. We are looking forward to seeing you at The Chi Center in New Mexico in 2026!

Complimentary tea and coffee are available in the Main Lodge from 7:30am – 7:00 pm daily. 

Tips for Staff: The Chi Center staff strive to do their best for you. Please consider leaving a tip for the kitchen and housekeeping staff when you leave the Center.

Address: 

40 Camino Vista Clara, Lamy/Galisteo, New Mexico 87540.

Arrival and Departure Times:

Arrival Day:

• 3:00pm to 5:30pm:  Check In Time 
• 5:45pm:  Dinner and activities begin in the Main Lodge Dining Hall

Departure Day:

• 2:00pm to 3:30pm:  Check Out Time 
• 2:00pm:  Final Retreat Day meals and activities end

Airports

Albuquerque (ABQ) is the primary airport. Travel time from the airport to The Chi Center is approximately 1 hour 15 minutes via car – approximately 75 miles. There is also an airport in Santa Fe (SAF) about 40 minutes from The Center. The flights in and out of Santa Fe are limited, however.

Transportation while in New Mexico

There is no public transportation to The Retreat Center’s rural location. You need to travel by car, taxi or limo to The Chi Center’s SouthWest Sanctuary on State Highway 41. If you fly into New Mexico you may rent a vehicle or use a private taxi or limo service. Once you arrive at The Center you do not need a car until the retreat is over.

We strongly advise that you reserve your ride service ahead of time.

Ride Services to Retreat Center from Airports and Santa Fe

Note: Most Uber and Lyft drivers will not accept fares to The Chi Center because of its rural location.

Alternative

Amtrak train to Lamy NM

Packing Tips:

• Toiletries. Please pack scent-free deodorants, shampoos, lotions, etc. Our Center does its best to be chemical and scent-free as we have many participants who have sensitivities.
• Hair blowdryer.  We have a limited supply on hand so if you need one daily, please pack your own.
• Flashlight or headlamp for walking at night.
• Sturdy walking shoes. The campus has very few outdoor paved surfaces. Most pathways are gravel and/or natural terrain.
• The evenings and mornings can be quite cool. Plan on layered clothing and a warm jacket/sweater.

• Most of our rooms have shared bathrooms so please bring a robe, slippers, and an easy bag to carry your toiletries from your room to the bath.

• Rain gear and weatherproof shoes are  recommended. We often get a dusting of snow that melts quickly as early as late October, continuing through early March.
• All-season sunscreen, sunglasses, and a hat. We are at high-desert altitudes (6,000-7,200 ft) and it is sunny year-round.
• Water bottle. We have filtered water dispensers throughout the campus.
• Hot beverage travel cup with a secure lid, for coffee/tea.
• Bring your medications.
• Earplugs and sleeping masks.
• Map/driving directions to The Chi Center: The Chi Center for Wisdom Healing Qigong (also known as The SouthWest Sanctuary for Wisdom & Healing) is located at 40 Camino Vista Clara, Lamy/Galisteo, New Mexico 87540

No Perfumes or Scented Products: Due to guests’ allergies and sensitivities to scents, please leave your perfumes, scented lotions, deodorants, shampoos, incense, etc. at home.

Weather:

Laundry Facilities:

We have a guest laundry room located at the Ranch House. The door is marked “Guest Laundry” and the building is nearest to the large white Kuan Yin statue for additional reference. Unscented soaps are provided and there is no charge to launder your personal items.

WiFi is available to all of our guests. Cellular telephone coverage on campus works best if you set your phone to enable WiFi calling and connect to the wifi. You can also make calls over the internet through apps like What’s App.

We will do our best to accommodate persons with mobility needs or in wheelchairs. The paths between buildings are mostly packed fine gravel, though a part of the distance is loose gravel or cement.

The kiva is partially underground and there is a short flight of stairs to enter and exit the kiva. There is the possibility for a chair lift if the need is known in advance.

If you have not yet shared your needs with us, please contact Support@chicenter.com right away.

Service Animals attending  On Campus Retreats

At Healing Retreats, we can only permit ADA-trained service animals.

Service animals must be socialized, quiet, and comfortable in shared spaces with many people, including other dogs / animals· 

Pre-Retreat Actions: 

Guests planning to bring a service animal must inform the retreat team in advance. Please write to rooms@chicenter.com if this applies to you, before you register.

Please Note: This schedule of events is subject to change according to the flow of the retreat.

Arrival Day:

• 3:00pm to 5:30pm:  Check In time 
• 5:45pm:  Dinner and activities begin in the Main Lodge Dining Hall

Typical Retreat Day:

• 9am:  All Teaching Days begin in the Lotus Kiva 
• Meal Times
  – Breakfast 8:00am-8:45am
  – Lunch 12:30-1:50pm
  – Dinner 6:15-7:15

• 7:30pm – 8:20pm: Evening session in the Lotus Kiva.
• Changes in session times or locations will be announced in advance.

Departure Day:

• 2:00pm to 3:30pm:  Check Out time 
• 2:00pm:  Final Retreat Day meals and activities end 

Magical Sundays: 

Magical Sundays are beautiful, expressive days featuring brunch and music. The Sanctuary is open to the public to walk the land and share in the festivities.  Any changes to the retreat schedule will be announced in advance.  Retreat participants share in the brunch.

• 10:30-12:50: Brunch & Music

All times are listed in Denver, Mountain Time (MT). Use the Time Zone Converter to determine your local time.

Questions? Please contact us at courses@chicenter.com.

• Scent-free Environment: It’s important that all Retreat attendees abstain from using aromatic lotions, personal products, and perfumes during the whole of the Retreat, to respect the wellbeing of others who are scent-sensitive. We’ve found that even “light” scents are noticeable and can linger in guest rooms, the Lotus Kiva, and public spaces. We provide fragrance-free soaps and shampoos.
• Golden Silence in the Lotus Kiva: Many guests come to Retreat to go deep within and for healing on all dimensions — mental, physical, emotional, and spiritual. Please support the collective and personal healing of everyone by keeping silent when instructed by Master Mingtong, and always upon entering the sacred Lotus Kiva.
• Quiet Hours: To honor the healing process of everyone on retreat, we ask for quiet time between the overnight hours of 10:00PM to 7:00 am. If you are in common areas, please be mindful of nearby rooms and keep your voices soft spoken.
• Driving and Parking: The speed limit on the property is 5 mph. Please stay alert and mindful of animals and humans when driving. Please park in designated areas only. Our desert wild grasses are an important part of the land ecosystem and are unable to tolerate vehicles or heavy foot traffic. Be careful when driving and walking. Snakes love warm sunny surfaces like roads and will stretch out on the roadway to bask. Often from a short distance they can look like small branches across the road until up close. Young snakes can be very aggressive, whereas older snakes are less as long as they are not startled. And when we see them sunbathing nearby we generally like to relocate them when possible, because they are great for pest control (mice, pack rats, etc).
• Etiquette in Kiva: Shoes off; Lids on drinks
• Kiva Self Care: What do you need in the moment? –lie down, sit down, stand up and move. Ask for help as needed.
• Buddy Up: Pair up with a buddy or roommate and let them know if you decide to skip a session, go on a long hike or leave the campus. Give them your contact info and approximate time of return
• Volunteer tasks: Bell Ringer for Breaks, Hydration for MMG, others as needed. On the first day of Retreat we will be asking for a few volunteers to help with small tasks. If you’d like to serve your group in this way, you may consider being a Bell Ringer for breaks, or helping keep Master Mingtong’s thermos full of tea/water, offering to be a runner for messages to the kitchen, a point-person for another participant with mobility challenges, or other tasks.
• Audio/Visual Release: We film everything during Retreats and workshops for our online guests and so that all participants have replay videos to enjoy. To that end, in consideration of furthering the educational benefits of Wisdom Healing Qigong, we request your consent to be included in the recordings, and will have a release form for you at check in. Videos, photographs, transcript quotes, and/or audio recordings may be used for promotional or educational purposes about Wisdom Healing Qigong for online courses, on the internet, in printed materials, training materials, and/or other broadcast mediums.
• Hiking Trails: There is hiking in the arroyo and on the grounds. Please stay on the trails. Do not approach or feed wildlife. Be aware of snakes and other wildlife native to this area.
• Terrain: The campus lies on 150 acres of somewhat hilly terrain. There is a road as well as a walking trail between the rooms and the main house where meals are served. The road is lit at night for safe passage. It is approximately a 5-minute walk to and from most of the guest rooms and the main house. Please bring closed toed shoes for walking and hiking in desert terrain.

• Self Care – Hydration: Be sure to drink more water than usual – lots of water! We are at high, dry elevations and staying hydrated is essential. You’ll find dispensers filled with filtered water in many places on the property to help remind you to “fill up”. Prevention will help you acclimate to the 7,000 ft altitude and dry terrain and bypass the typical mild symptoms that can include fatigue, headaches, lightheadedness, or sleep disturbances.

• One more thing…! To honor the people who make your Retreat experience beautiful, you may consider bringing cash to tip the kitchen staff and housekeeping.

Kiva Healing Sessions with Master Mingtong

Kiva Healing Sessions are offered exclusively during our on-campus retreats for $480.  To register for a Kiva Healing with Master Mingtong watch for a retreat email on Kiva Healing Sessions  or go to your On Campus Course in your library.

Personal Healing Sessions with Linling Xie

Linling provides Personal Healing Sessions both in person on campus and remotely via Zoom or phone. The cost for either format is $380.  Click here to schedule your private healing session with Linling.

If you must cancel, please understand that we do not grant refunds for any reason. However, you may apply the funds you paid toward attendance of a future Chi Center Retreat or Program of your choice, within 12 months from your date of cancellation.

If The Chi Center cancels this program, you will receive 2 weeks’ notice when possible, and a full refund. We are not responsible for the cost of any other cancellation expenses you may incur, such as non-refundable travel fees, etc.