Sarah Sampayo

Program Host & Lead Teacher
Sarah is the lead Teacher for all of our programs. She is a Level 3 Certified Teacher and Healing Facilitator in Wisdom Healing Qigong. She brings a diverse background in both movement and spiritual wellness to her work at The Chi Center. For Sarah, Qigong is the science of the mind-body connection that helps us unlock our potential for both physical and spiritual health and development. Her philosophy has always been: the integral connection between mind and body means that as you heal the mind, you heal the body – and vice-versa. Her experience includes: professional dancer; martial arts black belts in two different systems; Board Certified in Therapeutic Massage and Bodywork; trauma resolution training; BA-MA in religious studies; doctorate of jurisprudence; and certified mediator. Sarah also maintains a private practice as a Massage Therapist where she integrates the wisdom of Qigong into her bodywork.

More Team Members

Gillian Gonda
Gillian Gonda
Venue Partnerships

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.

Brittani Mitchell
Brittani Mitchell
Systems and Operations
Linda-Smith-headshot_300
Linda Smith
Retreat Enrollment & Teaching

Linda is an Enrollment and Retreat Expert at The Chi Center — helping people get clear on the next steps of their healing, health, and well-being journeys with Wisdom Healing Qigong and how to best access our online programs and retreats. Linda is retired from a career in the computer industry and from private practice as a healing practitioner. She has studied Wisdom Healing Qigong since 2012 and is a life long student and practitioner of healing arts. She is also a Wisdom Healing Qigong Level 2 Certified Instructor and Level 1 Certified Healer. Linda currently lives and plays on the Olympic Peninsula in Washington State.