Retreats & Training
Tao Alchemy Arts Retreats
& Qigong Teacher Training
The mission of Tao Alchemy Arts is to support people in cultivating life force and inner evolution through Qigong, Tao Yin Yoga, energy healing, and inner alchemy meditation.
The Tao teaches us to live in harmony with nature and our true essence. Qigong is a powerful way to embody this harmony, offering tools for deep recalibration, emotional balance, and vibrant wellness.
Join Minke de Vos for a transformative 2–4 week immersion into the sacred healing arts of Meditation, Tao Yin Yoga, and Qigong in the pristine natural beauty of the Kootenays. This retreat supports deep energy cultivation, heart-centered embodiment, and the awakening of healing love.
Whether you're just beginning or deepening your practice, this retreat is a chance to reconnect with your body, energy, and the Tao.
Open to all genders and levels.
Summer Retreat
& QiGong Teacher Training
Retreat Highlights:
Cultivate vitality through Tao YIn Yoga, Qigong, and Meditation
Reconnect to nature's rhythm and your personal energy source
Learn tools to reset your energy body and awaken healing potential
Support others in transformation with practical techniques
What You'll Learn:
Vital energy cultivation and recharge techniques
Energetic hygiene and self-care for practitioners
Tools for working with clients, students, and loved ones
Deepen intuition and connection to higher guidance
Level I – Tao Basics & Healing Love
Dates: 2 weeks, July 5 - 19, 2026
Hours: 100-hour certification (Tao Alchemy Arts Practitioner)
Focus on foundational Taoist practices and sexual energy cultivation
Level II – Five Elements & Shamanic Alchemy
Dates: 2 weeks, July 19 - Aug. 2, 2026
Prerequisite: Level I
Hours: 200-hour certification (Tao Alchemy Qigong Instructor)
Explore advanced internal alchemy, energy protection, and Shamanic elemental practices.
You may also attend as a personal retreat for 2 or 4 weeks.
Level I Curriculum
2 weeks, July 5 - 19, 2026
Inner Smile Meditation, Six Healing Sounds, Microcosmic Orbit
Qi Self-Massage, Iron Shirt Qigong, Medical Qigong
Clearing ancestral patterns, emotional reprogramming
Sexual Vitality Qigong, Tao Yogic Breathing, Bone Marrow Nei Kung
Ovarian or Testicle Breathing, Jade egg practices
Conscious relationship tools
Level II Curriculum
2 weeks, July 19 - Aug. 2, 2026
Fusion of the Five Elements I–III, Five Animal Frolic
Energy protection, Eight Psychic Channels
Wu Wei Qigong, Primordial Qigong (Enlightenment Tai Chi)
Cord Cutting, Soul Body alchemical meditations
Compassion, healthy boundaries, forgiveness, and spiritual awareness
Certification & Materials
Level I graduates: Tao Alchemy Arts Practitioner
Level II graduates: Tao Alchemy Qigong Instructor
UHT certification upgrades available for those with 70+ prior hours and 6+ months of practice
Required Texts:
Tao Tantric Arts for Women by Minke de Vos
Works by Mantak Chia: Energy Balance Through the Tao, Iron Shirt Chi Kung, Tan Tien Chi Kung for Level I
Fusion of the Five Elements, Fusion of the Eight Psychic Channels for Level II
A detailed training manual is provided
Daily Rhythm
Weekly Practicum (Saturday Morning)
Teach short practices and receive supportive feedback.
(Monday to Friday)
7:00am: Meditation & Chi Self-Massage
8:45am: Silent Breakfast
10:00am: Teachings & Sharing
11:00am: Tao YIn Yoga & Breathwork
12:30pm: Lunch
3:00pm: Qigong (outdoors when possible)
5:00pm: Meditation & Healing Love
6:00pm: Dinner
7:30pm: Bone Breathing & Sound Bath
9:00pm: Healing Sounds
2 Weeks: $2,400 CAD + 5% GST || Early Bird: $2,200 before March 21
4 Weeks: $4,600 CAD + 5% GST || Early Bird: $4,400 before March 21
Tuition & Registration
Deposit: $800 CAD (non-refundable after June 7, 10% admin fee before)
Balance due: June 21
Register with Minke: Fill in our registration form
Book a 30 minutes interview: minkedevos@gmail.com
Payment via e-transfer, Wise or PayPal to minkedevos@gmail.com
If the course is cancelled, a full refund will be issued.
Inquiries about training? Book a Callback
Accommodation & Meals
Reserve with Johnson’s Landing Retreat Center: johnsonslandingretreat.bc.ca
Options:
Lodge Rooms
Cabins
Treehouse Glamping
Campsites
Meals include fresh, organic food from the on-site garden.
Contact: admin@johnsonslandingretreat.bc.ca | 1-250-336-4402
Travel
Arrive: Sunday by 4pm (Opening Qigong at 5pm)
Depart: Final Sunday by 11 am (after Closing Circle)
Let us know if you need or can offer a ride
"The daily exercises in the beautiful surroundings and nourishing food helped to ground and strengthen me at a time in my life when I felt very overwhelmed and depleted from my work and relationships. I felt like a whole new person by the end of the retreat, ready to take on life again.”
– Ellen Brakel
“My studies with Minke have brought new levels of playfulness, stability and gentleness into my life. I am a very creative person by nature but didn't always have a very developed ability to ground and contain all of the Shakti! Qigong has been immensely supportive for me in deepening an embodied connection to the earth. I am now able to serve my own students and clients from a more deeply grounded and strongly rooted place."
— Sayde Price, Artist
“When my mind is racing and I am trying to centre my thoughts and slow my heart rate, I try to visualize and feel every aspect of lying on yoga mats in the meeting house, sun streaming through the windows, the breeze carrying the scent of the pines, the sound of your voice, the sounds of Dave playing the bowls, didgeridoo, the guitar. I picture the chickens in the garden, the camaraderie at mealtime, the delicious food! I am transported to such a place of peace."
— Sue Vujcich