Alumni:
Join us for Homecoming 2026!
Three days of connection, inspiration, and celebration with your MEA family
DATES
June 11–14, 2026
LOCATION
Santa Fe, USA
Join us for MEA Homecoming and get an all-access pass to Santa Fe's most anticipated new festival – featuring visionary speakers, concerts, art tours and more
If you’re like most of our alumni, you came to MEA for one thing and left with something else entirely: a sense of belonging you didn't know you were looking for.
Then you fell back into your regular life, and perhaps you discovered that depth of connection isn't always easy to find. Sure, you have your cohort calls and local alumni meetups, but on a day-to-day basis, you may have felt the absence of friends who really see you, understand you, and welcome you for who you are.
This June, we invite you to step back into that sense of belonging.
Join us Santa Fe for MEA Homecoming 2026: three unforgettable days of genuine connection, soul-deep restoration, and the kind of real, from-the-heart conversations that only happen when MEA alumni come together.
And this year, there's a bonus:
We've partnered with Santa Fe Magazine to sponsor their first-ever festival featuring three full days of incredible speakers, artists, and thought leaders – all included with your Homecoming ticket!
Three Days. Your People. One Unforgettable Weekend.
Friday morning at Chip’s private home: Corazón + All-Access Ranch Pass Brunch
Corazón members and guests staying on site at the ranch are invited to join Chip Conley at his home, The Wisdom Well, for a private brunch to kick off the weekend. This is your chance to connect with fellow attendees in an intimate setting before diving into the rest of the weekend’s activities. (Note: if you’re not a Corazón member yet, now is a great time to join so you can attend this exclusive event. Or you can secure your invite by choosing the All-Access Ranch Pass below and stay with us on the ranch for the weekend.)
Friday at Sunmount Chapel: Soul-Deep Exploration + Cocktail Reception
On Friday afternoon, join us at our beautiful Sunmount Chapel for a truly special event. From 2-4 PM, Chip and Nic Askew of Soul Biographies will present a video of Chip's own 15-minute Soul Biography, filmed by Nic – followed by live on-stage interviews with a handful of alumni. (Interested alumni will be invited to submit a request to be interviewed once they have registered to attend.) It's an intimate, revealing experience that captures the depth of who we are when we stop performing and start being seen.
Afterward, stay for a cocktail reception with food and refreshments from 4-6 PM – a perfect chance to continue the conversation in one of Santa Fe's most beautiful settings.
Open to all Homecoming attendees, including Commuter Pass holders. Spots are limited so register early to guarantee your spot.
Saturday afternoon:
Golden Girls Homes Open House + MEA Homes Presentation
Ever left MEA thinking, "I wish I could live like this year-round"? You're not alone – and soon you'll be able to do just that.
From 1-3 PM, join us for an open house tour of our Golden Girls-style homes and get a behind-the-scenes look at what we're building. These aren't just beautiful spaces – they're designed for the kind of community-first living that makes MEA so special. Shared meals, sunset walks, neighbors who become companions, and the feeling of being held by both place and people.
Then from 4-5 PM at Rising Circle Ranch, Chip will present his full vision for the full MEA Homes concept – what inspired it, where it's headed, and what it means for the future of this community. Whether you're seriously considering a move or just curious about what home could look like in your next chapter, this is your invitation to come see it for yourself.
Open to all Homecoming attendees, including Commuter Pass holders. Spots are limited and priority will be given to people who sign up for our All-Inclusive Ranch Pass, so register early to guarantee your spot.
Saturday evening:
Alumni Reunion Party! Join us for an evening of connection and celebration at Rising Circle Ranch
This is the emotional heart of Homecoming: the moment when everyone gathers to celebrate, reconnect, and remember how truly special this community is. There will be live music, great food, beautiful local arts and crafts, fun activities, and everywhere you look – your people.
What to expect
This is MEA at its best: deep joy, genuine belonging, and the pleasure of celebrating with kindred spirits.
Open to all Homecoming attendees, including Commuter Pass holders. The more, the merrier!
Plus: Friday–Sunday:
Attend the Santa Fe Magazine Festival for free and be inspired by extraordinary thought leaders and artists
When you’re not attending the alumni events above, immerse yourself in three days of thought-provoking talks, round-table discussions, concerts, art tours and more at stunning Santa Fe venues (including MEA’s own Sunmount property in the heart of the city).
There’ll be plenty of opportunities to meet up with fellow alumni before sessions, grab coffee or snacks between talks, and debrief over dinner about the ideas and a-ha moments that are landing. You won’t be navigating the Festival solo – you'll be experiencing it with your MEA family, turning every break into a chance to connect.
Here are a few of the thought leaders speaking at the event:
Chip Conley
Our beloved co-founder on thriving in midlife
Dr. Andrew Weil
The father of integrative medicine on healing the whole human
Jen Sincero
The You Are a Badass author on confidence, creativity, and abundance
Joan Jiko Halifax Zen
Zen priest and Upaya founder on mindfulness meets activism
Henry Shukman
Beloved Santa Fe meditation teacher and Zen master
Hampton Sides
Bestselling author of Ghost Soldiers and Blood and Thunder
Jessica Matten
Star of Dark Winds, blazing trails in Hollywood
Mark Miller
Founder of Coyote Café and father of modern Southwestern cooking
It’s a great way to give you and your fellow alumni something incredible to experience together between alumni events and make an already unforgettable weekend even richer..
Stay with us on the ranch – where the real magic happens
(Only 60 spots maximum available – reserve yours soon. Spouses and plus ones welcomed.)
We'd love to have you stay on the ranch for the full festival, and enjoy three nights with us as your home base and refuge while you're out exploring Santa Fe during the day.
If you've attended a workshop on the ranch, you'll know there's something special about this place.
Rising Circle Ranch sits nestled against the Sangre de Cristo mountains, with views that stretch across the high desert landscape. The air is different here — clean and clear, making you breathe deeper without thinking about it. And at night, the stars are so bright you'll understand why people drive hours just to see this sky.
But what really sets the ranch apart is our legendary MEA hospitality.
We've spent years perfecting the art of making people feel genuinely cared for. Your room is spacious and inviting, with exemplary attention to detail. Your meals are crafted with attention to both flavor and nourishment, and the spaces are always welcoming. You're not just staying somewhere — you're being held by a place that knows how to take care of people.
After a full day at the Festival — absorbing talks, navigating venues, processing new ideas — the ranch becomes the perfect landing place. No deciding where to eat or figuring out logistics. You're already home, surrounded by your people.
Your stay includes a dedicated workshop experience, exclusive ranch activities, and unstructured time to connect with fellow alumni.
We're building out a full workshop experience for on-ranch guests, with facilitated sessions and intentional activity blocks designed to
deepen the connections you're making all weekend. These sessions are woven into the rhythm of your days on the ranch - easy to join when
you're around, but skippable if you have a ranch activity scheduled or there's a speaker at the Festival you're dying to hear - and designed so
nothing feels forced or overscheduled.
Plus, you'll also have access to ranch activities available only to on-campus guests, such as:
And you’ll be invited to attend an exclusive brunch with Chip at his home on Friday morning!
Between the workshop sessions, the ranch activities, and the simple pleasure of sharing meals and downtime with your fellow alumni, staying on the ranch turns Homecoming from a great weekend into something truly immersive.
Just be aware that we have space for only 60 people maximum on the ranch and we expect those spots to go quickly.
The More, the Merrier: Bring Your Family and Friends
Your friends are our friends – and we would love to meet them.
If you have a partner, friend, or family member who is curious about MEA, please feel free to bring them along.
They'll get the full experience: access to the Santa Fe Magazine Festival, all ranch activities, the Saturday night Alumni Reunion Party, and the chance to meet the people who make MEA so special. Who knows – this might be the weekend that changes their life the way MEA changed yours.
Just for Corazóners: 50% Off Your Commuter Pass + Friday Morning Brunch with Chip
If you’re one of our cherished Corazón members, we are delighted to offer you a 50% discount on your commuter pass OR the opportunity to apply your $750 credit to your stay on the ranch with us.
Plus, on Friday morning you’ll enjoy something special: an intimate brunch at Chip's private home on the ranch.
This is your chance to connect with Chip in a more personal setting, meet fellow Corazon members, and dive deeper into the questions that matter most to you.
(And if you’re not a Corazón member, you still have time to become one so you can join us for this exclusive event!)
Why are we teaming up with Santa Fe Magazine for this event?
When Santa Fe Magazine approached us to sponsor their inaugural Festival, we saw an extraordinary opportunity. Their lineup reads like a wish list of speakers our community would want to hear: thought leaders in wellness, indigenous wisdom keepers, celebrated artists, and cultural innovators.
The chance to combine our Homecoming reunion with three days of world-class programming felt like a gift we had to share with our alumni. We know you’re going to love your festival experience combined with the opportunity to reconnect with your fellow alumni and celebrate this incredible community at our Alumni Reunion Party on Saturday night.
A Glance at the The Complete Speaker Lineup
Wisdom Teachers & Thought Leaders:
Dr. Andrew Weil
The father of integrative medicine shares insights on healing the whole human
Jen Sincero
The powerhouse behind You Are a Badass on confidence, creativity, and abundance
Joan Jiko Halifax Zen
Zen priest, anthropologist, and founder of Upaya Zen Center on mindfulness meets activism
Henry Shukman
Beloved meditation teacher, poet, and Zen master at Mountain Cloud Zen Center
Ellen Petry Leanse
Neuroscientist, Stanford instructor, and consultant for Apple, Google, and Facebook
Storytellers & Visual/Screen Artists:
Hampton Sides
Bestselling author of gripping adventure stories (Ghost Soldiers, Blood and Thunder)
Jessica Matten
Star of Dark Winds and Frontier, the Métis-Cree actress blazing trails in Hollywood
Cassidy Freeman
Star of Longmire and The Righteous Gemstones
Lisa Law
Legendary photographer who documented Woodstock and 1960s counterculture
David Michael Kennedy
50-year career photographing Muddy Waters, Bruce Springsteen, Blondie, and Bob Dylan
William Coupon
Legendary photographer known for painterly portraits of indigenous tribes, presidents, and rock stars
Kya Brickhouse
is an actor with the bold, experimental Exodus Ensemble theater company, which reimagines the classics to create something new.
Indigenous Artists & Visionaries:
Virgil Ortiz
From a family of legendary Pueblo potters, creating immersive experiences that merge ancient clay work with apocalyptic sci-fi
Nocona Burgess
Comanche painter whose contemporary portraits radiate power and history
Nicholas Herrera
Outsider folk artist and metal sculptor channeling the sacred and subversive
Anna Sofaer
Researcher who famously rediscovered the Sun Dagger marker site in Chaco National Park
Art & Creative Practice:
Angela Ellsworth
Multidisciplinary artist and co-founder of The Museum of Walking
J.P. Granillo
Renowned Chicano artist who, after a decade of incarceration, co-founded Alas de Agua Art Collective
Maggie Fine
Co-founder of The Canyon Road Summer Walk and actress (Breaking Bad, Boardwalk Empire)
Food, Culture & Music:
Mark Miller
Founder of Coyote Café and widely considered the father of modern Southwestern cooking
Tony Beck
Co-founder of Santa Fe's Beck & Bulow, purveyors of wild, sustainable meats
Eli Goodman
Actor-turned-entrepreneur redefining wellness through his cannabis brand, Best Daze
Juliana Ciano
Giving tours of Reunity Farm, where she's reimagining regenerative living
Rashaan Ahmad
Globetrotting hip-hop artist and community catalyst uniting rhythm and purpose
Science & Connection:
Peter Zandan
Executive chairman of Quantified Communications, an AI and communications analytics company
Julie Ferman)
The matchmaker behind 1,400 love stories (and counting)
Lori Paras
Executive Director of the Santa Fe Raptor Center, which rehabilitates injured birds
This isn’t even the full list –more names will be added as we get closer to the date.
And of course, whenever you’re feeling “festivaled out,” you can always come out to the ranch for some valuable relaxation and restoration in the company of your fellow alumni.
A Festival Pass That Includes So Much More
Here's the thing: a 3-day pass to the Santa Fe Magazine Festival costs $499.
For just one dollar more, MEA alumni get:
You're not just attending a festival. You're coming home to your people while experiencing world-class programming – and investing in valuable restoration, reconnection, and the kind of experience that shifts something fundamental.
NOTE: Please make sure to reserve your ticket here on this page and NOT on the Santa Fe Magazine website, as the latter will not give you access to our Alumni Reunion Party on the ranch.
And if you choose our all-inclusive “Stay at the Ranch” option, you’ll get all that plus three nights of accommodation at Rising Circle Ranch, with MEA’s legendary meals and hospitality – and access to workshop experiences and activities happening on the ranch.
Choose Your Homecoming Experience
All-Inclusive Ranch Pass
The full immersion homecoming experience:
This is the option if you want to fully surrender to the weekend. Stay on site, let us handle everything, and immerse yourself completely in the reunion.
$2,400
(Shared Room)
+ taxes & fees
$3,600
(Private Room)
+ taxes & fees
* Note: Corazón members can apply their $750 Corazón credit to their registration. Please contact Leslie Bartlett at leslie@meawisdom for more information.
Commuter Pass
The flexibility option for alumni staying off-ranch:
$500
+ taxes & fees
* Note: All Corazón members receive 50% off their commuter pass as part of their membership. Please contact Leslie Bartlett at leslie@meawisdom for more information.
Your questions, answered
MEA Alumni Homecoming is for people who have attended an MEA in-person workshop or online immersion program. If you've been part of our community, this weekend is for you.
Yes. Many alumni arrive wondering the same thing, and within hours, they're deep in conversation with people who get it. The MEA bond transcends individual workshops–you're part of the family, and you'll feel it the moment you arrive.
Not at all. Your ticket includes full Festival access, but if you have an All-Inclusive Pass and your idea of restoration looks like spending the entire weekend chilling at the ranch, go for it. There's no right way to “do homecoming”.
Absolutely! We're thrilled to welcome MEA-curious friends and family members this year. If you have a partner, friend, or family member who's been asking about MEA, this is the perfect opportunity to introduce them to our community. They'll get the full experience: Festival access, ranch activities, and the Saturday night Alumni Reunion Party. Just make sure they understand this is an alumni reunion first – the depth of connection comes from shared experience.
We get it – life happens. Let us know your schedule during registration and we'll make sure you don't miss the key moments. The Alumni Reunion Party is Saturday night, so if you can only make one night, make it that one.
We are currently in the process of designing them and will update this page with more info once they are decided. Rest assured they will include the same high-caliber MEA curriculum you’ve come to expect, though, and will give you valuable tools and practices designed to help you thrive in midlife.
If you’re staying at the ranch with us, you can sign up for optional activities such as: horseback riding, guided hikes, mindful movement sessions, sound baths, the Spacruzzi, massages, and more. Please note that some of these activities, such as horseback riding and massages, have an extra cost added.
Absolutely. If you’re staying on the ranch with us, share your needs during registration and our kitchen team will take care of you.
Ready to Come Home?
This June, your people are gathering in Santa Fe. The ranch is ready. And we've created a weekend that brings together the best of what MEA offers: deep connection, world-class speakers, and the kind of celebration that reminds you why this community matters.
We can't wait to see you there.
Still have questions? Click here to book with our advisors. They’re always happy to chat and help you figure out if this is the right experience for you.
MEA Alumni Homecoming Festival 2026 is a celebration of community, restoration, and the extraordinary journey of midlife wisdom. We can't wait to welcome you home.