FAQ
Do I have to be Buddhist to benefit from your classes?
Nope! The teachings can be understood as a philosophy and the techniques we teach can be helpful for everybody. Sometimes students come to us because they are confused and have doubts about their religious upbringing, only to reconnect with their beliefs on a new level through the practice of mindfulness and loving kindness. We offer Buddhist teachings in our Buddha’s Path classes, and secular mindfulness training in other classes such as our MBSR program. You do not have to be a Buddhist to come to any of our classes, even the Buddha’s Path classes.
As one student said: “My parents hate me when I’m a Buddhist, but they love me when I’m a Buddha!”
Do you offer private one-on-one mindfulness lessons?
InsightLA focuses on group classes, events, and retreats. We believe the Sangha (Community) is a vital part of the practice. It helps to learn, grow, and process it all with with others!
Some of our amazing teachers do offer private one-on-one lessons outside of InsightLA. Soon we will have a list to share of those teachers for you to reach out to directly and inquire about private sessions.
Can you recommend a therapist with a Mindfulness/Buddhist lens?
Here is the list of our InsightLA teachers who also offer private therapy – all use a mindfulness/Buddhist lens in their practice: Therapy referral list
RETREATS
What does downtime look like for online retreats?
Just like on residential retreats, it’s best to keep non-essential non-retreat activities to a minimum and if needed, please bring mindfulness and embodiment to the activity. This helps build a continuity of practice. The teachers will speak more about this on Day 1 of retreat and you will receive a Homepage outlining more suggestions for setting up your space.
Where can I find detailed information about the 6-night/MMTCP retreat I’m registered for?
The Residential Retreat info email is sent at the time of registration. About 2-3 weeks before the start of the retreat you will receive a welcome letter including information about arrival and any updates.
The Online Retreat Homepage is sent either in your auto confirmation email (within a minute of the time you register) or two months before the retreat begins.
What is my Practice Group Assignment?
Weekly Classes will be posted to the Retreat Homepage on Day 1 of retreat. Please include any schedule conflicts on the Pre-Retreat Questionnaire – you may update this by logging into your Google account and clicking on the Pre-Retreat Questionnaire in the Retreat Homepage.
I need help using Zoom
Billing, Purchases, & Refunds:
What is your refund policy?
Our refund policy depends on the type of offering you wish to be refunded. You can read more about our refund a few scrolls down this page: https://insightla.org/terms-of-use/
How do I change or cancel my monthly donation?
Let us know which recurring donation you would like to cancel or change by emailing support@insightla.org with:
Please cancel my monthly donation.
Name:
Monthly Donation Amount:
To change a recurring donation, we’ll have to cancel your previous donation and invite you to set up a new one with the preferred amount.
Start a New Monthly Donation
If you wish to set up a new recurring donation for InsightLA, you may do so here. If you wish to set up a Monthly Donation for a specific Practice Group, please click on the “Monthly Donations” button on the Practice Group page of your choice.
Why am I getting monthly charges?
If you’re getting monthly charges from us you didn’t intend, you might have accidentally set up a recurring donation when you meant to set up a one-time donation. Not to worry! Let us know which recurring donation you would like to cancel by emailing support@insightla.org with:
Please cancel my monthly donation.
Name:
Monthly Donation Amount:
How do I change my credit card information?
Please email us at support@insightla.org or reach out in the chat if you would like to update your credit card information. We can set up a time to securely assist over the phone in updating your card information and removing any unwanted cards from our system.
Name:
Preferred Contact Number:
Best days/times to call:
Please remove the CC (last 4 digits):
How do I cancel a registration and get a refund, or transfer my registration to a different class?
At any point before an event begins, you may cancel registration in exchange for a coupon worth the amount you paid. The coupon can be used towards registration for any of our other offerings.
For refunds to the original payment method, refund policies vary depending on the type of offering you are canceling. You can read more about our refund policy: https://insightla.org/terms-of-use/
To cancel a registration and receive either a coupon or refund, please email us and include the name of the event and the date it occurs.
How can I see donations I’ve made before?
To view your previous donations, login to your account in the top right corner of the website. Click into your account and you will be able to view various menus, including menus that show past registrations and donations.
You will receive a donation letter via email within a minute of the time you make a donation on the website.
Continuing Education Credits:
Which classes offer Continuing Education Credits?
You can explore classes that offer CEs under the MBSR & MSC menu on our website. This will bring you to a list of upcoming programs, many but not all of which offer Continuing Education Credits. If a class offers Continuing Education Credits, it will say so and how many at the end of the class’s description on it’s event page.
Can I still purchase CEs if I’m already registered for the class?
If you would like to purchase CEs for a class you have already registered for or begun, you must purchase CEs before the course ends. Reach out to us in the chat for help purchasing CEs for a class you are already registered for.
How do I get a CE certificate?
You will receive CEs by email within a few weeks after your course’s end, once we have processed and verified CEs through UCSD.
If you need a new copy of a CE certificate for a class from a while back, email support@insightla.org for a new copy.
Classes that I have registered for:
How do I view the recording for a class I attended?
Recordings are often sent out over email within the few days following the course’s end, once the video has been processed and uploaded. If a class is being recorded, it will say so at the bottom of the class’s event page. If a recording is not mentioned, the class is not being recorded.
Sometimes the recording email goes to students’ spam folder. Please check your spam folder and mark it as not-spam to prevent this from happening in the future.
Finally, sometimes a recording may take a few extra days to become available, if any portions need to be edited out, such as a student’s request to remove a personal share. You can email us at support@insightla.org for updates on the recordings availability.
Why didn’t I receive a confirmation email?
You will receive an automated email within a few minutes of registering for a class. If you registered for an online class, the Zoom link is included in the email. If you did not receive the email, please check your spam folder and mark it as not-spam to prevent this from happening in the future for your email address.
If you’d like, you may view your Event Registrations here.
How do I find the Zoom link for a class I’ve registered for?
Once you’ve registered for an online offering with us, that offering’s event page on our website will show you the Zoom link. You must be logged into the account you registered with in order to view this. View your Event Registrations.
Also, you received an automated email that includes the Zoom link within a minute of registering for the course. If you did not receive the email, please check your spam folder and mark it as not-spam to prevent this from happening in the future.
How can I see class I’ve taken before?
To view your previous registrations, login to your account in the top right corner of the website. Click into your account and you will be able to view various menus, including menus that show past registrations and donations. View your Profile
Registrations
Saved Programs
How do I change my account password?
You can change your password by clicking your profile in the top right corner of our website. Then click the button that says “account.” Under account, you can enter your new password twice to confirm it.
If you are unable to access your account, you can click lost password at the login screen. Alternatively, you can email us at support@insightla.org and let us know the email address associated with your account, as well as the new password you would like for your account. We will reach out to you once this has been resolved.
Financial Support and Payment Plans:
How can I receive financial support or a payment plan?
You can find out if a class still has financial support spots available by clicking ‘Register Now’ near the top left of the event’s page. Once there, the Financial Support categories that are still available will be clickable next to payment options. If no remaining categories pertain to you, please email us at support@insightla.org to be added to the financial support waitlist with:
Please add me to the financial support waitlist.
Your Name:
Event Name:
*Highest amount you can afford:
Our mission is to make all of our programs accessible. Every fee-based offering has a limited number of pay-what-you-can spots available to support members of marginalized groups (people of color, queer people, people with disabilities) and those in financial need (those for whom the cost to attend is not financially possible). These spots are offered on a first come, first served basis.
*Please pay at the highest level you can afford. In order for this support to be available, we rely on those who can afford to pay the full price to do so.
Payment Plans: Each class has unlimited spots for a payment plan if you would like to split the payment into multiple installments. ie 4 payments of $25 instead equalling $100. To get this started, please email us at support@insightla.org with:
Your Name:
Event Name:
Number of Payments (last payment before the start of the event):