Frequently Asked Questions

You will receive an automated email within a minute 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. It helps to search our inbox for “registration confirmation.”

You can also access the zoom link by logging into your insightla.org account, hovering over your name in the upper right corner, clicking View Profile, then My Event Registrations. 

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. You can also access the zoom link by logging into your insightla.org account, hovering over your name in the upper right corner, clicking View Profile, then My 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. It helps to search our inbox for “registration confirmation.”

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

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.

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.

We will email groups of individuals in chronological order if spots become available. These spots are first come, first serve. 

Please note that unfortunately due to minimal office staffing, we are unable to reply to emails inquiring about waitlists. If you need to fulfill a time sensitive requirement (ie MMTCP Retreat) we suggest registering for another event as a backup and we can help you transfer your registration if a spot opens. 

To assist you with the transition to using Zoom, you might find these instructional videos helpful:
How to join via a computer (please use Google Chrome as your browser) – click here

How to join via audio/phone – click here

You can find out if a class still has financial support spots available by clicking ‘Register Now.’ 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 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):

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!”

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.

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

The practice of Dana, the Pali word for generosity (pronounced ‘donna’), is a path to happiness. Giving is a way to cultivate compassion and self-awareness. We suggest you give as much as it takes for you to feel generous! This is uplifting for you and essential to InsightLA, so that we can continue to offer teachings.

Our cost for putting on one sitting group, or a single class in a series, is about $30. All of our teachers have devoted years to their training and have years of teaching experience.

Any amount of Dana that you are able to offer is warmly received, with gratitude and appreciation.

The MBSR class is modeled after this book. We assign corresponding chapters each week so that if people have the time, they can read them. We don’t make reading it part of the homework though; we’d rather participants practice and experience the techniques, not just read about them! Since we normally live so much in our heads, 45-60 min. of practical homework is already a challenge for most people.

Absolutely. Prescription drugs and meditation can complement each other. We recommend that people with serious mental health issues consult their therapist/psychiatrist before starting a meditation program.

Practicing meditation is a lot like training a muscle. If you train a little, you make little progress; if you train on a regular basis, you will see more progress. Try shorter, regular sittings (say 15 min) rather than one long sitting every once in a while.

Where the analogy stops: Progress in meditation is non-linear!

Teaching Meditation has a lot to do with experience and training. You would want somebody who has an ongoing daily personal meditation practice under the guidance of an experienced teacher. Ideally, they would have received qualified training to teach meditation or the specific program.

The personal aspect is also very important. Not every teacher is right for every student. Start practicing with a teacher about whom you’ve heard and read good things and see if you make a connection. Also, observe the teacher closely; are they living what they’re teaching?

List of Upcoming CE offerings. We occasionally have a retreat offering CEs.

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. 

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.

Please see this document outlining how to prepare for online retreats: Preparing For Your Online Retreat

Once you register for an online retreat, you will receive an auto-confirmation email containing a Homepage that includes everything you will need for the retreat. 

If you have questions regarding general retreat information and what to bring, please see the FAQ Page from Big Bear Retreat Center.