About NYI

FAQ

Registration-Related Questions

What do the sliding scale fees mean? What if I need financial support to participate in an event?

New York Insight Meditation Center has streamlined the registration fee levels. Members of our Circle of Friends are eligible to receive 20% off of the Sustaining Rate via a code provided in the email confirming membership, which you can enter after clicking the Sustaining Level registration.

*Benefactor Level:  Supports NYI’s ability to offer the Subsidized Base.

**Sustaining Level:  This level reflects the actual costs to support this program.  Circle of Friends members eligible for 20% discount with code. Click here to join.

***Subsidized Base:  Made possible by the generosity of Benefactor Level above and other donations to ensure participation by those requiring financial assistance.

If you are unable to pay the Subsidized Base Fee, you can learn about volunteering to offer work exchange and letting us know how much you are able to pay for this program by emailing registration@nyimc.org. 

New York Insight is committed to ensuring that our Dharma offerings are available to all, regardless of ability to pay. No one will be turned away for lack of funds. No financial assistance application is needed when registering for a program. We offer new sliding scale fees, and ask that you choose the highest fee you are able to afford based on your financial means. For programs where there are a limited amount of seats, tickets for each sliding scale option are offered on a first-come, first-served basis. This ensures NYI’s operational sustainability.

I don’t know how to proceed with my registration.
Scroll down within the registration box, where you will see a green “Continue” button where you can continue your registration. If you are registering via a mobile devices such as a phone or tablet, you can scroll right and left and up and down within the form if it is partially obscured or cut off. Please contact registration@nyimc.org if you need assistance.

I did not receive my email confirmation after registering.
If you do not receive your event confirmation email right away, you may receive it within 1-3 business days. It is also possible that the email may have been sent to your spam folder. If you have not received it within 1-3 business days, please email registration@nyimc.org and we can resend your confirmation or address any questions you have.

How do I get my membership discount?
When you registered for a monthly or annual membership, you should have received an email confirmation with the membership discount code that you can use to get 20% off the Sustaining Rate. Select a ticket at the Sustaining Rate and enter the discount code in the Coupon Code field. Click “Apply Coupon” to apply the discount, and then proceed with the rest of the registration. If you are unsure of your membership status, please email members@nyimc.org.

What is the cancellation policy?

If you are registered for a program and are unable to attend for any reason, please email us
at registration@nyimc.org.

To receive a full refund for a program, you must notify us at registration@nyimc.org at least four days before the program start date.

Requests for a refund sent to NYI less than four days before a program start date will only be
eligible for a credit for future programs within 365 days of the original program.

New York Insight reserves the right to cancel a program. All registrants will be notified and will be eligible to receive a full refund.

What to Expect at NYI

What should I expect when I arrive?

• NYI is a casual, non-ceremonious spiritual center. We do not observe any specific rituals.
• Our lay teachers do not wear robes or have honorific titles (although we sometimes host monastic teachers who do).
• All events start on time: please arrive 15 minutes beforehand.
• Please remove your shoes and place them in allocated areas.
• Latecomers should either wait outside or sit in the back of the large room until there is a break in the dharma talk or meditation period.
• If front door of building is locked, ring button #27

What is dana?

• Dana is the Pali word for generosity. We endeavor to offer all participants the opportunity to share in the joyful cultivation of generosity through offerings to our teachers and NYI. It is sincerely hoped that donations come from a spontaneous expression of the heart in gratitude and appreciation for the benefits we have received through the hearing and practice of these unexcelled teachings. No one is turned away from the teachings for lack of funds.

Am I allowed to talk?

• Each event is different. Days of silence are largely kept in Noble Silence, but some events invite engagement and discussion as part of the process. Usually this is described in the event description and teachers explain the program flow at the start of an event.

Do I have to sit on a cushion?

• We provide cushions, benches, as well as comfortable straight back chairs.

Are there any rules?

Most of our daylong events, especially those referred to as “retreats”, include periods of meditation. In the interest of providing a harmonious and rewarding opportunity to practice, we ask all participants to join us in creating a supportive sacred space by observing the following guidelines:

• Please wear modest, appropriate clothing with an emphasis on comfort.
• Please remove your shoes and place them in the allocated areas.
• Except for the lunch period, please refrain from reading, eating, lying down or stretching in the meditation rooms during formal programs.
• Please refrain from using any electronic devices during programs. We encourage the use of paper and pens/pencils over electronic note-taking as these devices can be extremely distracting for others around you.
• Please do not sit on the sofa or in the lounge area during formal teaching and programs.
• Make sure that the area you’ve been sitting in, and any cushions you’ve used, are clean before you depart.
• Out of respect for people with environmental illnesses, we request that everyone at NYI please not wear strong fragrances or strongly scented products when attending events at NYI.  We greatly appreciate your efforts to make NYI accessible to those with MCS (Multiple Chemical Sensitivities).
• Please keep aisles and fire exits clear of cushions and belongings.
• Please make every effort to enter and leave meditation areas only at designated times.
• Please sit in an attentive posture during meditation and Dharma talks.
• Please be mindful of others when practicing walking meditation. Choose a walking path that does not cross paths of other meditators.
• If you wish to practice yoga, please do so only if there is space and time allotted (if you’re not sure, ask the Event Manager or a volunteer).

Teaching-Related Questions

Can I meet with a teacher privately?
Student-teacher meetings are for people who are actively practicing meditation and would like to confer with a teacher about that practice.   Discussions may focus on specific questions about one’s meditation practice itself, concerns about the integration of practice into one’s daily life,  or on an exploration of the truth as it is experienced through direct insight from meditation.

While all students at NYI have opportunities to engage with teachers during classes and other activities, members are given first access to teachers for individual meetings.  Please read more about Student-Teacher meetings.