FAQs
Check here for answers
We canvased our staff to pin down what the most popular questions they receive are. These are the winners!
Does IMCW have a physical space?
No. Pre-pandemic, IMCW teachers held classes and events in various spaces around the DC Metro area, including Virginia and Mayland. This gives our sanghas a local feel, and helps participants avoid lengthy commutes in heavy traffic. For now, most classes continue online. Check our calendar to find events happening in real life, online, or hybrid.
How do beginners learn meditation?
We recommend that you join one of our 6-week “Intro to Meditation” courses, which are offered at least 3x per year. You might also want to join one of our many drop-in groups, which meet regularly year-round. You can also visit our Learn to Meditate page on this website for more options and inspiration.
How do I choose a meditation teacher?
For newer practitioners, we suggest you attend a few drop-in groups to get to know our teachers better. Cultivating a supportive community is an important part of establishing a practice. For more advanced practitioners looking for a teacher to establish an individual relationship with, some of our teachers are available for 1:1 meetings. Visit Teacher Profiles to find a teacher you’d like to reach out to.
How do I give dana (generosity) to the teacher for an online class I took?
Visit the Generosity page where you can make a donation to a specific teacher by either sending it to one of the IMCW channels, or by selecting your teacher by name from the “Virtual Dana Basket.”
What is your refund policy for classes and retreats?
For retreats: If you cancel more than 4 weeks before the start of the retreat, your deposit will be refunded minus a $50 administrative fee. If you cancel less than 4 weeks before the start of the retreat, we can offer a refund only IF we are able to fill your space, in which case your deposit will be refunded minus a $100 administrative fee.
There is no refund if you decide to leave the retreat early.
For classes: If you cancel more than one week before the start of the event, your payment will be refunded minus a $50 administrative fee. We cannot offer refunds for cancellations made less than one week before the beginning of the event.
It may take 5-7 days for the refund to show in your account.
Note: You also have the option to offer the balance of the registration fee as a tax-deductible donation to the IMCW Scholarship Fund.
Why does IMCW need to raise money, and where do the funds go?
IMCW is a nonprofit organization, as well as a Buddhist-based community. As such, our offerings are available freely or on a sliding scale, and no one is ever turned away. We’re therefore dependent on the generosity of our community of supporters to bridge the gap between the fees that come in via our programs and the actual costs of running this large organization.
Funds raised go to all kinds of things, from scholarships and community-building events, to staff, technology, and supply costs.
I’d like to volunteer in some way. Are there opportunities?
Opportunities for volunteering arise occasionally, from serving on a committee to helping with a one-time event. Calls for volunteers might go out in our weekly e-newsletter, or you can contact us to let us know how you’d like to help.