Online courses: Frequently asked questions

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Who teaches the courses?
How do the courses work?
Why pay for an online course?
What are the technical requirements?
Do I have to be online at a particular time?
When are the next courses offered?
How will I know when to start?

What is the course fee?
Is the course worth the price?
What if I can’t finish within the scheduled dates?
How much time does the course take?
What do I do after finishing the course?
More questions?

Who teaches the courses?

Our first series of meditation courses were set up by Bodhipaksa. Bodhipaksa has been practicing Buddhist meditation since 1982, and has been teaching since the late 1980’s. Recently he taught meditation in the Religious Studies department of the University of Montana, and he has published a book on meditation. You can read more about Bodhipaksa here, or read what his students have said about his teaching.

Our courses are currently taught by Sunada.

How do the courses work?
Once you’ve signed up for a course you’ll be given a username and password that gives you access to the course materials. You’ll have access to online readings that will explain the details of the practices you’ll be learning, weekly audio guided meditations that you can download and play on your computer, and a class discussion forum in which you can ask questions and share your thoughts with your classmates. These resources are available 24 hours a day.

You’ll also have a limited opportunity to email more personal questions to your teacher, questions that you may not wish to share in a forum. For a fee you can have an unlimited personal dialog with your teacher. This option can be added while purchasing the course in our online store.

Why take an online meditation course?
The main Wildmind site (www.wildmind.org) is full of excellent free advice, but many people find they lack the self-discipline to learn on their own. Learning meditation on your own in particular has the inherent limitation that it’s very difficult to see your own blind spots.

With a Mindworks course you have the extra support of a teacher and a structured syllabus to help support your intention to learn meditation or bring the ideas of Buddhism into your life. With this added encouragement it will be much easier for you to integrate these new skills and ideas into your daily life, allowing you to experience the benefits of a calmer mind, greater confidence, and more harmonious relationships.

You’ll also be part of a community of online learners, and can exchange ideas with them in the discussion forum.

What are the technical requirements?
You need the following:

• an internet connection (this being an online course!)
• a multimedia computer with speakers or headphones. If your computer doesn’t have audio capabilities, we can supply a double CD for the audio components of the courses, but there is an extra $20 charge for this.
• RealPlayer or another media player installed on your computer. Our guided meditations are available both as RealAudio files (download free RealPlayer here) and as MP3 files which will play on any other media player such as Windows Media Player or Quicktime.
• a web brower such as Internet Explorer 6 or above, or Netscape 6 or above, or Opera, Safari, or Firefox.

Do I have to be online at a particular time?

The course is “asynchronous”, which means that you can log on and use the course materials at any time. The guided meditations and other course material, and the discussion forum are available at all times, so if you miss a day there’s no problem.

When are the next courses offered?
You can sign up for any course at any time by going to our secure online store, where you’ll find a list of start dates.

How will I know when to start?
When you sign up for a course we’ll add you to the class roster (this is usually done the same or the next working day) and you’ll receive an email that explains how to choose a password and log in. Because of the asynchronous nature of the course, you can do this at any time after the course start date and start working at your own pace.

What is the course fee?
Please see our online store for the current prices. If you genuinely can’t afford to the fees, please email us explaining your circumstances and telling us what you can reasonably afford, and we’ll do what we can to accommodate your needs.

Is the course worth the price?
Well, obviously we’re going to say it is, but our students do think the course is worth the money, as you can judge from the student comments that you’ll read on the course description pages. The classes are moderated by an experienced meditation teacher, who provides direct feedback to all students in the discussion forum. Students find this advice very useful in making positive changes in their lives which lead to decreased stress, improved relationships, and greater happiness. This course really can be a life-changing event.

What if I can’t finish within the scheduled dates?

We understand that you’re busy. Sometimes you sign up for magazines, for example, and don’t have time to read them and the same kind of thing might happen with the meditation course. If you don’t have time to finish working through the material we’re happy to let you roll over to the next course to keep on working for free. If you’re unable to benefit from the extra time we’ll usually suggest that you take a “rain check” so that you can come back to the course when you have more time. We don’t want you to get stressed about learning meditation!

The rain check option only applies if you haven’t been able to do the written assignments. If you’ve been unable to keep up with them, then we’re happy to let you take the rain check option.

How much time does the course take?
The time investment varies for each course, but generally speaking you should be able to complete each week’s materials in a couple hours total, including reading, guided meditations, and participating in the forum. (You should check each individual course description for the actual time needed.) We realize that you’ve got a busy schedule, and these courses are designed with you in mind.

What do I do after finishing the course?
We offer courses in different subjects, ranging in level from beginner to advanced, so we hope you’ll want to continue your studies with us. Some students also choose to continue working with Sunada with private meditation coaching to keep their practice growing.

Everyone who completes all four of our meditation courses is eligible for a free Life Membership, which means that you’ll have access to the materials from all four meditation courses for life. You’ll also have free access to any new courses that are developed by Wildmind staff.

More questions?

If this page doesn’t answer all your questions, please use the comment form below. Or if your question is more personal and you dont want it published, feel free to use our contact form. Ask away!

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