True Insight

"I was very disappointed by my experience—especially after looking forward all week to attend the Open House. When I arrived I was the only one wearing a mask and was greeted by a, “oh are you a mask wearer?” The two ladies in the room then proceeded to put on their masks and the presentation began. The presentation felt very disorganized, unprepared and superficial. At one point the speaker started talking about how her boyfriend—past student, now teacher—was really good with women which felt slightly unprofessional and inappropriate for an Open House. The speaker also said a few things that were incorrect about the body’s energy system and had never heard the term, “subtle bodies” when I asked her about the anatomy of the aura. On top of that she let out a few pseudoscience phrases that made the Microbiology major in me cringe. With all that said I would like to point out some positives. I can see for someone who is unsure of where to start or how to even get into meditation and chakras, this is probably a decent place to start. They seemed to be driving the “strong spiritual foundation” aspect quite a bit. The grounding cord meditation was lovely, I even liked the analogies she used, especially the one about using our anger and resentments as compost for the Earth—gorgeous. However—and this is a big however—this is not a place for seekers that have been on the path for awhile or people of color. TRIGGER WARNING: I will spend this next section talking about race, age, and power dynamics, if these topics trigger you I would stop here. Alright let’s get into it. From the second I walked in I did not get a welcoming vibe or that anyone of color had ever walked in there. The place was pretty much just older white women—as someone that has to navigate predominantly older white spaces this is something I’m quite accustomed to so I proceeded with caution. I got the sense the leader was unconsciously threatened by my youth, beauty and race. There were several times throughout her presentation that I felt singled out either by her body language or through the subtle ways she ignored my questions and tried to belittle me by changing the subject or gaslighting me. Don’t believe me? Let’s go into a few examples. The laptop used for people attending remotely, was directed at me only—at first. I was literally the only person in the frame, that the other attendee scooted over so she could also be in it until the speaker realized she should also too be in the frame. The speaker even let out a, “I don’t normally like to put the camera on me,” which gave me the impression she was uncomfortable with her appearance, which felt odd since she then went into a conversation about self-empowerment. When we were about to start the meditation, the speaker told ONLY me to put my glasses on so I could focus “behind my eyes”. To which I replied I meditate all the time and asked her what she meant. Her reply had something to do with the fact that people have trouble staying present—why did she assume only I would struggle I have no clue. Her eyes often widen and spent more time looking at me then the other attendees. After about 40 minutes, I stopped gaslighting myself that I was making this all up in my head and placed a very clear boundary by stating that I felt unwelcomed and uncomfortable. In a very condescending tone and faux politeness the speaker told me, “you are going through what we call a growth period.” To which I got my coat, said thank you and proceeded to my car where I went to breathe and talk through the familiar sickening feeling of not belonging in the spiritual community. Thank you for taking the time to read this far, and I hope my review has helped you make a more educated decision about attending this center."

"Amazing classes to enhance your intuitive abilities. Amazing store with many crystals and great gifts at affordable price. Love the energy!"

"A wonderful school for the discovery of your most precious gifts. I've had a lot of fun and adventure here, discovering things both profound and amusing. If you've been interested in intuition and meditation, you are in the right place. :-)"

"True Insight is the place to go if you want to learn intuitive meditation. The school's director, Carrie Brooks, is a wonderful teacher and a very gifted healer. There are many events throughout the month where you can get readings and healings. I highly recommend studying here, as well as going for a healing. It's a great space with really wonderful people!"