Privacy Policy

Introduction

Light News Institute (“Light News Institute,” “we,” “us,” or “our”) operates the website lightnews.org (the “Site”) and provides related services, including Integrative Chakra Therapy® sessions, intuitive counseling, workshops, courses, webinars, Monday Night Chakra Healing and Discourse, and community events (together, the “Services”).

Many people come to Light News Institute at a reflective, sometimes vulnerable point in their lives, and we take the privacy of what you share with us seriously. This Privacy Policy explains, in plain language, what personal information we collect, why we collect it, how we use and share it, how long we keep it, and the rights and choices available to you.

By visiting the Site or using our Services, you agree to the practices described in this Privacy Policy. If you don’t agree, please don’t use the Site or our Services.

Definitions

  • Personal Information – any information that identifies, relates to, or could reasonably be linked with you, such as your name, email address, or phone number.
  • Processing – anything done with personal information: collecting, storing, using, sharing, or deleting it.
  • Service Providers (or “processors”) — companies that process personal information on our behalf and under our instructions, such as our email platform or payment processor.
  • Services – the Site, our sessions, workshops, courses, webinars, and events, whether in person or online.
  • You – any visitor to the Site or recipient of our Services.

Scope of This Policy

This Policy applies to personal information we collect through lightnews.org, our booking and scheduling tools, our newsletter, the Chakra Quiz, our webinars and events, and related communications. It does not apply to third-party websites or services we link to, which are governed by their own privacy policies (see Section 18).

Information We Collect

Category

Examples

How We Collect It

Why We Use It

Contact information

Name, email address, phone number

Newsletter sign-up, contact form, booking form, Chakra Quiz, event registration

Respond to you, deliver services, and send updates

Session & booking details

Session type, date/time, notes on your intentions for a session

Booking form; conversations with practitioners

Schedule and personalize your session

Chakra Quiz responses

Your answers to the seven quiz questions

The Chakra Quiz

Generate and email your personalized result and guide

Payment information

Card number, billing address

Donation or course checkout

Process payments (handled by our payment processor; we don’t store full card numbers)

Session recordings

Audio or video of private sessions or select workshops

Recorded with your knowledge during the session

Provide you with a reference recording

Testimonials

Your name, general location, review content

Submitted voluntarily by you

Published on the Site, with your permission

Technical & usage data

IP address, browser/device type, pages viewed, referring site

Automatically, via cookies and analytics tools

Understand Site usage, maintain security, improve content

Communications

Content of emails, contact form messages, phone calls

Submitted directly by you

Respond to and manage your inquiry

Notification preferences

Whether you’ve opted in to push notifications

Push notification prompt

Send you the site activity updates you’ve asked for

Sensitive Information

We don’t ask for or require sensitive information such as government ID numbers, precise health diagnoses, or financial account numbers. If you choose to share sensitive personal details during a private session—for example, something about your health, relationships, or life circumstances relevant to your reading or counseling—we treat that information as confidential, use it only to inform the session itself, and don’t add it to marketing lists or share it outside the practitioner relationship without your permission.

How We Use Your Information

We use your information to:

  • Schedule, deliver, and follow up on private sessions, workshops, courses, and webinars
  • Email you your Chakra Quiz results and any related guide you’ve requested
  • Send our newsletter and updates about events and offerings (you can unsubscribe anytime)
  • Process donations and course payments
  • Respond to inquiries submitted through our contact form
  • Publish testimonials you’ve given us permission to share
  • Understand how visitors use the Site so we can improve it
  • Keep our Site and Services secure
  • Meet our legal, tax, and accounting obligations

We do not sell your personal information and do not use it for purposes unrelated to those above without asking you first.

Legal Bases for Processing (EU/UK Visitors)

If you’re located in the European Economic Area or United Kingdom, we rely on one or more of these legal bases:

  • Consent — for example, newsletter sign-up or taking the Chakra Quiz
  • Contractual necessity — processing needed to provide something you’ve requested, like booking a session
  • Legitimate interests — operating, securing, and improving the Site, balanced against your rights
  • Legal obligation — where processing is required to comply with the law

You can withdraw consent at any time without affecting the lawfulness of processing carried out before your withdrawal.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Category

Purpose

Examples

Typical Duration

Strictly necessary

Core site functions—forms, booking, navigation

Session and security cookies

Session, up to 24 hours

Analytics

Understand traffic and content performance

Google Analytics (via Google’s Site Kit)

Up to 26 months

Functionality

Remember preferences, like notification opt-in

Preference cookies

Up to 12 months

Third-party embeds

Let embedded content function

YouTube, Zoom, Google Maps cookies

Set by the third party

You can control or disable cookies through your browser settings. Disabling some cookies may limit parts of the site’s functionality, such as embedded video or booking forms.

How We Share Your Information

We share personal information only as described below. We do not sell or rent your personal information to third parties for their own marketing.

Recipient

Purpose

What’s Typically Shared

Website hosting provider

Keep the Site online and running

Technical and usage data

Email/newsletter platform

Send newsletters and Chakra Quiz results

Name, email address

Payment processor

Process donations and course payments

Payment and billing details

Zoom

Host webinars and online sessions

Name, email, registration details

Analytics provider (Google)

Understand Site traffic and performance

Technical and usage data

Legal or government authorities

Comply with law, respond to legal process, protect rights and safety

Information as required by law

Successor entity

In the event of a merger, acquisition, or asset sale

Information as necessary for the transaction

Every service provider we work with may use your information only to perform the specific task we’ve asked of them.

Data Retention

Data Type

Retention Period

Newsletter subscriber data

Until you unsubscribe or request deletion

Chakra Quiz responses

Up to 24 months, or until you request deletion

Session and booking records

Duration of our relationship, plus the period required by applicable tax and accounting rules

Session recordings

Until you request deletion

Payment records

As required by applicable tax and accounting law

Contact form messages

Up to 24 months after your inquiry is resolved

Website usage/analytics data

Up to 26 months

When we no longer need information for these purposes, we securely delete or anonymize it.

Data Security

We use reasonable administrative and technical safeguards to protect your information, including encrypted connections (SSL/TLS) for data in transit, restricted internal access to personal information, and secure hosting infrastructure. That said, because no system of transmission or storage over the internet can be made completely secure, we cannot promise absolute security.

Your Privacy Rights

Depending on where you live, you may have some or all of the following rights. This table is a general guide — your specific rights depend on your location and applicable law.

Right

What It Means

EU/UK (GDPR)

California (CCPA/CPRA)

Canada (PIPEDA)

Access

See what data we hold about you

Yes

Yes (“Right to Know”)

Yes

Correction

Fix inaccurate data

Yes

Yes

Yes

Deletion

Ask us to delete your data

Yes

Yes

Limited circumstances

Opt out of sale/sharing

We do not sell or share personal information for cross-context behavioral advertising, so there is nothing to opt out of. If this ever changes, we will update this Policy and provide an opt-out mechanism. 

N/A

Not applicable — we don’t sell or share 

N/A

Data portability

Receive your data in a portable format

Yes

Limited

Limited

Object or restrict processing

Limit how we use your data

Yes

Limited

Limited

Withdraw consent

Revoke previously given consent

Yes

Yes

Yes

Non-discrimination

We won’t penalize you for exercising your rights

Yes

Yes

Yes

Lodge a complaint

File a complaint with a regulator

Your local data protection authority

California Privacy Protection Agency

Office of the Privacy Commissioner of Canada

To exercise any of these rights, email info@lightnews.org or call +1 (760) 420-8100. We’ll respond within the timeframe required by applicable law and may need to verify your identity first.

Additional Rights for U.S. State Residents

Beyond California, a growing number of U.S. states — including Virginia, Colorado, Connecticut, Utah, and others — have comprehensive privacy laws that generally give residents similar rights: to know what’s collected, correct it, delete it, and opt out of targeted advertising or profiling. If you’re a resident of one of these states, you can exercise these rights the same way: by emailing info@lightnews.org

Marketing Communications and Your Choices

  • Newsletter and email updates — unsubscribe anytime using the link at the bottom of any email, or by contacting us directly
  • Push notifications — manage or disable these through your browser or device settings, or by opting out when prompted
  • Chakra Quiz follow-up content — you can ask us at any time to stop sending related educational content

Opting out of marketing communications won’t affect transactional messages, such as booking confirmations.

Automated Decision-Making

The Chakra Quiz uses your answers to surface one of seven possible educational results. It’s a self-reflection tool, not an automated decision that produces legal or similarly significant effects about you, and it does not automatically decide your eligibility for any service

Children's Privacy

Our Site and Services are intended for adults and are not directed to children under 13. We do not knowingly collect personal information from children under 13. If you believe a child has provided us with personal information, contact us so we can delete it.

Testimonials and Public Content

If you submit a testimonial or review, we may publish it along with your first name and, where provided, general location, unless you ask us to withhold or anonymize your name. Contact us if you’d like us to remove or update a previously published testimonial.

third-Party Links and Services

The Site links to and embeds content from third-party services, including YouTube, Zoom, Google Maps, and our social media pages (X/Twitter, Facebook, Instagram, and LinkedIn). These operate under their own privacy policies, which we encourage you to review — we aren’t responsible for the practices of sites we don’t operate.

A Note on Health Information

Light News Institute and its practitioners are not licensed physicians, psychologists, or healthcare providers, and nothing in our sessions, courses, or content is medical advice, diagnosis, or treatment. Because we’re not a healthcare provider, health plan, or clearinghouse, we are not a “covered entity” under HIPAA. We nonetheless treat what you share with us in sessions as confidential and handle it with care.

International Data Transfers

We operate the Site from the United States. If you access it from elsewhere, we will transfer and process your information in the U.S., where privacy laws may differ from those in your home country. Where required, we use appropriate safeguards for these transfers.

Data Breach Notification

If a security breach compromises your personal information in a way that creates a risk to you, we will notify affected individuals and relevant authorities as required by applicable law.

Do Not Track Signals

Some browsers offer a “Do Not Track” setting. Because there’s no common industry standard for responding to these signals, our Site does not currently change its behavior in response.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy periodically. We will post changes here with a new “Last updated” date, and for significant changes, we may also notify you by email or a Site notice.

Governing Law

This Policy is governed by the laws of the State of California, without regard to conflict-of-law principles, except where applicable law (such as the GDPR for EU/UK residents) requires otherwise.

Contact Us

Questions about this Privacy Policy or how we handle your information:

Light News Institute Bamboo Garden Wellness Center 171 Saxony Road, Suite 213 Encinitas, CA 92024

Email: info@lightnews.org
Phone: +1 (760) 420-8100
Office Hours: Monday–Sunday, 9 AM–7 PM