Privacy Policy for Acharya Shunya Programs

                                    

First Posted August 1, 2024
Last Updated: June 20, 2026

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Introduction

This Privacy Policy applies to www.acharyashunya.com, along with related program pages, forms, membership pages, payment pages, application forms, digital libraries, community spaces, and online offerings connected to Acharya Shunya’s teachings and programs.

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This website is operated for programs, courses, circles, retreats, memberships, communications, and educational offerings connected with Acharya Shunya.

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Some programs on this website may be offered directly through Acharya Shunya LLC / AS LLC or another clearly identified Acharya Shunya program entity. Other programs may be promoted in coordination with Vedika Global, Inc., a California nonprofit religious organization, and may direct you to www.vedikaglobal.org for registration, donation, membership, payment, or participation.

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At the time of registration, donation, purchase, or enrollment, the payment page, checkout page, or receipt will indicate which entity is receiving the payment. Payments made to Acharya Shunya LLC / AS LLC are not charitable donations unless clearly stated otherwise. Donations or payments made directly to Vedika Global, Inc. will be received and receipted by Vedika Global, Inc.

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This policy explains how we collect, use, share, and safeguard personal information when you visit this website, register for a program, purchase a membership, complete an application, make a payment, subscribe to communications, or otherwise interact with Acharya Shunya programs online.

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Definitions

“Personal Information” refers to information that identifies or can reasonably identify you, including but not limited to your name, email address, mailing address, phone number, billing information, payment-related information, program registration information, application responses, digital signatures, consent acknowledgments, and communications with us.

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“Program Payment” refers to payment made for a class, course, circle, membership, event, retreat, digital library, or other paid offering.

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“Donation” refers to a monetary contribution made to a nonprofit organization, such as Vedika Global, Inc., through its own website, donation page, or associated donation platform.

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“Service Providers” refers to third-party companies or individuals that assist us in operating websites, processing payments, managing forms, sending emails, hosting programs, storing records, maintaining community platforms, or providing technical support.

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Information We Collect

We collect Personal Information that you voluntarily provide when you:

Register for a class, course, membership, circle, retreat, or event

Complete an application form

Purchase a product, program, or service

Subscribe to our email list

Contact us by email or through a website form

Participate in online programs, digital libraries, or community spaces

Make a payment through this website or a connected platform

This information may include:

Your name

Email address

Mailing address

Phone number

City, state, country, and time zone

Payment information

Program registration details

Membership information

Application responses

Digital signature, date, and consent acknowledgments

Communications you send to us

Participation information related to programs, circles, memberships, or community spaces

For some live circles, memberships, or programs, application forms may include consent acknowledgments, participation agreements, recording consent, cancellation terms, respectful conduct expectations, and no-refund terms. These records may be stored so we can document your consent and administer the program responsibly.

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Payment Information

We may use third-party payment processors to process program payments, membership payments, course purchases, retreat payments, and other transactions. We do not directly store your full credit card number on our own website servers unless specifically stated by the payment provider.

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The entity receiving your payment will depend on the specific program, payment page, or checkout page. Some payments may be received by Acharya Shunya LLC / AS LLC for paid programs, courses, circles, memberships, retreats, or events. Other payments may be received directly by Vedika Global, Inc. for nonprofit programs, donations, or memberships hosted by Vedika Global.

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Please review the checkout page and receipt carefully. The receipt will indicate the entity that received your payment. Payments received by Acharya Shunya LLC / AS LLC are not charitable donations. Only payments clearly received and acknowledged by Vedika Global, Inc. as donations should be understood as charitable contributions to Vedika Global, Inc.

 

Use of Information

The Personal Information we collect may be used for the following purposes:

Processing program registrations, memberships, applications, and payments

Sending payment confirmations, receipts, program access details, and membership information

Communicating with you about programs, teachings, events, updates, and community offerings

Managing access to digital libraries, live circles, courses, retreats, and online communities

Maintaining records of consent, participation agreements, and application forms

 

Responding to your inquiries

Sending newsletters and program announcements

Complying with legal, tax, accounting, and administrative obligations

Protecting the safety, integrity, and respectful functioning of our programs and communities

We may also use your information to determine whether you have agreed to required program terms, including recording consent, cancellation policies, conduct expectations, membership terms, and no-refund policies.

 

Partnership and Coordination with Vedika Global, Inc.

Acharya Shunya’s work may be presented through both www.acharyashunya.com and www.vedikaglobal.org.

Vedika Global, Inc. is a California nonprofit religious organization connected with Vedic teachings, spiritual education, community programs, and related nonprofit offerings.

 

Certain programs, including Vedic Study Circle, Inner Mandala, Open Mandala, and other Vedika Global programs, may be described, linked, or promoted on www.acharyashunya.com, but may be hosted, administered, registered, paid for, or accessed through www.vedikaglobal.org or Vedika Global platforms.

 

If you click from www.acharyashunya.com to www.vedikaglobal.org, you may be entering a Vedika Global program, donation page, membership page, or registration process. In that case, your payment, donation, receipt, membership, and program access may be handled by Vedika Global, Inc. according to its own nonprofit practices and applicable policies.

 

Acharya Shunya LLC / AS LLC and Vedika Global, Inc. may coordinate in limited ways to support shared communications, program clarity, member access, student support, and administrative needs. Any such coordination is intended to help participants understand and access the programs they have chosen to join or support.

 

Sharing of Information

We do not sell your Personal Information.

We may share Personal Information only in the following circumstances:

With Service Providers who assist us in operating websites, managing forms, sending emails, processing payments, hosting programs, maintaining community platforms, storing records, or providing technical support

With Acharya Shunya program team members when needed to administer programs, memberships, applications, communications, access, cancellations, or participant support

With Vedika Global, Inc. when necessary to coordinate programs that are linked, promoted, transitioned, or administered between www.acharyashunya.com and www.vedikaglobal.org

When required by law, legal process, subpoena, tax reporting, or regulatory obligation

To protect our rights, safety, students, members, program participants, staff, teachers, community spaces, or spiritual containers

In connection with accounting, legal, compliance, or administrative needs

When information is shared between Acharya Shunya LLC / AS LLC and Vedika Global, Inc., it is shared only for legitimate program, administrative, communication, payment, consent-record, or access-management purposes connected with the offerings you have chosen to join, purchase, or support.

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Program Payments, Donations, and Charitable Status

Programs offered through Acharya Shunya LLC / AS LLC are paid educational, spiritual, or community offerings unless clearly stated otherwise. These payments are not charitable donations.

Programs, donations, or memberships offered directly through Vedika Global, Inc. may be nonprofit offerings or charitable donations, depending on how they are presented at checkout.

If a program is donation-based or connected with Vedika Global, Inc., the donation page, registration page, or receipt should make clear that the payment is being accepted by Vedika Global, Inc. and not by Acharya Shunya LLC / AS LLC.

Please rely on the checkout page and receipt to determine which entity received your payment and whether it was processed as a charitable donation or as payment for a paid program.

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Recordings and Program Participation

Some live programs, circles, classes, and community gatherings may be recorded. If you participate in a recorded session, your name, voice, image, comments, questions, or shared reflections may appear in the recording.

Recordings may be made available inside a digital library, membership archive, course portal, or program portal. By joining such programs, you may be asked to provide recording consent through a separate application, checkout form, or participation agreement.

Please share personally only to the degree that you are comfortable with your sharing being included in a group teaching space or recording, according to the specific terms of the program.

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Memberships, Applications, and Consent Records

Some programs may require an application or participation agreement before enrollment or access is granted.

These applications may ask for your contact information, program interest, membership choice, consent acknowledgments, digital signature, and date.

We may retain application forms, consent acknowledgments, digital signatures, cancellation terms, recording consent, conduct agreements, and no-refund acknowledgments for administrative, legal, and recordkeeping purposes.

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Data Security

We implement reasonable security measures to protect your Personal Information. This may include secure servers, password-protected platforms, encryption technologies, restricted access, and the use of reputable third-party service providers.

However, no method of transmission over the internet or electronic storage is completely secure. We cannot guarantee absolute security.

We seek to collect only the information reasonably needed to administer programs, memberships, applications, payments, communications, access, and legal or administrative obligations.

Cookies and Tracking Technologies

Our website may use cookies and similar tracking technologies to improve your browsing experience, understand website traffic, remember certain preferences, and support marketing or communication efforts.

Cookies are small files transferred to your device through your web browser. You may adjust your browser settings to refuse cookies or alert you when cookies are being used. Some website features may not function properly without cookies.

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Email Communications

We may use your email address to send payment confirmations, receipts, program access details, membership updates, newsletters, event announcements, and other communications connected with Acharya Shunya programs.

You may unsubscribe from general marketing emails by following the unsubscribe instructions in our emails.

Please note that even if you unsubscribe from general emails, we may still send necessary transactional or administrative communications related to payments, memberships, applications, cancellations, receipts, program access, or other services you have requested.

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Your Choices

You may choose not to provide certain Personal Information. However, this may limit your ability to register, complete an application, access a membership, join a program, make a payment, or receive certain communications.

You may opt out of general communications by using the unsubscribe link included in emails or by contacting us.

For Acharya Shunya program matters, contact:

info@acharyashunya.com

For Vedika Global, Inc. matters, contact:

office@vedikaglobal.org

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Access and Correction

You may request access to or correction of your Personal Information by contacting us.

For Acharya Shunya program matters, contact:

info@acharyashunya.com

For Vedika Global, Inc. matters, contact:

office@vedikaglobal.org

We may need to verify your identity before responding to certain requests.

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Data Retention

We retain Personal Information for as long as reasonably necessary to fulfill the purposes described in this policy, including program administration, payment records, tax and accounting obligations, legal compliance, membership access, consent documentation, and dispute prevention.

Application forms, consent acknowledgments, payment records, and participation agreements may be retained for administrative, legal, and recordkeeping purposes.

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Children’s Privacy

Our website and programs are intended for adults unless a specific program clearly states otherwise. We do not knowingly collect Personal Information from children under 13. If we learn that we have collected information from a child under 13 without appropriate consent, we will take steps to delete it.

Changes to This Policy

We may update this Privacy Policy from time to time. Any changes will be posted on this website, and the date of the latest revision will be indicated at the top of the policy.

Your continued use of the website, registrations, memberships, payments, or programs after changes are posted means you accept the updated policy.

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Contact Information

If you have questions or concerns about this Privacy Policy or our data practices, please contact us:

For Acharya Shunya programs:

info@acharyashunya.com

For Vedika Global, Inc. matters:

office@vedikaglobal.org

 

Thank you for your trust.

Sincerely,

Acharya Shunya (Legal Name Pratichi Mathur)

For Acharya Shunya LLC / AS LLC and related Acharya Shunya programs

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