An Independent Review of Dharma Moon's Meditation Teacher Training

Dharma Moon is a smaller, more intentionally traditional program than most of what you'll find when you search for meditation teacher training online. Founded by Biet Simkin, it occupies a different niche than corporate or secular wellness programs — the curriculum has roots in 12-step recovery, Jewish mysticism, and devotional practice. That specificity is both its strength and its limitation.

What Dharma Moon Is

Dharma Moon calls itself a "cosmic" school. That's not marketing bluster — it reflects Biet Simkin's actual orientation. She came to meditation through addiction recovery and formal study in multiple traditions, and her teaching integrates elements that secular wellness programs would never touch: surrender, devotion, lineage, the role of suffering in awakening.

The training isn't for people who want a clinical credential or a corporate facilitation toolkit. It's for people drawn to meditation as a genuine path — something with stakes and depth — who also want permission to bring their whole weird human experience into the teaching.

The Curriculum

Training includes seated practice across multiple modalities, movement, journaling, and substantial work on the teacher's own inner life. There's a meaningful emphasis on what Dharma Moon calls "shadow work" — examining the parts of your experience you'd rather not look at. This isn't unusual in contemplative teacher training, but it's rare in secular programs.

The curriculum draws on Buddhism, Kabbalah, and recovery frameworks. If any of those feel incompatible with your own orientation, you'll need to decide whether that's a deal-breaker. The synthesis is coherent within Biet's own practice, but it's genuinely eclectic.

Lineage and Authorization

This is where Dharma Moon is harder to evaluate. Unlike programs in established traditions — where authorization from a recognized teacher in a recognized lineage means something specific — Dharma Moon's credential derives primarily from Biet Simkin's own authority and reputation. She's a real practitioner with real depth. But the credential isn't recognized by traditional institutions, and the lineage is assembled rather than inherited.

That's not automatically disqualifying. Many good teachers work outside institutional structures. But you should be clear about what you're getting: authorization to teach within Dharma Moon's framework, not recognition by any established Buddhist or contemplative institution.

Personal Practice Requirements

This is where Dharma Moon is stronger than many competitors. There's a genuine expectation that students are practitioners before they become teachers, not people who will practice while they learn to teach. The training assumes some existing relationship with sitting.

Cost and Format

Programs are typically offered in cohort format, sometimes in-person intensives, sometimes hybrid. Costs are in the mid-range for teacher trainings — roughly $2,000-$4,000 depending on format. Dharma Moon is smaller than corporate programs, which means more direct access to the lead instructor.

Who It Suits

Dharma Moon is right for people who feel called to teach meditation as a path — not as stress management, not as productivity optimization — and who want training that takes their inner life seriously. It's a reasonable fit for teachers who will work with recovery communities, spiritual seekers, or anyone who finds purely secular frameworks too thin.

It's a poor fit for people wanting clinical credentials, corporate facilitation authorization, or recognition from traditional Buddhist institutions.

The Bottom Line

Dharma Moon is a sincere, substantive program that operates outside the mainstream. Its eclecticism is genuine, not decorative. The credential won't open institutional doors, but the training may open something more useful: a clearer sense of why you want to teach and what you actually have to offer.

Compare with other programs in our teacher directory and our tradition guides.