FREE ONLINE TALK
LIGHT & SHADOW ON THE SPIRITUAL PATH
with David Nichtern & Andrew Holecek
Wednesday, September 16th, 2026, 6:00pm–7:30pm ET
REGISTER NOW
True spiritual awakening asks us to embrace both the light and the shadow within us.
The light represents our basic goodness, our natural wisdom, compassion, and clarity. The shadow is everything we’ve pushed away—our fears, anger, shame, and hidden parts we’d rather not see.
For anyone drawn to the path of teaching meditation, this is essential territory. A teacher needs to understand what can happen when students begin to sit with themselves and open to the full range of their experience beyond judgment or bias.
In this free online talk, renowned Buddhist teachers David Nichtern and Andrew Holecek will explore how transformation happens not by chasing the light alone, but by courageously meeting our darkness with awareness - to see why avoiding our shadow keeps us stuck, and how learning to befriend it can unlock deeper authenticity and freedom.
For those interested in becoming a meditation teacher, we will also discuss the upcoming Dharma Moon 100-Hour Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training, co-certified with Tibet House US, the Dalai Lama's cultural center in the United States. You'll have a chance to ask questions, meet the teaching team, and find out whether the program might be a good fit for you.
We hope you can join us! Reserve your spot below.
ABOUT THE TEACHERS
David Nichtern
David is a senior teacher in the lineage of Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche. This tradition combines a contemporary, secular approach to meditation with the ancient practices and philosophies of Tibetan Buddhism.
David is also a four-time Emmy winner and two-time Grammy nominee, and a successful entrepreneur with over 40 years of experience integrating spiritual practice and everyday living. He is the author of Awakening From The Daydream: Reimagining The Buddha’s Wheel of Life and Creativity Spirituality & Making A Buck on Wisdom Publications.
Andrew Holecek
Andrew is an interdisciplinary scholar-practitioner in Tibetan Buddhism and other nondual wisdom traditions who has spent over thirty years helping people transform life’s greatest challenges into opportunities for awakening. A dedicated meditation practitioner who completed the traditional Tibetan Buddhist three-year retreat, Andrew is known for making profound contemplative practices accessible and practical.
His flagship Preparing to Die program, drawing on the bardo teachings of Tibetan Buddhism, has guided over 1,000 participants through comprehensive spiritual and practical preparation for life’s final transition. Graduates consistently report a profound reduction in death anxiety and a new clarity about what truly matters.
As one of the West’s foremost teachers of dream yoga — the spiritual dimension of lucid dreaming — he guides students in using the night to transform their waking lives, turning sleep into a powerful vehicle for psychological and spiritual development.
STUDENT FEEDBACK ON THE MINDFULNESS MEDITATION TEACHER TRAINING
“I came to the Mindfulness Meditation Teacher Training program because I'm looking to make a significant career shift. I already had a meditation platform (as a side gig) but this certification has given me the inspiration to move that platform to the center of my life so I can make a living teaching meditation, help others learn the practice, and deepen my own practice and path.”
“This program was incredible. There are many meditation programs out there and I'm so glad I chose this one. To me it felt grounded and rooted in truth and love. I feel like I was gifted with this knowledge and practice and am excited to go spread it out to others.”
"This training was EVERYTHING! I have been teaching mindfulness meditation for about 5-6 years. My teaching lacked clarity & focus. This program has given me so many gifts. The View. Ground / Path / Fruition. Precision / Gentleness / Letting Go. Practice giving Dharma Talks. An amazing sangha of Dharma Moon teachers & students and the vast but always accessible teachings from David."
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