Cortland is a scientist, translator, and meditation teacher who offers workshops and leads retreats around the world. He has practiced meditation for nearly three decades and has spent time on retreat in monasteries and retreat centers throughout Japan, Burma, and India, including eight years spent living in Tibetan refugee settlements in Kathmandu, Nepal.

He has a Ph.D. in Mind, Brain and Contemplative Science from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, where he was mentored by renowned neuroscientist Dr. Richard Davidson. He also holds a master’s Degree in Buddhist Studies from Naropa University. In addition to his work as an Instructor for the Tergar community and Executive Director of Tergar International, Cortland serves as Research Scientist and Chief Contemplative Officer at UW-Madison’s Center for Healthy Minds and the center’s affiliated non-profit, Healthy Minds Innovations.

Cortland is actively involved in scientific research and has published articles on the impact of meditation practices on the body, mind, and brain. He has also published twelve books of translations of classical texts on Buddhist philosophy and meditation.

He currently lives with his wife and son in Madison, Wisconsin.

Edwin Kelley first became interested in Buddhism in 1975 when he attended a meditation retreat near Perth, Australia. Then he later pursued a career as a public accountant and in 1992 went to Burma to undertake a six-month period of intensive retreat with the renowned meditation master Chanmyay Sayadaw. While practicing in Burma he ordained temporarily as a Theravada Buddhist monk. Edwin first encountered Vajrayana Buddhism in Dharamsala, India, in 1993 and became a student of Mingyur Rinpoche in 1998.

Edwin has a postgraduate degree in Buddhist Studies from the University of Sunderland, UK. In 1994 he was hired as Director of Operations by one of America’s best known meditation retreat centers, the Insight Meditation Society (IMS), in Barre, MA. Eighteen months later he was appointed Executive Director of IMS and served in that capacity until 2003 when he resigned to pursue further long-term intensive meditation practice.

In 2009, Edwin moved to Minneapolis, Minnesota, to help establish the global Tergar Meditation Community, where he then served variably as Executive Director, Co-Executive Director, and CFO. He retired from his administrative role in 2022 and continues to lead programs and support students of Mingyur Rinpoche in his role as an instructor.

After living for thirty years in the USA, Edwin has returned to his place of birth, the Sapphire Coast of New South Wales, Australia. He plans to settle there with his wife, Myoshin.

Myoshin Kelley attended her first meditation retreat in 1975 at the age of 20. Through the ensuing years she has received dharma instructions from several renowned Buddhist meditation masters in the Theravada, Zen, and Vajrayana traditions. She has practiced extensively with the Burmese meditation masters Chanmyay Sayadaw, Sayadaw U Pandita, and Sayadaw U Tejaniya. In the early 1990s Myoshin received meditation instruction from the Soto Zen master Hogen Yamahata. Her desire for long-term meditation practice has taken her to Burma on several occasions.

In 1994 she accompanied her husband, Edwin, to the Insight Meditation Society (IMS) in Barre, MA, where she was trained as a meditation instructor by Joseph Goldstein and Sharon Salzberg. Since then she has been teaching meditation in a number of places throughout North America. In 2003, she was appointed the teacher in residence at the Forest Refuge, the long-term practice center at IMS.

Myoshin was introduced to Vajrayana teachings in 1993 and met Mingyur Rinpoche in 1998 when he first visited the US with his brother, Tsoknyi Rinpoche. Since then she has practiced with Mingyur Rinpoche in North America and Asia benefiting from his skillful, lucid instructions on the profound teachings of Mahamudra. She moved to Minneapolis in 2010 to help support Mingyur Rinpoche in his worldwide vision and leads programs internationally and locally.

Tim began his Buddhist studies in 1977 under the late Chögyam Trungpa Rinpoche in Boulder, Colorado. In 1981, Trungpa Rinpoche invited Mingyur Rinpoche’s father, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche, to teach in Boulder. Profoundly moved by him, Tim and his family moved just a few months later to Kathmandu to study with Tulku Urgyen and his sons. During the twelve years that he lived in Nepal, Tim studied with many of the older teachers living there and worked as a psychotherapist serving the international community. In 2000, Tim moved to Cape Breton, Nova Scotia where he served for three years as the director of Gampo Abbey, the largest residential Buddhist monastery in North America. He is presently the president of the Pema Chödrön Foundation, which supports Gampo Abbey.

In 2003, after a visit by Mingyur Rinpoche to Gampo Abbey, Tim started the Yongey Foundation to support and promote Mingyur Rinpoche’s activities in the West. Tim lives with his wife Glenna in Steamboat Springs, Colorado, where he leads an active community that follows Mingyur Rinpoche’s teachings and those of his family lineage.

Antonia Dorthea Sumbundu is an instructor for the Tergar Meditation Community, dharma teacher, clinical psychologist, and mental health specialist. She has been practicing meditation for over 35 years.

Antonia was first inspired to become a meditator after seeing a segment from The Lion’s Roar, a film about the 16th Karmapa, Rangjung Rigpe Dorje, but it was in 1988 after attending a talk by the Dalai Lama that she began practicing formally. Antonia’s first Buddhist teacher was the 3rd Jamgon Kongtrul Rinpoche. Following his death in 1992, she studied with a variety of teachers, including Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, Chokling Rinpoche, and Tsoknyi Rinpoche. In 2002 she met Mingyur Rinpoche and began to receive teachings from him.

Since the inception of Tergar, Antonia has been engaged in the community first as a facilitator and since 2016 as an instructor. She leads meditation retreats, teaches, and supports practice groups and dharma students internationally. Antonia is also Program and Clinical Director for a series of Accredited Psychotherapy Training Programs and Chair of the Board of Directors for a women’s shelter.

Antonia’s long-term interest in dharma, psychology, and the application of meditation to enhance mental health and flourishing has led to her passion for bridging worlds: dharma and psychology; Buddhist wisdom and contemporary science; and meditation, spirituality, and collective trauma to name a few. She holds an MA from the University of Copenhagen and an MSt in MBCT from the University of Oxford (Oxon).

Anya Adair grew up at Kagyu Samye Ling Monastery and Tibetan Centre, which was founded in Scotland in 1967 by Akong Rinpoche. She was fortunate to meet many great meditation masters. She met Mingyur Rinpoche while visiting Palpung Sherab Ling in India in 2000 and became his student in 2003 when he began teaching Mahamudra in the United Kingdom. In 2017 she co-founded the Tergar Edinburgh practice group. Anya works as a Transplant and Liver/Pancreas Surgeon in Edinburgh and has been involved in outreach healthcare in Tibet and Nepal since 2003.

Isboset (Set) Amador began studying Buddhism in 2004 while visiting India, and became a student of Mingyur Rinpoche in 2006. Since then he has devoted his time to study, practice, and leadership of the Tergar community in Mexico. Set is Chief Technology Officer for Tergar International and is also a member of the Board of Directors.

Scott Anderson has practiced yoga and meditation since he was a teenager. Since meeting Mingyur Rinpoche in 2010, he has dedicated himself to the practice and dissemination of Rinpoche’s teachings as one of the founding leaders of Tergar Madison. Scott has a Ph.D. in Kinesiology from the University of Wisconsin–Madison. His research at the UW-Madison’s Human Performance Lab explores the interaction of meditation, athletics, and physical recovery, and his teaching activities are at the intersection of physical activity and meditation.

Kasumi grew up in northern Japan, where she learned to meditate from a young age. She has received extensive training in meditation and yoga, including over a year spent in solitary meditation retreats as well as numerous group retreats. She currently oversees Tergar’s activities in Japan and translates for Mingyur Rinpoche. She holds two Master’s degrees, and spent 15 years teaching Japanese at the University of Wisconsin. She now works for Tergar International as a curriculum expert. In her spare time, she loves to travel and spend time meditating in retreat.

Stephanie Wagner had been meditating for several years prior to meeting Mingyur Rinpoche in 2009. Immediately she felt a sense of connection to Rinpoche’s message that anything in daily life can be used an opportunity to wake up. Stephanie is a board-certified health coach with a Master of Arts in Integrative Health and Well-Being Coaching from the University of Minnesota and is a trainer and program specialist with Healthy Minds Innovations.

Frédéric Auquier has been practicing and studying meditation since 2001, and has been a student of Mingyur Rinpoche since 2003. He works as a principal in an International High School in Paris and teaches literature. Since the fall of 2009, Frédéric has been in a leadership position with Tergar Meditation Community of Paris.

Kelly Ekman had an interest in Buddhism and other Eastern traditions since a young age and spent much of her life exploring these belief systems. Kelly first met and took refuge with Mingyur Rinpoche in 2004. At his suggestion, she travelled to India and spent a number of years receiving teachings from Tai Situ Rinpoche, one of Rinpoche’s main root gurus. Kelly currently lives in Maple Ridge, British Columbia, and now that she is retired, she is dedicating her life to promoting and advancing Mingyur Rinpoche’s teachings.

Franka Cordua-von Specht was introduced to meditation in 2004 and became a student of Mingyur Rinpoche in 2007 in Vancouver. The meeting was pivotal and inspired her to attend Rinpoche’s teachings in Bodhgaya, India, in 2009. Foremost, she appreciates the profound transformative power of Rinpoche’s teachings on awareness, and in June 2013, she helped found the Tergar Vancouver Practice Group.

George Hughes began his journey into meditation and wisdom traditions as a teenager and has since become a dedicated practitioner and teacher across several traditions. He found his spiritual home with his root teacher, Mingyur Rinpoche, and has committed his life to sharing Rinpoche’s profound teachings. George is particularly inspired by the joy, lightness, and simplicity of Rinpoche’s approach.

For many years, George has worked with Mingyur Rinpoche, guiding and supporting the Joy of Living and Path of Liberation curricula worldwide, including in North America, South America, Africa, and Asia. 

George currently serves as co-executive director of Tergar Institute. He also fills the role of Program Coordinator for Tergar Charity Nepal's annual Meditation Journey treks in support of Rinpoche’s social engagement initiatives in the Himalayas.

Maya Sepulchre developed an interest in meditation and Buddhism while working for an NGO in Nepal. She has been a student of Mingyur Rinpoche since 2007. Maya is a professional photographer, has also worked as a translator, and is a leader with Tergar Puebla. With the support of the Tergar en Español translation team, she translated Mingyur Rinpoche’s most recent book, “Transforming Confusion into Clarity,” for the Spanish community.

Lucas first met Mingyur Rinpoche in India, in 2008. He spent the next three years pursuing a BA in Buddhist Philosophy and Tibetan language in Kathmandu. After his studies, he moved back to Sweden and spent more time in solitary retreats between 2012 and 2015.

Lucas lives in the countryside of Sweden. In his work for Tergar International, he writes content and curriculums for the Joy of Living, Path of Liberation, and Vajrayana Online programs.

Gem Boord has been practicing Buddhism since 1994. For three years he studied and practiced intensively at Kagyu Samye Ling monastery, then became a close student of Khenpo Tsultrim Gyamtso Rinpoche. He felt a powerful connection with Mingyur Rinpoche when Rinpoche came to teach in his hometown of Brighton in 2003. Since then, he has followed Rinpoche and tries to apply his meditation instructions as much as possible. Short times, many times! Since 2016, Gem has been leading Tergar practice groups in the south of England.

Robin Harris grew up in a Tibetan Buddhist community in Scotland and helped to establish the Tergar Edinburgh Practice Group. He first met Mingyur Rinpoche in India in 2001 and has been practicing under his guidance since 2007. He spent four years in retreat between 2010 and 2014 and has since trained in teaching mindfulness to children. Robin’s main interest is working with young people, and he currently teaches meditation in schools.

Holger Yeshe has been practicing meditation since 1999. He has been a student of Mingyur Rinpoche since 2005. He ordained as a monk in 2010 and has been primarily focusing on studying the Tibetan language and Buddhist philosophy. He has been a co-leader of Tergar groups in Nepal, Germany, and Dharamsala, India. After living abroad for 17 years, Holger Yeshe is back in Germany to support the Tergar community there.

Tsunma Kunsang Palmo, originally from England, traveled and worked around the world as an art teacher in international schools for over a decade. On a trip to Nepal she encountered Lama Zopa Rinpoche and was so inspired by the teachings that she chose to stay in Asia and live a life immersed in the dharma. Soon after that she traveled to Himachal Pradesh in North India where she met Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo and was further inspired by her guidance and teachings. She went on to complete a three-year retreat at Sherabling Monastery under the guidance of Mingyur Rinpoche.

Continuing to take teachings from Rinpoche, Kunsang serves as a meditation and dharma teacher for Tergar’s Joy of Living and Vajrayana Online courses, Tergar retreats, and the Tergar Institute in Osel Ling Monastery in Kathmandu, Nepal. In 2021 she was invited to teach in Antigua and Trinidad for Bodhicharya, an international organization founded by Ringu Tulku Rinpoche. She now divides her time sharing what she has learned through her years of study and practice in Kathmandu, India, and the Caribbean.

Mary Guo started regular Buddhism practices in 2001. Ever since she met Mingyur Rinpoche in 2007, Mary has been following him and involved in the group practice in Phoenix meditation center. Mary, a design engineer in the semiconductor industry, also enjoys yoga and tai chi.

Fionnuala Shenpen Daffy first met Mingyur Rinpoche and Tsoknyi Rinpoche in Kathmandu in 1999. Since then she has studied and practiced Tibetan Buddhism under both of them as well as other Nyingma and Kagyu masters. She completed a three retreat at Chanteloube France under Tulku Pema Wangyal Rinpoche 2008- 2012. From 2013 to 2020 she set up and ran Tsoknyi Gechak School for the school aged nuns at Tsoknyi Gechak Ling Tibetan Buddhist Nunnery Chobhar, Kathmandu. During this time she got involved with Tergar and with friends began running a practice group. She has now returned home to Ireland and is continuing her involvement with Tergar and creating community there.

Marco Iturbe’s life-long love of reading became a bridge that introduced him to the Buddhist tradition. In 2010, Marco personally met Mingyur Rinpoche and became immersed in his teachings, motivated by his wife Gaby and daughter María Renee. A lawyer by profession, Marco is an active member of Tergar Puebla (México), where he collaborates in the growth and development of the Tergar community.

Kell Julliard has practiced meditation in a variety of traditions since his early twenties. In 2009 he met Mingyur Rinpoche and has since studied intensively with Rinpoche and the Tergar Meditation Community. During this time he has served as a mentor for the Tergar New York City Meditation Center and Tergar Elmira. In addition to Kell’s role with Tergar, he previously served as director of clinical research at a large federally qualified health center in Brooklyn, where he also taught mindfulness meditation to faculty, students, and staff.

Irina Kuznetcova has been practicing and studying meditation since she became of student of Mingyur Rinpoche in 2011. She devotes a lot of her time as a practice leader for the Tergar Moscow community and plays a big role in organizing Mingyur Rinpoche’s visits to Moscow. Irina loves reading Russian literature, meeting new people, and helping others to learn about meditation.

Mai-Linh Leminhbach began her journey with Buddhist teachings and meditation at an early age with her Buddhist family and later continued learning from various Tibetan teachers. She became a student of Mingyur Rinpoche in 2008. She regularly serves as a translator for Buddhist teachings and has worked with the Tergar subtitling team for French. A co-founder of Dharmalaya Institute in Bir, India, she divides her time between India and Switzerland.

Laurel met Mingyur Rinpoche in 2003, and has since been a devoted student. Inspired by Rinpoche’s unique approach to teach meditation, Laurel has been instrumental in developing and expanding the Tergar Communities, for both English- and Chinese-speaking communities. She helped create Tergar San Francisco Bay Area and later, Tergar Medford in Oregon. She loves to travel the world and engage with people of all cultural backgrounds. She is currently retired and lives with her husband in Chiang Mai, Thailand.

Jess McNally started meditating in 2009, and spent several years studying and practicing Buddhism full-time, including three years at a Zen Monastery and three years as a novice monastic in the Tibetan Buddhist tradition. She met Mingyur Rinpoche in Bodhgaya in January 2016 and has been practicing under his guidance since that time. She lives in Banff, Alberta, Canada.

Haiwen Meng began studying and practicing Zen Buddhism and meditation in 2000. In 2006, he became a student of Mingyur Rinpoche and started to follow and practice Rinpoche’s teachings. Before his retirement, Haiwen worked as a mechanical engineer in the aerospace industry. He currently resides in Phoenix, Arizona, and enjoys outdoor activities such as hiking and backpacking.

Mark Moore is an educator, artist, and writer who has been studying meditation, philosophy, and sustainable development in India since 1995. He had the good fortune to begin his studies with H.H. the Dalai Lama and other great and generous teachers, and to deepen them in the Joy of Living and Path to Liberation/Mahamudra trainings with Mingyur Rinpoche in the 2000s. Since then, Mark has been involved with Mingyur Rinpoche’s work in various capacities, from ecological initiatives to writing and video subtitling projects, and as a practice leader. He is the founder of the Earthville Network in the US and the Dharmalaya Institute in India, and now divides his time between the Himalayas, the Alps, and the Rockies.

Amy Roth is a long time meditator and has been a practice leader of the Tergar Meditation Community in Chicago for over 10 years. She presents essential meditation practices in a direct and accessible way that makes incorporating mindfulness and compassion into our modern lives simple, if not easy. Her work is inspired by the neuroscience research around the benefits of meditation for individuals, families and the larger community. She is a psychotherapist and mother living in Chicago.

Virginie was first introduced to Buddhism in 1992 through Bokar Rinpoche. For six years she was a nun in India and Nepal. She first met Mingyur Rinpoche in 2001 but the “real” meeting was in 2011 through Rinpoche’s teaching videos. Ever since she has been a student of Mingyur Rinpoche, and in 2014, Virginie founded the Tergar Rennes Practice Group. She currently is part of a Tergar team of French translators. She lives in the Brittany region of France and works as a psychotherapist.

Justin Walker has been practicing and studying Tibetan Buddhism for over 20 years. He received his first teachings from Mingyur Rinpoche in 2003. In 2006 he assisted Rinpoche with the development of the Tergar community in Arizona. He lives in Tucson, AZ where he is an Associate Dean at the University of Arizona.

After becoming discouraged with everyday life as a lawyer, Ana embarked on a life- and career-changing trip to Bodhgaya, India, that would lead her into the world of translating and interpreting Buddhist teachings. After studying with several teachers over the years, she found her main teacher in Mingyur Rinpoche after reading The Joy of Living. She began her study and practice with Rinpoche at Tergar Puebla, Mexico, and has been a dedicated practitioner ever since. Ana now coordinates the Translation Unit for Tergar International.

Roberto has been collaborating with Tergar Mexico in his hometown of Puebla since 2014. His work with the community includes coordinating translation teams, a role that draws upon his dedication to meditation practice and study. A sociologist by profession, Roberto continually trains with Tergar to deepen his understanding of the methods and approach to meditation offered by Tergar International programs. When not engaged in translation and facilitating meditation sessions, Roberto enjoys reading novels and comics, observing nature, and reflecting on social complexities.

Masha turned to meditation to manage her anxiety and panic attacks. In 2012, she stumbled upon a YouTube video by Mingyur Rinpoche discussing panic attacks, and it truly resonated with her. After meeting Rinpoche in Bodhgaya in 2014, following his wandering retreat, she chose him as her main teacher. Masha is now a senior facilitator and one of the leaders of the Tergar Russia community. Professionally, she serves as the Marketing and Communication Director for Tergar International. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her family and traveling across Asia.

Aleksey is a teacher of Wushu and health practices (Taichi, Qigong). He has been interested in meditation since childhood, and his first experience of meditation was during Wushu classes. He began to study and practice meditation in depth after meeting Mingyur Rinpoche in 2016. The benefits he received from the practice inspired him to become a practice leader at Tergar. He currently leads a group in Yekaterinburg and also works on online courses for Tergar Russia. In addition to receiving teachings from Mingyur Rinpoche, he has received teachings from Tai Situ Rinpoche, the 14th Dalai Lama, Jetsunma Tenzin Palmo, Dzongsar Khyentse Rinpoche, and others.

Dinara has been practicing meditation since 2010 while also raising two children and managing a large media project. She firmly believes that we can all access awareness, compassion, and wisdom 24/7, simply by pausing and looking inward — and that this can empower us to do anything we set our minds to. Deeply grateful for how meditation has helped her recognize these qualities in herself, she is passionate about sharing her experience with others. Sherab Ling Monastery in India, the place where Mingyur Rinpoche grew up and studied, holds special significance for her.

Since 2016, Andrey has been a student of Mingyur Rinpoche. He was inspired to study and practice meditation after reading The Joy of Living: Unlocking the Secret and Science of Happiness and attending a workshop with Rinpoche. He joined the Joy of Living program and credits the support of the Tergar Russia community as instrumental to his progress. Believing in the power of shared practice, he has facilitated Tergar community practices and gatherings since 2019.

Michael began his meditation practice in 2003 and has studied with Mingyur Rinpoche since 2011. He has supported Tergar meditation groups and events, primarily in Germany, for many years. A graduate of the Tergar Meditation Teacher Program, Michael now teaches Joy of Living Level 1 and Anytime Anywhere Meditation courses in Germany and internationally. He also shares his passion for spirituality by organizing pilgrimages to India and Bhutan. Michael works as a coach and trainer, combining corporate health management, personal development, and meditation with playful, creative, and interactive methods to create inspiring and lively workshops.

Norman has been practicing meditation and Buddhism with Tergar since 2012, joining the Berlin practice group that year. He met Mingyur Rinpoche in 2016 after Rinpoche's return from wandering retreat. Since 2017, he has served on the board of Tergar Germany, lending his strategic and organizational skills. In 2022, he facilitated a Joy of Living workshop for the first time and has continued to do so ever since. Now based in Berne (since 2023), he also supports the local Tergar community there. Professionally, Norman works as a business developer in electric mobility.