FOR THE FIRST TIME EVER: Join the Joy of Living Level 2 Cohort - Opening the Heart - Learn more.
Mingyur Rinpoche • 4 min
Joy of Living is a meditation path designed by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, a renowned spiritual teacher, best-selling author, and TED speaker.
Rooted in the ancient Buddhist teachings of Tibet, it’s open to everyone, regardless of cultural or religious background.
Receive access to over 100 video teachings and guided meditations from Mingyur Rinpoche.
Engage with a structured, three-level curriculum covering awareness, compassion, and wisdom.
Benefit from live webinars with experienced meditation instructors and an online community.
Track your progress with our free app, including space for reflections and optional daily reminders.
Mingyur Rinpoche • 8 min
Through Mingyur Rinpoche’s expert guidance, this program of three levels contains profound teachings and methods to uncover inherent qualities of awareness, compassion, and wisdom.
In this level, Mingyur Rinpoche will teach us how meditation can transform the way we relate to stressful situations and challenging emotions, and how to embrace all aspects of life with mindful awareness.
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Have you ever felt a need to calm the mind and learn how to better deal with everyday stress, anxiety, and difficult emotions?
This course offers step-by-step instructions and guidance to calm your mind by recognizing awareness and integrating this recognition with every aspect of your life. Awareness is the essence of meditation, and recognizing awareness allows the mind to calm and return to its natural condition of peace.
This course covers meditation practices that transform distraction into awareness. Mingyur Rinpoche will show us how to use what we see, smell, and taste as objects of meditation. He will also teach us how we can use challenging experiences, even fatigue and physical discomfort, as opportunities to let go of resistance and deepen our experience of awareness.
Difficult thoughts and emotions often get the better of us, but meditation gives us a fresh perspective on these experiences. We relate to them with openness and curiosity, and when we do this, situations that create stress and emotional reactivity transform into opportunities for growth and insight.
In this course, Mingyur Rinpoche will show you how to use thoughts and emotions as supports for awareness, and you will learn how to apply this practice to the ups and downs of life.
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In this second level, Mingyur Rinpoche teaches us how to connect with our innate capacity for love, compassion, joy (joyful appreciation), and equanimity.
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The true nature of all beings is basic goodness, which is imbued with awareness, wisdom, love, compassion, and various capabilities. When you are able to remember this fundamental goodness, you are able to act in loving and appreciative ways toward yourself and others.
In this course, you will learn about meditating on love, the first of the “four immeasurables,” and Mingyur Rinpoche will share a range of strategies for opening the heart and bringing wisdom to your relationships.
Basic goodness — the simple fact that you are, right here, right now, as complete, whole, and perfect as you could ever hope to be — is already present within you. This nature of yours is imbued with compassion, the fundamental wish to be free from suffering. Through recognition of compassion within yourself and others, basic goodness and its qualities will naturally shine forth.
In this course, you will learn about and meditate on compassion, the second of the four immeasurables, and how to relate skillfully to the suffering you and others are facing.
At the heart of practicing the third immeasurable, joy, is cultivating appreciation and gratitude for your own well-being and also the well-being o others. This practice challenges many human instincts, such as negativity bias and helps to fundamentally reconfigure how we view and experience oourselves and the world.
As in the practices on love and compassion, you will explore practicing joy through a step-by-step approach.
The four immeasurables — love, compassion, joy, and equanimity — consist of some of the most profound meditation teachings imaginable. They allow you to access spaces in your heart that transcend time and places, culture and ethnicity, age and gender. The key to expanding them to all situations and to all beings is equanimity.
In this course, you will explore equanimity and ways of transcending boundaries by relating to difficult people and situations with acceptance and appreciation.
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In this third level, Mingyur Rinpoche helps us to awaken to our innate wisdom by investigating how things truly are. Using analytical meditation, we begin to loosen our assumptions about ourselves and the world, which leads to a joyful life and open heart.
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Innate qualities of awareness, compassion, and wisdom exist within us all the time. Innate wisdom allows us to see both who we are and the nature of reality. Yet, we suffer from not recognizing our innate qualities. Instead, we grasp onto rigid beliefs and hidden assumptions. When we bring the light of awareness to this experience, we can see beyond old habits and conditioned beliefs, and recognize the infinite potential at the core of our being.
In this course, Mingyur Rinpoche will share practices for working with the perceptions and beliefs that color our interpretation of experiences.
Among our most persistent beliefs and hidden assumptions is that we are singular and independent entities. We relate to everything and everyone in our lives in terms of these ideas. The principles of multiplicity and interdependence help us to see who we are and the nature of reality in more dynamic and fluid ways.
In this course, you will examine how your experience is shaped by all aspects, causes, and conditions, a process that begins with meditating on the sense of self.
We tend to view ourselves and phenomena as permanent and unchanging, preventing ourselves from seeing our innate wisdom. The belief of permanence keeps us tangled in suffering since our expectations do not match the way things are. The principle of impermanence helps us to begin to see who we truly are.
In this course, you will explore how the “self” and phenomena are constantly changing. Additionally, you will learn how to apply the three principles of multiplicity, interdependence, and impermanence to transform negative emotions and suffering into wisdom.
The heart of practicing with the “self beyond self” is recognizing who we truly are. In the world we inhabit, we mistakenly construct a version of reality based on subtle beliefs related to the sense of self or identity. The absolute truth of the self beyond self helps us to begin to see that our true nature is beyond even time and matter.
In this course, you will investigate the sense of self in a deeper way, even beyond impermanence, multiplicity, and interdependence, and cultivate the full potential of your true nature.
The recognition of the “luminous self” is considered to be a powerful way to uproot the causes of suffering. The key to recognition begins with an understanding about the empty nature and the luminosity of the mind. Luminosity, or clarity, is what allows all experience to take place, and seeing this connects us to our innate wisdom in the midst of all situations in life.
In this course, you will explore ways of experiencing all phenomena, even destructive emotions and suffering, through the lens of emptiness. With steady step-by-step practice, you can transform destructive emotions and challenges into wisdom and cultivate the fullness of who you are.
At the heart of meditation practice is the discovery of who you are. An integral part of this discovery is to recognize your true nature in the midst of the ups and downs of life. Your understanding might start out with a glimpse of who you truly are, however, it eventually leads to experience and direct realization.
In this course, you will learn about timeless awareness and how to integrate awareness, compassion, and wisdom in everything you do.
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Your subscription includes access to all online courses in the Joy of Living program at joy.tergar.org, including weekly live sessions, webinars, personal interviews with Tergar guides, over a hundred guided meditations, and much more.
We aim to make the Joy of Living program accessible to everyone by providing three different pricing options. Feel free to choose the one that best suits your needs.
Discounted fee available for anyone facing financial constraints or currency discrepancies.
The standard rate will cover the basic costs of offering the program.
Your generosity will help us to offer a discounted rate to those in need of financial assistance.
You save $25
Discounted fee available for anyone facing financial constraints or currency discrepancies.
You save $35
The standard rate will cover the basic costs of offering the program.
You save $50
Your generosity will help us to offer a discounted rate to those in need of financial assistance.
You save $50
Discounted fee available for anyone facing financial constraints or currency discrepancies.
You save $70
The standard rate will cover the basic costs of offering the program.
You save $100
Your generosity will help us to offer a discounted rate to those in need of financial assistance.
From: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
From: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
From: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
From: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
From: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
From: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
From: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
From: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
From: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
From: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
From: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
From: Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
What happens when awareness, community, and friendship come together in a Joy of Living Cohort?
"From raising kids to caring for aging parents, Amy Roth invites us into the heart of middle age — where the dharma meets daily life in all its complexity, humor, and unexpected beauty."
In this moving account, Alex Kunkhyen reveals how the suffering of addiction became the unexpected path to freedom through the Dharma.
What if becoming a householder yogi—a spiritual seeker embedded in real-world responsibilities—could help you find calm amidst the noise of modern life?
What if the conflicts that fracture us could become the gold that mends us? In this deeply personal reflection, Emilda Rahim offers a meditative journey through the pain of disconnection toward healing, clarity, and quiet transformation.
Ever found yourself starting something over and over again—only to realize each beginning brought you a little closer to home? In this honest and richly textured reflection, Alex Welte traces a winding path through science, spirituality, and personal struggle to the quiet power of returning—again and again—to the path of dharma.
In the midst of her mother’s devastating illness, Masha discovers unexpected gems of compassion, creativity, and presence.
Maura Peglar reflects on her lifelong spiritual journey, from childhood curiosity to a deep engagement with Tibetan Buddhism, guided by various teachers and personal experiences of loss and transformation.
Like riding a bike without training wheels for the first time, a simple teaching from Mingyur Rinpoche unlocked a path of freedom, carrying one meditator across continents, through crisis, and into the heart of awareness—where teaching others became the greatest joy of all.
A student shares about her experience going through the Exploring Buddhism (Abhidharma) transmission.
As a university student, Aadam Sherazi believed a fresh start would be the key to happiness — that new experiences and achievements would finally make life feel complete. But along the way, he discovered that lasting contentment doesn’t come from the outside world.
What happens when the pressure to perform becomes too much for a young athlete to bear? This personal story reveals how the unexpected gift of meditation transformed not just a high jumper’s performance, but the entire course of his life.
After overcoming self-doubt and joining the Meditation Teacher Program, Mark O’Donaghue is helping those behind prison walls by sharing the radical message that everyone — even those society has forgotten — is already whole, complete, and inherently good.
In this reflection, Mingyur Rinpoche invites us to reconnect with Mother Earth—not only as our source of life, but also as a powerful teacher of impermanence, resilience, and interdependence. Through his own story of witnessing glacial retreat in the Himalayas, he offers a message of hope: even small efforts can create lasting impact.
Discover how a French city-dweller transformed into an environmental pioneer, cultivating 20,000 trees at 3,550 meters in the Himalayas while empowering an isolated Nepali village.
French humanitarian Margot Clavier leads sustainable development projects at 11,800 feet in remote Himalayan village Samagaun, helping locals create income through innovative initiatives while preserving their environment and cultural identity.
From outer success to inner clarity, Emilda Rahim shares her journey of discovering the dharma — and how it quietly transformed her life.
Faced with the challenges of Crohn’s disease, philosopher Maria Müller Hornbach turned to meditation, which transformed her relationship with pain and brought greater ease to her life. Inspired by Mingyur Rinpoche's teachings, she took Tergar's Meditation Teacher Program, and now teaches meditation classes in Germany.
Meditation practice, like a relationship, unfolds gradually and requires patience, curiosity, and a willingness to engage with its layers over time. By understanding our own learning process, staying connected to the deeper meaning of practice, and adapting when challenges arise, we can sustain motivation and develop a lasting, meaningful connection with our path.
Attend our "Ask Us Anything" webinar to engage with Tergar's leadership and gain insight into our organization's operations, finances, projects, and plans.
September 13 - September 13, 2025
At the heart of the Tergar meditation tradition lies the retreat experience, which embodies an immersive, experiential approach to learning. By fully engaging in the retreat experience, you'll deepen your understanding and your meditation practice in ways that simply can't be achieved through intellectual study alone.
October 25 - October 26, 2025
Join Tergar International and Tergar Institute's collaborative event exploring emotions through abandoning, transforming, and recognizing them. Learn Buddhist techniques for daily life from Mingyur Rinpoche and Tergar lamas and guides, as well as through seminars, small groups, and community rituals.
November 14 - November 17, 2025
August 29 - August 31, 2025
September 20 - October 18, 2025
September 20 - October 4, 2025
September 26 - September 28, 2025
October 10 - October 12, 2025
October 17 - October 19, 2025
October 18 - October 19, 2025
December 13 - December 14, 2025
For the first time, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche brings his transformative teachings to African soil. Tergar is offering 25 Gold Passes for this landmark visit — providing access to all events and meaningful connection with the teachings in an intimate setting.
August 27 - September 7, 2025
Join Tergar International and Tergar Institute's collaborative event exploring emotions through abandoning, transforming, and recognizing them. Learn Buddhist techniques for daily life from Mingyur Rinpoche and Tergar lamas and guides, as well as through seminars, small groups, and community rituals.
November 14 - November 16, 2025
Meditation enables us to transform all experiences, even difficult emotions and painful thoughts, into sources of joy. The key to this shift in perspective is awareness. In this 8 week workshop series we will learn to transform our experience by exploring sensations, thoughts, emotions, and even awareness itself as supports for meditation.
August 13 - October 1, 2025
Lerne, wie du Meditation mit in deinen Alltag nimmst
September 1 - September 29, 2025
The wisdom that arises through insight meditation allows us to see our own experiences clearly. This leads to a sense of freedom, well-being, and confidence that is rooted in awareness itself, and available to us in each and every moment.
September 3 - October 22, 2025
Anytime Anywhere Meditation (AAM) is a practical course designed to make meditation accessible and meaningful for modern life. Whether you're a complete beginner or looking to refresh your practice, AAM offers an effective way to begin or renew your meditation journey.
September 6 - September 7, 2025
In this workshop series we will learn how meditating on loving-kindness and compassion can open our hearts to the world around us
September 8 - October 27, 2025
"I personally have felt the benefits of this course to be immense, and these effects have even been noted by close family members. Already, at this early stage, the transformations have brought a freshness, lightness, and lightheartedness to living, even in the midst of much precarity. I very much look forward to continuing the practice through the next levels."
"This course has been immensely helpful to me. I feel that it has been a year of amazing growth and awareness. I’ve meditated for many years, but only in this last year have I been so dedicated to my practice. It has been a lifesaver for me."
"The Joy of Living programme is transformative to bring up my true nature (Love and compassion). I have never seen such a simple yet powerful online teaching. It explains a way of living, one tiny step at a time. All I experience is peace, love and compassion. I thank the entire Tergar team and Mingyur Rinpoche for creating this online programme.
I highly recommend this programme to anyone who wishes to learn meditation and sustain the practice throughout their lifetime."
"Many thanks for this online course, which I really appreciate. I knew the books of Mingyur Rinpoche; however, the course is very rich (videos, exercises, forum, etc.) and I have the impression of having come closer to this Master and his teachings, to be “taken by the hand” to advance.
The course is very clear, very motivating, and really makes me want to invest myself. In a few words, on the videos, Mingyur Rinpoche gives clear, practical, and precise teachings."
"The JOL programs have proven to be rich and deeply transformative. I am anxious to continue to participate in the other offerings available through Tergar. It really is wonderful to be able to access this deep wisdom and to be supported by such compassionate, wise, and caring teachers."
"I want to thank everyone involved in this great course. How blessed we are to get the opportunity to receive teachings from such a wise man and his great team of assistants.
I take a deep bow full of respect and gratitude!"
"There are many offerings for the beginner on how to learn to meditate. The Joy of Living program, developed by Mingyur Rinpoche, offers the best and most comprehensive introduction to meditation that I know of. From the conceptual underpinnings to the varieties of practice that are taught, it has something for everyone. It has my strongest endorsement."
"These days I am very grateful for Tergar and its structured lessons, which give me a framework within which to navigate these strange and interesting times."
"Thank You… this course is beyond words... my most profound thank you at this time, this particularly unique moment of my life… for ALL of YOU…You are contributing all to change my life… and the world around ME…"
"These meditations have been really beneficial in my ability to express love toward others, even if in small ways. And as I’ve opened up more, my ability to be happy for others or grateful for others’ freedom from suffering is slowly shifting my own worldview."
hours of Rinpoche’s life spent in formal meditation
of students and followers around the world
countries with meditation centers
Rinpoche blends ancient Tibetan wisdom with modern scientific research and has worked with famous neuroscientists to examine the effects of meditation on the brain.
He has written several books, including The Joy of Living, which has been translated into over twenty languages. Rinpoche teaches worldwide and founded Tergar International to provide both secular and Buddhist meditation programs. He is also involved in various social engagement projects and is committed to helping people and communities live with boundless awareness, compassion, and wisdom.
