Who We Are
Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche
Tergar was founded by Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche, a Tibetan monk and teacher who has spent over 10 years of his life in meditation retreat including two consecutive 3-year retreats when he was young and, famously, 4 years of solitary wandering retreat from 2011-2015. He became the retreat master for a prominent monastery in northern India when he was only 16 years old. He has taught meditation to thousands of people around the world, is the main designer of Tergar’s curriculum, and has been both an advisor and a test subject in a number of influential scientific research studies about meditation and the brain. His books, such as The Joy of Living (2007) and In Love with the World: A Monk’s Journey Through the Bardos of Living and Dying (2019) are broadly loved for their accessibility and their clear presentations of ideas that span from ancient Buddhist instructions to contemporary neuroscience.
Organizers
At the heart of our organization is a vibrant community of volunteers, each one dedicated to nurturing a space where growth, learning, and mindfulness flourish. We operate based on the principles of sociocracy, a governance model that emphasizes equity, inclusive decision-making, and distributed authority. This approach ensures that every voice is heard, and each decision reflects the collective wisdom and needs of our community. Our commitment to these values not only shapes the way we manage our day-to-day operations but also reinforces our mission to create a harmonious and supportive environment for all. Through this unique blend of volunteer-driven passion and sociocratic principles, we strive to make a meaningful impact, fostering a sense of belonging and empowerment among those we serve.
Meditation Community Affiliations
Tergar Retreats is part of the Tergar Sangha, which includes multiple connected organizations founded by Mingyur Rinpoche. The Tergar Sangha have been working for many years to present Tibetan Buddhist meditation instruction for a modern audience.
Antonia Sumbundu
Antonia Dorthea Sumbundu is an Instructor for the Tergar Meditation Community, clinical psychologist, and mental health specialist. She has been practicing meditation for over 35 years and has the good fortune to practice and study with many great teachers including Chokyi Nyima Rinpoche, Chokling Rinpoche, and Tsoknyi Rinpoche. In 2002…
Edwin Kelley
Edwin Kelley attended his first meditation retreat near Perth, Australia in 1975. He later pursued a career as a public accountant and in 1992 went to Burma to undertake a six-month period of intensive meditation practice with meditation master Chanmyay Sayadaw. While practicing in Burma he ordained temporarily as a…
Fionnuala Shenpen Daffy
Fionnuala has studied and practiced Buddhism since meeting her main teachers Tsoknyi Rinpoche and Mingyur Rinpoche in Kathmandu in 1999. She has received teachings from many other Nyingma and Kagyu masters and completed a traditional four-year retreat under Pema Wangyal Rinpoche in France. Fionnuala lived in Nepal for fifteen years.…
Holger Yeshe
Holger Yeshe was born in Nürnberg, Germany and began practicing Buddhism in 1999. Since then, he has studied and practiced in both the Theravada and Tibetan Buddhist traditions. In 2005, he met his main teacher, Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche and in 2010 was ordained as a Buddhist monk under his tutelage,…
Jess McNally
Jess McNally has devoted much of her adult life to practicing and studying Buddhism. After completing both a Bachelor and a Master of Science degree in Earth Systems at Stanford University, she moved to Zen Mountain Monastery near New York, where she lived and trained for over three years. During…
Kell Julliard
Kell Julliard has a master’s degree in Expressive Therapy from the University of Louisville and a Master of Fine Arts in Dramatic Direction from the University of Arizona. With academic appointments at several universities including New York University School of Medicine, for twenty-five years he mentored medical and dental residents…
Myoshin Kelley
At a young age, Myoshin decided that school could not teach her what she wanted to know and decided that life would be her teacher. This led her to a lifelong journey of living in spiritual communities while exploring the inner terrain of being human. Myoshin received dharma instruction from…
Tsunma Kunsang Palmo
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…
Yeshe Palmo
Yeshe Palmo set aside her career as a teacher in 1986 to dedicate herself fully to Buddhist study and practice in the UK. In her twenties she completed four years in strict retreat—an experience that continues to shape her life, teaching, and commitment to a contemplative way of living. From…