Beginning his journey into meditation and the wisdom traditions as a teenager, George Hughes has been a practitioner and teacher in several traditions. He found his spiritual home with his root teacher, Mingyur Rinpoche, and has dedicated his life to sharing his profound teachings. In particular, George draws inspiration from the joy, levity, and simplicity of Rinpoche’s approach.

George has worked with Mingyur Rinpoche for many years, teaching his Joy of Living and Path of Liberation curriculums around the world, including to groups in the US, Brazil, and Nepal. Additionally, George has taught yoga, massage, and other holistic healing modalities.

In addition to his current role on the faculty of Tergar Institute, George has worked with Mingyur Rinpoche on a variety of projects, including guiding a series of treks through the Himalayas to help support Rinpoche’s social engagement projects. George’s passion for the dharma and meditation extends to all aspects of his life.

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.

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.

Tim Olmsted is a Tergar Instructor with decades of experience teaching meditation. He began his Buddhist studies in 1977; in 1981 he moved to Kathmandu to study with Mingyur Rinpoche’s father, Tulku Urgyen Rinpoche. During the twelve years that he lived in Nepal, Tim studied with many of the renowned meditation teachers living there and worked as a psychotherapist serving the international community. Tim is one of the founders and senior instructors of the Tergar Meditation Community, for which he regularly travels around the world leading retreats and teaches online. He 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. Tim is the founder and president of the Pema Chödrön Foundation. He is known for the down-to-earth warmth, practicality, and humor of his approach to teaching meditation.