# DL Ep. 16: Mingyur Rinpoche - Meditation is Easier Than You Think

Page: https://stenobird.com/podcast/dharma-lab-7434763/dl-ep-16-mingyur-rinpoche-meditation-is-easier-than-you-think
Text version: https://stenobird.com/podcast/dharma-lab-7434763/dl-ep-16-mingyur-rinpoche-meditation-is-easier-than-you-think.md
Podcast: [Dharma Lab](https://stenobird.com/podcast/dharma-lab-7434763)
Published: 2025-12-12T11:50:00+00:00
Episode link: https://www.dharmalab.co/p/dl-ep-16-mingyur-rinpoche-meditation
Audio file: https://api.substack.com/feed/podcast/180952055/74e29c70fafdf5a25275ad1c9e48065c.mp3
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JSON: https://stenobird.com/v1/public/podcasts/dharma-lab-7434763/episodes/dl-ep-16-mingyur-rinpoche-meditation-is-easier-than-you-think
Duration seconds: 2098

## Resource

Mingyur Rinpoche has spent his life immersed in meditation practice — beginning a three-year retreat at 13, and eventually logging more than 50,000 hours of formal training . He was also a central participant in some of the earliest research Richie conducted on advanced meditators, work that helped open the door to much of the scientific exploration of meditation that followed. Yet despite this extraordinary background, the way he teaches is remarkably simple and down-to-earth. In this week’s Dharma Lab conversation, we look at one of the biggest misconceptions people bring to meditation: that it should feel calm or peaceful, and that difficulty means something is going wrong. Episode Highlights * Why early meditation often feels harder — and why that’s actually progress * The monsoon river: a powerful metaphor for understanding the mind * The “road to Lhasa”: how ups and downs both deepen practice * What science shows about the first four weeks of meditation * Why even 4–5 minutes a day meaningfully changes the brain and body * How to stop fighting distractions and use them as support * Mingyur Rinpoche’s “anywhere, anytime” approach to awareness * How difficult emotions become some of the most transformative moments * A gentler, lighter, more playful way to practice A conversation filled with warmth Sitting with Mingyur Rinpoche always leaves us lighter. There is a quality of ease in the way he teaches — a reminder that meditation isn’t about achieving particular states, but about recognizing the awareness that’s present in every one of them. We’re grateful to share this conversation and hope it offers a moment of spaciousness in your week. Warmly, Cort + Richie REMINDER: Join us for our next Ask Me Anything live with Cort and Richie on Tuesday, December 16 @7pm East…

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## Transcript

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