The Waterfall Experience: What Really Happens When You Start Meditating with Yongey Mingyur Rinpoche

Join the live webinar “The Distraction Epidemic: Unlocking the Power of Awareness” with Mingyur Rinpoche on July 9. 👉 Learn more and join here: https://hubs.la/Q04gpzD50 When we begin meditating, we may expect to feel calm right away. But often, the opposite happens: the mind feels busier, emotions seem stronger, and practice can feel boring or frustrating. In this teaching, Mingyur Rinpoche explains why this is actually a natural part of the path. Using traditional examples like the “waterfall experience,” the dirty cup, and the muddy river, he shows how meditation does not create more thoughts and emotions. It simply helps us see what was already there. Over time, this restless “waterfall” begins to settle. The mind becomes more workable, and we begin to recognize a deeper quality of awareness beneath the movement of thoughts and emotions. This teaching is a helpful reminder for anyone who has ever wondered, “Am I doing meditation wrong?”