Yoga is the process of cutting through avidya (not seeing things as they truly are) so that we are able to live fully in the joy of this very life. When we see these patterns and the kleśas (causes of our suffering) for what they are, we no longer misidentify our true nature. This is called the extinguishing of suffering (nirvana).

My goal as a teacher is to help you develop the tools to facilitate this process for yourselves. It is my sincere wish that we can use these formal practices together as training for establishing kindness and awareness in our relationship with ourselves, our friends and family, and in our communities.

I am currently drawing inspiration from Viniyoga as taught by T.K.V. Desikachar, with a budding interest in somatics and myofascial meridians. The anchor for all of these interests however, is a passion for the Buddha Dharma. I am grateful for all of my good friends and teachers up to this point including the teaching staff at JPCY, Rachel Bairstow, Danielle Tarantola, Chip Hartranft, and many others. A special thank you to Ame Wren for being an unfailingly supportive mentor. 

What You Can Expect From My Classes

You can expect to move quickly early in class to warm up the body and wake up the nervous system, alternate between poses and counterposes at one breath per movement, practice prānāyāma (breath work), meditation, and hold some āsanas (poses) for an extended period of time. The primary goal of each class is to train ourselves in the art of mindfulness. Throughout all of this we will develop our knowledge of safe and effective alignment in postures.

Matthew’s Upcoming Classes