Matthew Tift, PhD, RYT-500
I teach yoga and meditation as a path toward peacefulness and clarity. These tools can help you feel less reactive, less worn down, and more at home in your own life. Students come in carrying stress from work, tension in their bodies, and a sense that something needs to change.
My classes are gentle and welcoming. I focus on healthy movement, breathing, and mindfulness. You don’t need to be flexible, fit, or experienced. You only need to show up and be curious.
Yoga and meditation offer a way of living with kindness, patience, and honesty. These skills can help us at home, at work, online, and in our relationships. When we learn to pause and pay attention, we can respond with more care and less stress.
I've practiced meditation in the Thai Forest tradition since 2017 and owe a great deal to my teachers from around the world.
Currently, I am:
- Yoga Teacher, The Marsh and Minnesota Arboretum
- Host, Pretty Good Meditation podcast
- Lead Engineer, Lullabot
Previously, I was:
- Board Chair, onelove.yoga (yoga in schools)
- Prison Meditation Group Facilitator, Minnesota Department of Corrections
- Visiting Assistant Professor of Musicology, University of Iowa
My credentials include:
- PhD, Musicology, University of Wisconsin-Madison
- RYT-500 Kripalu Yoga Teacher
- Eagle Scout
I live near Minneapolis, Minnesota. These days I mostly play harmonium, though I've been playing violin since age 5. I love any opportunity to play string quartets with my wife (on viola) and our two children (on cello and violin).
More information in my full CV.
