Practicing the Dhamma since 2005, Matthew Hahn sat with his first sangha as a prisoner in Folsom State Prison. Since coming home in 2012, he has practiced principally within the Insight tradition, but has also studied in Burma within the Mahasi-U Pandita lineage. Matthew has been mentored for many years by his principal teacher, Matthew Brensilver, as well as other teachers within the Insight and Theravadan traditions. He was empowered with lay ordination by Venerable Pannavati and the late Ashin U Pannadipa. Matthew is a Dharma Leader trainee at the Insight Meditation Center and at Spirit Rock.
Matthew Hahn is a member of the Boundless Freedom Project and a program facilitator for Mindful Prisons, a mindful community meeting behind the walls of San Quentin State Prison. A co-founder of the Recovery Dharma program, he often teaches for members of the system-impacted and recovery communities.
Matthew’s varied history informs the way that he teaches. As a recovering addict, skilled tradesman, elected union official, and formerly incarcerated person, his unique life experiences are woven into his presentation of the Dhamma and the way that it can transform lives. Having studied anthropology at the University of California, Berkeley, Matthew brings cultural sensitivity and awareness of the intersectionality that inform our encounters with meditative practice.
Matthew’s guided meditations can be found on the Insight Timer app, here.
