Inside the meditation groups at Folsom Prison, Matthew discovered something unexpected: a space safe enough to let his guard down—a place where he was treated as fully human and forgiven
Matthew Hahn
August 24, 2026
Inside the meditation groups at Folsom Prison, Matthew discovered something unexpected: a space safe enough to let his guard down—a place where he was treated as fully human and forgiven
I spent the first half of my prison sentence reminiscing about the past and the second half fantasizing about the future. I never occupied the present.
Traditionally, this is an asubha practice meant to lessen the clinging we have toward our own and others’ bodies by seeing clearly the constituent parts of the body.
If you let go a little, you will have a little peace. If you let go a lot, you will have a lot of peace. If you let go completely,
Matthew leads the practitioner through mindfulness of awakening factors as part of Bhikkhu Analayo’s method of Satipatthana practice.
Matthew leads the practitioner through mindfulness of hindrances as part of Bhikkhu Analayo’s method of Satipatthana practice.
Venerable Pannavati wanted us, all of us, to taste the joy of an unburdened heart and experience the selflessness that arises through good works.
Matthew draws on experiences firefighting and in incarcerated Buddhist communities to explore what it means to feel safe in a sangha, despite external circumstances.
Usually, craving is mentioned in terms of sensual pleasure, but here the topic is craving for becoming and craving for annihilation.
In this guided meditation, Matthew leads the practitioner through mindfulness of mind as part of Bhikkhu Analayo’s method of Satipatthana practice.
In this guided meditation, Matthew leads the practitioner through mindfulness of feeling tones as part of Bhikkhu Analayo’s method of Satipatthana practice.
In this talk, Matthew offers his perspective on setting intentions, whether big or small, aspirational or momentary. Weaving storytelling from his days in prison with perspectives from the Buddhist tradition,
In this talk, Matthew shares the story of Angulimala, the serial killer who collected the fingers of his victims, and his path toward redemption and awakening. Find out why Angulimala
In this guided meditation, Matthew leads the practitioner through mindfulness of death as part of Bhikkhu Analayo’s method of Satipatthana practice. The meditation begins with establishing embodied mindfulness and then
Matthew regularly offers Buddhist teachings and meditation instructions for in-person groups in the San Francisco Bay Area and online. Here are events scheduled for 2026, thus far.
In this guided meditation, Matthew leads the practitioner through mindfulness of elements using Bhikkhu Analayo’s method of Satipatthana practice. The meditation begins with establishing embodied mindfulness and then moves into
The Buddha taught that the body can be a doorway to liberation from suffering, a place we can return to find steadiness and ease. With practice, the body can become
Matthew leads the practitioner through mindfulness of anatomy using Bhikkhu Analayo’s method of Satipatthana practice. The meditation begins with establishing embodied mindfulness and then moves into body scans of the
People mediate for a variety of reasons. To slow down. To heal. To stay sane. To meet what’s here. In this talk, Matthew explores these motivations for practice and the
Can the present moment be devoid of everything that came before? How might our mindfulness practice be framed as a way of understanding the past?
Flightless Bird explores incarcerated firefighters, talking to former inmate Matthew Hahn who signed up to fight fires when he was serving time.