Matthew Tift, PhD, RYT-500
I build websites with Drupal and open source software. I teach yoga and meditation. I like to write about both.
At Lullabot, I work as a Lead Engineer. In the Drupal community, I maintained the Drupal configuration system for a decade (2013–2023), helped launch the Olivero (2019–2022) theme, and co-authored “Who Sponsors Drupal Development?” with Dries Buytaert.
I teach mindful yoga and insight meditation rooted in the teachings of the Buddha. My classes bring together movement, breathing, and stillness to help people meet stress and struggle with more clarity and less reactivity. You don’t need to be flexible or experienced. You just need to be willing to pay attention.
My practice has been shaped by the Thai Forest Buddhist tradition. I trained at Kripalu because their emphasis on self-observation fits with insight meditation. I owe a great deal to my teachers.
Before any of this, I studied musicology. My PhD research at the University of Wisconsin-Madison examined musical responses to HIV/AIDS. I still play violin and harmonium, and I love playing string quartets with my wife (on viola) and our two children (on cello and violin).
I live near Minneapolis, Minnesota.
Currently:
- Lead Engineer, Lullabot
- Yoga Teacher, The Marsh
- Host, Pretty Good Meditation podcast
- Core Contributor, Drupal
Previously:
- Organizer, Twin Cities Drupal Camp (2011–2024)
- Board Chair, onelove.yoga (yoga in schools)
- Buddhist Meditation Group Facilitator, Minnesota Department of Corrections
- Host, Hacking Culture podcast
- Visiting Assistant Professor of Musicology, University of Iowa
More information in my full CV.
