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Hello! I’m Matt Young.

I’m the Founder and Director of the Melbourne Meditation Centre.

I’ve been exploring meditation and mindfulness for over two decades.

My focus has been on making meditation accessible; by demystifying the subject, making it easy to learn and do, and by customizing it to the needs of contemporary folk.

I hope to see you on course soon.

Matt Young

About the Melbourne Meditation Centre

Established in 2005, we’re Melbourne’s meditation and mindfulness experts.

We’ve taught over 20,000 people to meditate and run hundreds of introductory sessions in workplaces, schools and organisations of all kinds.

We’ve also trained over 500 meditation teachers and have a reputation as the place to go for expert, user-friendly meditation instruction.

Our popular Meditation & Mindfulness for Beginners Courses are regularly booked out.

In a nutshell, we teach people how to relax their bodies and calm their minds — anywhere, and at any time — so that they can destress, sleep better and ultimately enjoy happier and more fulfilling lives.

How We Do It

We teach meditation and mindfulness as simple, practical skills. Because we don’t require you to sit cross-legged, or stop thinking, or to meditate for hours on end, our students find the techniques we share easy and enjoyable.

We also take care to ensure that you understand how meditation works, so that you can adapt it to your own needs.

In other words our teaching methodologies embody the principle expressed in the well-known adage:

“Give a man a fish and you feed him for a day. Teach a man to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.”

Why We Do It

Matt Young founded the Melbourne Meditation Centre in 2005. At that time, it was almost impossible to learn to meditate outside a religious or spiritual context. Meditation was usually presented in a way that was off-putting for many.

Matt knew that meditation didn’t have to be mysterious and mystical. It could be taught on the basis of sound science and psychology and using plain English. It could also be adapted to the needs of contemporary people.

No one in Melbourne seemed to be teaching in that way, so Matt did.

How We’re Different

Meditation has a PR problem. Even today people think of it as tuning out, sitting cross-legged or chanting Om. And meditation is still often taught in overly traditional styles that don’t take into account the realities of 21st century living.

In contrast, at the Melbourne Meditation Centre we base our teaching on solid science and psychology and offer instructions which are clear, practical and realistic.

We’re unique in that we teach you how to work with your thoughts and emotions, instead of simply trying to block them out (which never really works anyway).

We also teach you how to integrate meditation into your day, using ‘spot-meditations’ and mindfulness practices that you can use while engaged in regular daily activities, like walking, driving, waiting or working out.

And most importantly, we don’t just teach one technique or approach. We know from experience that what works for one person may not work for another; so we help you to find the strategies that work for you.

“What struck me from the very first class was the absolute pragmatism and immediate practicality of Matt’s approach to meditation.

I immediately felt an ability to both understand the concepts being taught, and more importantly, apply them.

I’ll use the tools for the rest of my life.”

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

—  Piero Poli.

We’re one of Melbourne’s most experienced and reputable meditation centres.

Here are a few of the things that set us apart.

  • We’re meditation and mindfulness specialists.
  • We don’t require you to sit cross-legged, or even still.
  • We don’t expect you to stop thinking.
  • We don’t expect you to meditate for hours a day.
  • We teach a variety of meditation styles and techniques — not just one.
  • We help you to find the technique(s) that work for you.
  • We explain how and why meditation works.
  • Our instructions are clear, concise and jargon-free.
  • We teach you skills which you can use outside class, in your daily life.
  • We teach you meditations that you can do anywhere and at any time.
  • We encourage you to decide for yourself what works and what doesn’t.
  • We welcome questions, comments, criticism and feedback.
  • We provide comprehensive course notes and resources.
  • We are not associated with any religious or spiritual groups.

In essence, we aim to teach you the principles and skills needed in order to be able to meditate effectively and imaginatively by yourself, away from the crutch of a class or teacher.

Teaching Staff

Matt Young

Matt Young

Director

Hi, I’m Matt Young. I’m the Director of the Melbourne Meditation Centre. I established the centre in 2005, because at that time many people thought that meditation was flaky nonsense, or just something that monks or hippies did. I knew that it was a useful skill, but that stereotypes kept people away. I wanted to offer an alternative — adopting a down-to-earth approach based on principles from science and psychology, and presenting material in a clear, jargon-free and accessible manner.

Since 2005 I’ve continued to explore and develop an approach to meditation that suits contemporary folk looking for practical ways to feel less stressed. I love helping debunk meditation myths and misconceptions — and seeing the light-bulbs go off in people’s heads when they learn that they can meditate, despite their busy minds and schedules.

Over the years I’ve been involved in establishing a number of meditation groups and in organising events such as the Australian Meditation Conference. I have also been a board member for Headspace and Meditation Australia. I’m also a presenter for the Be Your Best Now Wellbeing Program, and you’ll find my guided meditations on numerous apps.

Although I’ve explored a wide variety of meditation techniques and traditions I don’t subscribe to any one approach. I consider myself fortunate, however, to have met a number of mavericks in the meditation field; teachers who helped me to find the sweet spots amongst the mystery and misinformation.

When I’m not teaching meditation you’ll find me on the squash court, at the piano or reading a mixture of sci-fi and personal development books.

I usually teach the Glen Waverley, Clifton Hill, and CBD classes.

Beth Milner

Beth Milner

Teacher, Geelong

After a brief (and uncomfortable) introduction to meditation at University in the late 90s, Beth’s interest was rekindled after a psychologist friend recommended incorporating mindfulness exercises into her teaching at a North London primary school in 2010.

Having seen first hand the positive effects meditation had on the behaviour and well-being of the students she embarked on a journey of study into the subject and developed a personal practice.

Beth is passionate about making meditation accessible to all by demystifying the subject and helping others develop simple techniques that may ease stress and lead to greater self-awareness and self-compassion.

Beth is experienced in facilitating corporate mindfulness training as well as offering workshops and courses to smaller businesses, not-for-profits and schools. She completed her teacher training with Melbourne Meditation Centre and is currently teaching classes at our Geelong venue.

Nick Rowan

Nick Rowan

Teacher, St Kilda

Nick became a mindfulness and meditation teacher as he wanted to help people experience life with a little more calm. He is passionate about making meditation accessible, easy and enjoyable.

Nick’s introduction to meditation came through experiencing a period of personal stress and anxiety. Through practicing meditation, Nick found that he dealt with stressful situations more effectively, could better manage troubling thoughts and achieved a better sense of balance in his life.

Observing how meditation had helped both himself and others set him on the path of becoming a meditation teacher.

Nick’s experience ranges from running meditation courses and workshops at large corporates through to delivering one-on-one consultations. He completed his Teacher Training at the Melbourne Meditation Centre and is currently teaching at our St Kilda venue.

Deb Amos

Deb Amos

Teacher, Online Practice Group

Deb teaches meditation and Qigong and is also a Personal Development and Embodiment Coach working with clients in groups and 1-on-1. She has been deeply immersed in mindfulness practices and personal development for over twenty years.

Initially struggling to create a regular meditation practice, Debbie discovered the joys of moving meditations and the power of smaller ‘spot meditations’ that could be more easily integrated into daily life.

Debbie has experienced the many gifts of meditation first-hand through her own journey with chronic illness as well as working with others challenged by stress, ill health, and anxiety. She is passionate about making meditation simple and accessible to support people connect with and manage the richness of their experience, along with fostering greater calm and insight.

Debbie completed her training with the Melbourne Meditation Centre and is running on Tuesday night Online Practice Group..

Tracy Burgos

Tracy Burgos

Teacher, Glen Waverley

Tracy first encountered meditation in yoga classes in her teens, but struggled to develop a consistent practice — even though she knew it was good for bringing a greater sense of calm and awareness into life.

Over several decades working as a teacher Tracy frequently returned to meditation as a kind of refuge, and in 2018 she reconnected with yoga and meditation, established a consistent and interesting personal practice and completed meditation teacher training at the Melbourne Meditation Centre.

Just as she was a passionate teacher in secondary schools, always well-prepared, engaged in ongoing professional learning and with the wellbeing and best interests of her students at the heart of her practice, she now brings these qualities to teaching meditation.

Tracy aims to share the benefits of meditation, and to introduce students to new ways of viewing and practising meditation using simple and practical strategies that offer a range of approaches to explore according to your personality, needs and lifestyle.

Debbie Ling

Debbie Ling

Counsellor

Debbie is an Accredited Mental Health Social Worker with a bulk billing private practice.

She completed her Meditation Teacher Training in 2004 and has been teaching at Melbourne Meditation Centre since 2005.

Debbie has over 25 years counselling experience.

She has worked as a mental health clinician at The Melbourne Clinic where she facilitated groups on mindfulness and Mindfulness-Based Cognitive Therapy. Debbie is also interested in the intersection between contemplative practice and Western psychology and has undertaken study in this area since 2009. In 2019 Debbie completed a PhD (researching compassion and common humanity) at Monash University.

Debbie is usually available for one-on-one consultations, but is not currently taking on new clients.