Matthew Flickstein, a former psychotherapist, founded The Forest Way in 1993. He has been practicing and teaching insight meditation for over thirty-two years. Matthew has studied with teachers from many spiritual traditions and at one time was ordained as a monk in the Theravadan Buddhist tradition.

His primary teacher has been Venerable Bhante Gunaratana, a Buddhist monk for over sixty-five years and the author of Mindfulness in Plain English and Eight Mindful Steps to Happiness. In 1982, Matthew co-founded the Bhavana Society Monastic and Meditation Center in West Virginia with Bhante Gunaratana.

Matthew has published two books, Journey to the Center: A Meditation Workbook and Swallowing the River Ganges: A Comprehensive Practice Guide to the Path of Purification, through Wisdom Publications. A revised edition of Swallowing the River Ganges, entitled The Meditators Atlas: A Roadmap to the Inner World, was released by Wisdom in June of 2007.

Matthew travels internationally leading meditation retreats and teacher training programs. He also leads spiritual pilgrimages, eco tours, and cultural immersion programs throughout the world. He is currently producing a documentary entitled Voices of Truth: The Meeting Point of all Mystical Traditions.

Other Teachers associated with The Forest Way facilitate weekly meeting with groups of interested individuals, teach classes on Buddhist psychology and practice, and lead meditation retreats. They also participate in student mentoring programs and various projects related to the Dharma.