Local Bloke – Matt Ringrose From Bondi

By James Hutton on September 30, 2014 in People

Bondi resident Matt Ringrose is a former DJ and now a full-time expert in the art of meditation. Matt shares his local favourites with The Beast…

How long have you lived here?
I moved here from the UK 12 years ago with my wife Sally and son Joe. Our other son Jack was born here.

What’s your favourite beach?
Bondi. I don’t think I’ll ever completely get my head around the fact that this is on our doorstep. I grew up in Northampton – the furthest place from the sea in England!

Who is your favourite person?
My wife Sally. She’s the kindest, funniest and most loyal person I know. We’ve always had a good laugh. I got lucky this time around.

What’s your favourite eatery?
The Health Emporium on Bondi Road for a quick lunch – a big shout out to the girls behind the counter! The Shop on Curlewis is a family fave for dinner.

Where do you like to have a drink?
I like Neigbourhood on Curlewis Street. The guys are really nice and friendly in there.

Do you have a favourite sporting team?
The Silver Bullets. They’re my son Jack’s under 10s basketball team. It’s the most exciting 40 minutes of sport I watch each week. Other than them I go for the Bunnies.

What music are you into at the moment?
I’ve been a DJ for over 20 years, so a good new house track always gets me going. The album I’ve listened to most over the last year is First Aid Kit’s ‘The Lion’s Roar’.

What do you get up to on the weekends?
I hang out with friends at the Bondi Markets, watch Jack play basketball and soccer, and DJ at Bondi Boardriders. I’m not such a raver these days, but occasionally Sal pulls me out of retirement for a boogie.

What do you do for work?
After 20 years DJ-ing and running a wine sales company, I needed to restore some balance in my life, so I learned to meditate. It helped me so much that I sold the wine business, retrained and am now a full-time Vedic meditation teacher at Bondi Meditation.

What’s your favourite thing about your work?
Watching people develop and transform. There’s this idea that you can’t really change deep down and that you’re stuck with how you are: your bad personality traits, behaviours and habits. But I see people overcome anxiety, anger, addictions and more with the help of meditation.

Do you have a favourite quote?
“No one has ever become poor by giving” – Anne Frank.

Any other words of wisdom for readers of The Beast?
In the Vedic tradition there is a specific ‘word of wisdom’ for each individual which, when you think it, brings you peace, happiness and evolution. It’s called a mantra. Contact Bondi Meditation for yours!