Meet Matthew Kanbergs: ECC Teacher
Matthew Kanbergs was first introduced to the Eagle Condor teachings through a dear sister who connected him with Jeff Firewalker. At the time, Matthew felt a stirring—subtle yet insistent—a call from within to deepen his studies in healing and spirituality. Though he had already been walking this path, the wisdom shared through Eagle Condor felt like a sacred remembrance being awakened.
When he met Jeff, Matthew was in the midst of launching a small business while raising two young children in the Catskill Mountains of New York. Despite the many demands on his time, he felt the truth in Jeff’s honesty and knew it was the right moment to dive in. He committed to the Vermont Healing Intensive, five hours away, and made the journey with reverence. A year later, he was honored to be invited into the teacher training, joining fellow students in stepping more fully into this path.
"I was really grateful for that opportunity. He gave me the space and the responsibility to offer some teachings… it was really incredible to be able to dive deeper into this wisdom, dive deeper into the practices, to not just learn them, but to really, really embody them and then to share them."
One of the most profound teachings Matthew has integrated into his life and work is the principle of Ayni, or Sacred Reciprocity, and the three foundational virtues: Yankay (right action and effort), Munay (embodied love), and Yachay (wisdom and right thinking). Each day, he returns to these teachings through meditation and conscious practice. They are not abstract concepts for him—they are a way of being.
As the co-founder of TU·ET·AL, a design-forward apothecary crafting natural soap and skincare, Matthew weaves the three virtues into his business—creating intentional products with prayerful presence and alchemical care.
"What are the offerings I'm giving back to Pachamama? What are the prayers I'm putting into these products as they go out to people?"
What Matthew values most about the Eagle Condor teachings is their deep practicality. It is not simply about lineage—it’s about applying ancient, embodied wisdom to modern life. He believes we each carry ancestral knowledge within us, though it may be buried beneath generational trauma. Through these teachings, Matthew has uncovered his own light and feels ever drawn to discover what more lies within.
As a first-generation American, Matthew’s father was born in a refugee camp in Germany after fleeing Latvia during World War II. His Latvian ancestors were herbalists and folk healers—wisdom that was never directly passed down but remains alive in memory and intuition. For Matthew, the path of Andean mysticism has become a way to reclaim a sacred connection to the Earth, echoing the ancestral knowledge his bloodline once held.
Growing up, he often visited his grandparents’ home in the mountains of California, gazing at Mount Shasta—later to learn it is honored as an Apu, or sacred mountain. This revelation affirmed what he’d always sensed: that a deep, reverent relationship with the land is a global and ancient remembrance.
A key teaching Matthew now carries is the art of energetic tracking—remaining conscious of the subtle exchanges we experience throughout the day. The Andean mystics call heavy or discordant energy hucha, and they teach how to clear and transmute it, offering that dense energy back to Pachamama. Matthew reflects often on the energy he brings into any space—whether a home, a train, or a conversation.
Through this work, Matthew continues to walk the path of remembrance—offering his presence, his prayer, and his practice in service to the healing of Earth and spirit alike.
Matthew Kanbergs is a multifaceted maker, artist, medicine man, and musician. Born and raised in Alameda, California, his connection to nature runs as deep as the Redwood Trees. His exposure to culture through spirituality, music, and art in the Bay Area allowed him to develop a refined taste for human expression at an early age. Bringing his talents to New York City more than 15 years ago, he emerged in the world of fashion by way of photography all while studying natural medicine and plants, making art, and human connection. When he answered the call to be a father in 2019, he moved with his family to the Catskill Mountains where he was able to further refine his creations into what is now TU·ET·AL.