Mayu is a community-owned meditation center as unique as your inner journey, welcoming guests of every contemplative tradition, every spiritual belief, and every level of experience.
BY STACY CRUM DURAN
Wabi-sabi: the Perfection of Imperfection
Sitting behind the counter at Mayu Sanctuary, Cierra McNamara has the presence of a spiritual bartender – welcoming, nonjudgmental and ready to chat – she explains the sanctuary’s purpose and shows people around. She founded the center in 2011 – and the path to its creation was varied and winding. An anthropology major in college, her first job was with the Forest Service in Southern Colorado as an intern in the archaeological department. From there, she lived and worked in many different places. Her massage therapy calling lasted for 14 years, and about seven years in, she started visualizing the possibility of providing a place for people to relax – except without the massages.
And so, Cierra started spinning her mayu, which means “cocoon” in Japanese. She wondered, “What would people do with a beautiful center where they could come and go – with the house rules being quietness and not bothering the other people who were there?”
The Meditation Business
Cierra is not just a meditation center facilitator, but also an accomplished business person. She currently serves on the board of the South Pearl Merchants Association. Mayu first opened as an S Corp, which Cierra points out, gave them a lot of freedom regarding ways to make money and use their profits – something that can be beneficial to a brand-new business. “Mayu has a large retail space,” explains Cierra. “That is something that is not permitted in a nonprofit business model.” Nonetheless, in 2015, Mayu converted to a co-op. “There is something just inherently sticky about putting profits and spirituality together,” she says. “In fact, it can be a little tricky if someone who’s only familiar with the nonprofit religious model – and takes shelter in the idea that it is the only way for a religious or spiritual organization to manifest –comes in and says, ‘You’re here as a corporation making money off of people’s spirituality.’ Cierra points out, “Just because an organization is a 501(c)3 doesn’t preclude any type of unethical behavior. We never were unethical in the paradigm of an S Corp, I’m just happy that that’s taken off the plate now. We are very concerned about having a bright, responsible, ethical model from beginning to end, so the co-op works well for us.”
Along with the idea of an elevated, cooperative and “bright” business model, Cierra wanted to make sure to communicate to other similar organizations in the area that she wasn’t interested in competing with them. “When we were getting ready to open, I contacted the other meditation centers in town to let them know what I wanted to provide. Mayu is unique in that it has a retail space and that it does not aspire to a ‘one teacher – one approach’ format.”
The Space
“I’ve always enjoyed redecorating spaces – like my massage office and my bedroom as a kid,” says Cierra. “I like a very simple and elemental style, focusing on textures, colors, sight, sound, and fragrance.” She notes, “every center – no matter what kind of a center it is – appeals to its particular demographic. Here in Denver, we can make it whatever we want because there’s not really an overriding aesthetic – especially since Mayu was the first of its kind and we started out with no model whatsoever. The components that are most soothing, in my opinion, are the natural elements – so the wood and brick work well in here, as well as the sound of water and the element of fire with the use of candles, for example. We also have some plants and flower arrangements around Mayu, thanks to our members Beth Nelson and Yvonne Russell, who are masters in Ikebana (Japanese floral arranging). The human system responds quickly to these elements as a backdrop. It helps us remember how to slow down and rebalance.
“Wabi-sabi is a Japanese term that probably describes our style better than anything else. It means, in my understanding, ‘the perfection of imperfection’ and is expressed through the use of natural materials like wood, stone and textiles. Wabi-sabi says; if
there is a choice between, say, a piece of slate that is perfect and one that is cracked, the cracked piece inherently possesses the personality of wabi-sabi. It’s perfect in its imperfection. It’s better than the slate that’s pristine. It has a story and a uniqueness.
“So this aesthetic works for a meditation center and bodes well for presenting a space where people can come in with any mindset and in any state or condition – whether they are having a great day and just want a little peace and quiet, or whether they’re in on doctor’s orders for reducing blood pressure, or if they’re going through a critical or difficult life crisis and need some help with mental stress.”
Come As You Are
“Some people who come here have no interest whatsoever in formal meditation. Some come here to quietly read a book during open hours; some come to get a foot bath and fall asleep. Overall, Mayu is for quiet and meditation, with some independent class offerings. We do not ascribe to any one teaching or lineage, and teachers rent the space as part of their contract for offering a class. We have featured a little bit of everything – Sufi, Kabbalah, Christianity, and Buddhism, for example, but I am not here to preach my beliefs to anyone. I am here to provide a quiet and beautiful space. That is my service.”
In addition to drop-in quiet time or meditation, foot baths, and classes, visit Mayu to buy meditation cushions (all made in the United States) and benches (made in Northern California and locally). The books and CD’s for sale are from Sounds True and the incense is mostly from Shoyeido – both in Boulder. Magazines, beads and teas are available for purchase as well. Mayu is in the first stages of expanding – including the addition of a meditation garden and a renovation of the remaining space in the building.