BY SHALEEN DESTEFANO
If I had to name one person in my immediate circle of friends who doesn’t at one point or another feel overwhelmed by stress, I would come up blank. It is important to find calmness and peace multiple times a week if not each day in order to stay healthy in mind, body and spirit. Meditation helps to eliminate negative thoughts, worries, anxiety, all factors that can prevent us feeling happy. It has been proved that the practice of meditation, carried out on a regular basis, will mitigate the symptoms of stress and anxiety. For this type of mental retreat, we look to The Mayu Cooperative, an urban gathering place for those seeking peace within themselves.
The Mayu Meditation Cooperative is a community-owned, meditation center located in Denver, Colorado that welcomes people of all contemplative traditions, all spiritual beliefs, and all levels of experience. Founded in October 2011, Mayu was the first non-denominational meditation center in the United States. Its innovative business model offers a drop-in meditation center without affiliation to a spiritual lineage, religious teacher, or specific tradition. The goal is to bring calmness and clarity into the everyday lives of ordinary people. “Mayu is truly a treasure. It has helped bring calm and focus to my life, strengthened my relationships at home, calmed my physical and mental stress, increased my productivity at work, and helped me appreciate more about life. Just thinking of Mayu, even when I am not there, brings a sense of peace.” Christine B.
Their current project is to build a meditation garden, complete with a covered pavilion, private meditation alcoves, walking paths, trees, koi pond, and water features to minimize noise from the street. The garden will transform the bare space into a lush Japanese- inspired garden instantly recognizable in the quaint South Pearl neighborhood.
Jason Yocum of Sunstone Design has developed the plans for the Koloskus Garden. Lovingly named after Steve Koloskus, the former owner of Mayu’s property. His spirit, his vision, and his legacy endure through the proposed Koloskus Garden. This garden will be a place to revitalize and refresh, just as Steve would have wanted it to be. “This goal is an ambitious one. It is a declaration that urban green spaces must be preserved. The humble realization that friends, family, business and buildings are all temporary, but that nature endures. It’s our intention that the Koloskus Garden will comfort and renew visitors for generations to come.” Mayu owner, Cierra McNamara.
You can be a part of the process in helping make this sanctuary for peace a reality by visiting http://mayusanctuary.com/donation-page. Our community will greatly benefit from this serene temple to escape the stresses that we too often let overwhelm us in the day-to-day routines that trap us. We hope that the neighborhood joins together to make this dream a reality for everyone who visits Mayu.