Mayu Sounds | Mariela Añazco
Instructor
I am Mariela Añazco, founder of Mayu Sounds. As a professional musician, sound therapists and Zen practitioner, I created Mayu Sounds with the purpose of guiding students in understanding how meditation and sound transform the mind. My mission is to foster a lifestyle of mindfulness through silence, contemplation, creativity and the profound art of listening.
Mayu| River
The Essence of the River
Mayu is a Quechua word that means river
In the Andes, the act of deep contemplation of the mountains is often called simply "being," or in more spiritual contexts, entering into communion with the Apu (the spirit of the mountain). This ancestral wisdom shares a deep resonance with Zazen (seated meditation) from Zen Buddhism. Both traditions share a pure essence: the union of the observer with the observed through absolute silence. From both the Zen and Andean cosmovision, existence is a continuous cycle. A river that flows: sometimes crystal clear, at times moving slow and powerful, sometimes turbulent.
Life as a River
The Flow State
Just like a river, sound can be loud, strident, and at times even unsettling, yet it can also be light, sweet, and bathed in calm colors. In this journey, sound is not the opposite of silence, but its messenger. When you listen to a bell, a Tibetan bowl, a monochord, or a flute, the sound acts like a stone cast into a calm lake: it is a moment that invites you to breathe peacefully and creates ripples that cleanse, organize, and finally return to the original silence. During our sessions, we do not seek to analyze or achieve specific goals, we lay down on a yoga mat or sit to settle into the present moment, simply listening and observing life exactly as it is.
Through practice, we learn to be present by simply sitting, resting on a yoga mat, and listening. During our sessions, you will have the chance to play several vibrational instruments that I have curated to help deepen your sound meditation.
The Art of Listening
A Healing Practice
During our classes and workshops, I invite students to rediscover deep listening. When immersing yourself in the vibrations of therapeutic instruments, my invitation is this: do not just listen to the sound, listen to its waves and the trail it leaves as it fades away.
That exact moment when a bowl stops vibrating and silence returns is the meeting point between the mountain (stillness) and the clear water (purity of mind). It is there that true healing occurs: when you realize that the silence remaining after the sound is the very same silence that resides within you.
What is Sound Meditation?
Sound meditation is a journey into yourself, using vibration to return to a state of natural harmony and well-being through silence and deep listening. Gently our mind moves into a space of rest, balancing the nervous system and stimulate mental clarity.
Research demonstrates the positive influence of sound, stimulating the brain’s emotional center and reducing pain relief. People who had never done a sound meditation, experienced significantly less tension and anxiety, feeling more balanced and relaxed after a class.
Scientific Studies on the Benefits
of Sound Meditation:
Understanding the biological changes that occur during a session allows for a deeper integration of the experience:
Neuroplasticity and Focus (Harvard & MIT): Neuroimaging studies have shown that consistent meditation increases gray matter in the prefrontal cortex and the insula—areas responsible for attention and sensory perception—while decreasing the size of the amygdala, thereby reducing the brain's fear and stress response.
Deactivating Mental Rumination (Yale University): Science has validated that meditation helps calm the "Default Mode Network" (DMN), turning off mental noise and cyclical thoughts, allowing the "mud" of the mind to settle and clarity to return.
Anxiety Reduction and Nervous System Response (Johns Hopkins): Clinical research indicates that sound therapy induces a deep relaxation response that improves Heart Rate Variability (HRV) and reduces cortisol levels (the stress hormone), promoting cardiovascular health and emotional balance.
Vibrational Frequencies and Brain Health (Scientific Reports): It has been observed that the use of specific sound frequencies helps the brain transition from alert states (Beta) to deep relaxation states (Alpha and Theta), facilitating a process of cellular "cleansing" and neural regeneration.
What is Sound Therapy?
Sound therapy is an alternative healing method that uses sound meditations and different healing instruments to promote awareness and well-being. Specific frequencies are played in therapeutic ways to bring you to a deep relaxation, reduce stress, regulate your energy flow and stimulate mental clarity.
Research demonstrates the positive influence of sound on emotions and sensations, stimulating the brain’s emotional center and reducing pain relief. People who had never done a sound meditation, experienced significantly less tension and anxiety, feeling more balance and relaxed after a class. The variety of healing sounds is a valuable tool for supporting wellness in daily life.
