Love is silence

Barefoot walk with spirits and ghosts

Love is surrender

Slow immersion in a sea full of frost

Love is water

Love is depth of dissolving form

Equilibrium in the raging storm

I find myself in a kaleidoscope of ever-changing rhythms, symbols, colors, forms, lines, patterns and textures woven in a single fabric of life. Every moment is full of beauty, silence, life and death. Sometimes, I see invisible worlds and hear whisper of the stones and plants, and sometimes, I find wonder in a seemingly mundane moment – a perfect aesthetic of a rotten log.

My name is Sasha Epeshina, and I am a founder of Mauna. I was born and raised in Saint Petersburg, Russia, between historical walls of the city and tall trees of the countryside. I travelled through many countries, world views and occupations. Receiving a Master's degree in Architecture from San Francisco Academy of Art University, I co-founded the first school for architecture and design for children in Russia that now counts more than 100 students weekly. As I felt accomplished in cultural, social and financial way, I took a deep dive in the non-object oriented practice of meditation. Soon I saw the illusion of the opposites – tension of fear and desire – at the core of my life. I let go of all worldly attachments and responsibilities, and moved to an ashram in the mountains of Portugal. For several years I lived a life of service, profound spiritual practice, renunciation and artistic experimentation. By grace, I glimpsed eternal love free from all conditions, and I recognised blissful eternal depth at the source of my own being, non-separate from any other being and all conditional nature. During that time, I discovered a profound heart-deep attraction to a spiritual realizer, scholar and artist Adi Da Samraj (1968-2009) through his written and visual art. A powerful light is shining through his words and images, mysteriously guiding my personal and artistic path.

Mauna Project was naturally born as an extension of my interdisciplinary background and love for the mystery – merging education for children, hands-on artistic and architectural work with awareness of the sacred nature of it all.

Mauna Project merges art in all forms, spirituality and education. Mauna is a reflection, a contemplation, a vulnerable sharing, a portfolio of selected works and a call to create together. Mauna provides services in creative consulting, education, architecture, design, photography and film, with an integrative vision and refined sensitivity.

Creative impulse at the source of every act of art – from architecture to poetry – caries a force of a prayer and a potential for deep transformation. This intuition guides Mauna's educational and creative practice and, hopefully, tangibly reminds its participants of the silent healing of art.

The name of the project Mauna means "silence" in Sanskrit, "mountain" in Hawaiian and it is also a name of a genus of moth, reflecting stillness, mystery and beauty of this world.

Love is freedom