Maya Cabrinha, 23, works at the Bhakti Center, located in the Lower East Side. The Center serves as a yoga studio, a temple, and a cultural hub. Maya, who uses she/they pronouns, has been volunteering at the Bhakti Center for over a year.
Maya is a jack of all trades at the Bhakti Center. Sometimes, you can find them at the front desk, where they buzz in guests, greet them, and help them sign in. Some visitors come for a yoga class; others make their way up to the third floor to visit the deities in the temple room.
“The best thing about my job is having the flexibility to make my own schedule and the discipline to keep growing,” said Maya.
In part one of this short interview series, Maya takes us through their journey of how The Bhakti Center became their home and what the community at the center means to them.
The second part dives more into the artist residency that Maya hosted with their friend Tulsi over the course of two months. The group worked through The Artist’s Way, Julia Cameron’s 1992 book that has guided artists and non-artists alike in reigniting their creativity and connecting with their inner artist for decades. As an artist themselves, Maya felt moved to offer this residency to the community as a way to nurture creative growth. They say the book helped them work through the fear of releasing music into the world.
Maya goes by the stage name “visnumaya,” and you can listen to their debut single, “BASEJUMP,” on all streaming platforms!
You can also find Maya on their Instagram!
Lastly, follow this link to see photos that I took of Maya while they hosted their residency.
