Sanctuary History

The Sanctuary vision was conceptualized by Mary Ellen Popyk in 2005.  Mary Ellen grew up in central NY where metaphysical fairs were held every month with an abundance of teachers, practitioners, information readily available to anyone who was interested.  When she moved to Memphis in 1994 she was surprised to find it was not easy to find others of like mind.

Mary Ellen, an experienced business woman with a knack for marketing, organized her first metaphysical/holistic fair in the Memphis area in November of 2005.  Interest was enough to warrant organizing lectures, classes, and other activities to bring together folks with similar interests on things like essential oils and meditation.

In August of 2006 a space opened up in Bartlett that she rented with the intention of holding events and making the space available for others to utilize to hold meetings and events in.  Shortly after, a spiritual store closed and she acquired their stock to find herself an unexpected store owner;  The Sanctuary was born. 

Many practitioners came to speak, teach, and offer their services.  We showed movies, had discussions, shopped, and had fun.  We were given the nick name “The Snack-tuary” because we loved the chances to had to eat together.  The Sanctuary thrived as “more than a store, more than a meeting place” for several years.  Unfortunate economic times took their toll on The Sanctuary which closed in September, 2009. 

However, the connections that we made remain strong.  We still offer classes, events, and regular metaphysical fairs in the Memphis area.  While we no longer have a physical location, we are not out of business!  Mary Ellen continues to work with herbs, essential oils, and holistic living products.  We offer a bi-weekly magazine for the midsouth community on a variety of subjects.  We strive to remain a source for  mind/body/spirit interests in the midsouth.  Here you can always find Sanctuary!