I want to teach you to see yourself through the Science of Life.
Ayurveda, Yoga, and Herbalism. Three pillars that changed my life, and now my offerings to you.
Ayurveda
आयुर्वेदThe Science of Life. I use Ayurveda to understand your constitution, your current state, and your daily rhythm. All to bring you back to balance, your natural state, known as prakruti.
Yoga
योगThe practice imbued with spirituality. Breath, posture, and philosophy. We will explore every facet of the mind and consciousness. Let us walk the trails of the great sages, and come to understand the meaning of life.
Herbalism
औषधिNatural medicine is a gift from Mother Earth. I work with the plants, and I teach you how to make your own: teas, tinctures, salves, and more.
What happens in a session
We start by settling in, either with a brief meditation, sometimes a chant, or a simple Om.
The first hour is mostly me reading you. I seek to understand the dharma in your words, and your own connection to it.
Parīkṣā
परीक्षाThe examination
Ayurveda offers many ways of understanding a person. The four I lean on most are below, used together rather than in sequence.
- NāḍīPulse reading
- Under three fingers I listen for the pulse. Its quality, its rhythm, and its depth. Which dosha is moving, and most of all how prana moves. Reading the pulse is a conversation between my prana and yours.
- JihvāTongue
- Coating, color, cracks, and edges. The tongue is the map of the digestive tract laid out in plain view, and it is tied to other organs as well. A beautiful tool for understanding our state of vitality.
- DṛkObservation
- I observe how you sit, the light in your eyes, the cadence of your speech, the quality of your skin, and much more. Not with judgment, but with pure attention and compassion towards your health.
- PraśnaQuestioning
- A typical clinical panel of questions and conversation as diagnosis, but with a truly holistic approach. There is a saying that the client speaks truth, even between the words. I learn what you eat and when. What wakes you at night and why. What you crave, what you avoid, and what you may no longer notice.
Ayurveda
आयुर्वेदAyurveda is the science of life. I use it to show you the connections. What you eat and how you eat. How you wake up and how you sleep. How every choice shapes the next.
The mind body connection is not assumed here. It is learned, in your own life, in your own body. When you are angry and you reach for a particular food, you start to see how emotion changes action, and how action changes emotion.
What you walk away with depends on your path. Often it is a piece of dinacharya, the daily routine. Sometimes a small shift in food, or in how the day is shaped. Always something you can do tomorrow.
The three doshas
I bring the doshas up in session as a way for you to see yourself. The qualities, the mental and the physical, what they look like in balance and out of balance. I want you to see them within yourself, most of all.
Vāta
वातAir · Ether
Light, dry, mobile, subtle, cold
- Governs
- Movement. Breath, circulation, thought, nerve impulse.
- In balance
- Creative, quick, spacious, joyful.
- Out of balance
- Anxiety, insomnia, dryness, irregular digestion, restlessness.
Pitta
पित्तFire · Water
Hot, sharp, light, oily, liquid
- Governs
- Transformation. Digestion, metabolism, perception, courage.
- In balance
- Focused, discerning, warm, articulate.
- Out of balance
- Heat, irritability, inflammation, acidity, criticism.
Kapha
कफEarth · Water
Heavy, slow, steady, soft, cool
- Governs
- Structure. Tissue, immunity, lubrication, the held space of the body.
- In balance
- Grounded, loving, patient, enduring.
- Out of balance
- Heaviness, congestion, stagnation, attachment, sluggish digestion.
Prakṛti
प्रकृतिYour nature
The body and mind you were born with. The mix of doshas set at conception. It does not change. Knowing it is the difference between asking what is normal and asking what is normal for you.
Vikṛti
विकृतिYour current state
What is happening in your body right now. The doshas that have moved out of place. The imbalance asking to be met. The work is closing the distance between vikruti and prakruti.
Āhāra
आहारWhat you take in
Food, drink, air, impressions. What enters you becomes you. The question is not what is healthy in general. The question is what is healthy for this body, in this climate, in this phase of life, on this particular day.
We work with seasonal eating, six tastes, how food is prepared, how it is timed, and how it is met by the digestive fire.
Vihāra
विहारHow you live the day
Sleep, movement, sex, work, the rhythm of waking and resting. Dinacharya (the daily routine) and ritucharya (the seasonal routine) are the architecture of vihara. Small habits, faithfully kept, do more than any prescription.
What this looks like differs by body, life stage, and season. What lands for a young vata man in winter is different from what lands for a pitta woman in midsummer. The framework is the same; the practice is particular.
Yoga
योगYoga shows up both in the room and as a practice you take home. The first piece I teach, almost always, is pranayama. Breath is the fastest medicine I know, and the easiest to carry into a Tuesday morning.
Āsana comes later, when there is a therapeutic reason for it, or when a yoga student wants their practice tuned by Ayurveda. For someone with an established practice, the work shifts toward the spiritual side. Still pranayama. More meditation. The use of mantra.
The eight limbs
Patañjali’s map. Each limb supports the next. We rarely walk it in order. We work the rung you’re standing on.
- I
Yama
How we move through the world. Non-harming, truth, non-stealing, restraint, non-grasping.
- II
Niyama
How we relate to ourselves. Purity, contentment, discipline, study, surrender.
- III
Āsana
The body, made steady and at ease. The seat from which everything else becomes possible.
- IV
Prāṇāyāma
The breath as a vehicle for life force. The first practice you can do anywhere.
- V
Pratyāhāra
Drawing the senses inward. The pivot from the outer world to the inner one.
- VI
Dhāraṇā
Concentration. Holding the mind on a single point.
- VII
Dhyāna
Meditation. The point dissolves, attention becomes continuous.
- VIII
Samādhi
Absorption. The knower, knowing, and known no longer separate.
Prāṇāyāma
प्राणायामThe breath is the most underrated medicine I know. It is portable, free, and faster than nearly anything else at changing how you feel. A short list of the practices I teach most often:
Bhastrikā
Bellows breath
Forceful and warming. Builds vital heat, clears the lungs, restores energy to a body grown dull.
Kapālabhāti
Skull-shining
Rapid exhalations. A morning fire that wakes the body and sharpens the mind.
Anulom Vilom / Nāḍī Śodhana
Alternate-nostril breath
Balances the two channels. Calms the nervous system. The logical and intuitive sides held in one breath.
Agni Sāra
Essence of fire
A wave through the belly. Strengthens digestion and massages the organs the day forgets to move.
Ujjāyī
Victorious breath
A soft constriction at the throat. Deepens concentration, steadies the heart. The sound of an ocean inside your own chest.
Bhrāmarī
Bee breath
A long hum on the exhale. Soothes the nerves, settles the hormones, clears the head.
Śītalī / Śītkārī
Cooling breaths
For excess heat. Cools the body, eases inflammation, regulates metabolism. Summer practice, pitta practice, after-argument practice.
Udgītha
Divine song breath
The sound of Om carried on the exhale. The mind grows quiet, memory clears, stillness arrives.
Yoga Cikitsā
योग चिकित्साYoga as therapy
Āsana built for a person, not a class. I sequence with your constitution and your current state in mind, your agni, the dhatus and srotas involved, the subdoshas asking for attention. The same map I use clinically becomes the spine of the practice on the mat.
A typical sequence arc looks like this, scaled to the time you can give it, the hour of the day, and what your body can carry today:
Sequence
- 1Prāṇāyāma
- 2Namaskāra
- 3Warm Up
- 4Standing Poses
- 5Agni
- 6Backbends
- 7Seated
- 8Twists
- 9Inversions
- 10Śavāsana
- 11Meditation
Mantra
मन्त्रSound as practice. A syllable, a phrase, a name. Repeated until it stops being a thing you say and starts being a thing you are.
Sādhana
साधनाYour daily practice. The non-negotiable. Often short. Always yours. The ground from which everything else grows.
Private yoga
One-on-one work for people who want their practice tuned to them. Inside a voyage, or as a standalone arrangement for those whose path is primarily on the mat.
Herbalism
औषधिHerbs come after. Lifestyle first. Breath first. Food first. When plants are the right ally, I make the formula. Sometimes I have you order a specific tincture or tea.
For students of the work, herbalism becomes part of the curriculum. You learn the materia medica. You make your own preparations. Sometimes a single plant becomes a companion you journal with for a season.
Triphala shows up for most people, sooner or later.
The preparations
Different parts of a plant ask for different vessels. Hot water, cold water, alcohol, oil, vinegar, honey. Each pulls out something different. Each lands somewhere different in the body.
Tinctures
Plants extracted in alcohol. Shelf-stable, concentrated, dosed by the dropperful.
Teas & Decoctions
Leaves and flowers steeped in hot water. Roots and barks simmered. The oldest preparation we have.
Salves & Creams
Plants infused in oil, set with beeswax. For the skin, for what the skin holds.
Oxymels & Syrups
Vinegar and honey. Sweet preserved decoctions. Medicine that tastes like breakfast.
Elixirs
A well-preserved infusion with alcohol and honey. The kitchen and the apothecary in one bottle.
Poultices & Compresses
Plants applied directly to the body. The most ancient way to use a herb.
Plant allies of the Pacific Northwest
I work first with what grows close. The Pacific Northwest is a generous teacher. Many of the most-studied Western medicinal plants grow in the alleys, in the parks, and along the trails. A short field guide of the ones I reach for most:
Nettle
Urtica dioica
Urticaceae
Mineral-dense nutritive. Spring tonic. Eases prostate, soothes allergies.
Yarrow
Achillea millefolium
Asteraceae
Bitter tonic. Slows bleeding. Brings down a fever by opening the pores.
Lemon Balm
Melissa officinalis
Lamiaceae
Calming nervine. Lifts a low mood. A topical ally for cold sores.
Skullcap
Scutellaria lateriflora
Lamiaceae
Quiets tension headaches and a busy nervous system. A fine evening herb.
Dandelion
Taraxacum officinale
Asteraceae
Leaf for the kidneys, root for the liver. The whole plant is medicine.
Yellow Dock
Rumex crispus
Polygonaceae
Liver alterative. For sluggish digestion and skin that mirrors the gut.
Burdock
Arctium lappa
Asteraceae
Deep nutritive root. Slow, steady cleansing for the lymph and skin.
Mullein
Verbascum thapsus
Scrophulariaceae
Soft ally of the lungs. Dry cough, irritated airways, lingering bronchitis.
When this becomes a sustained practice
What you have read above is how I work. The best way I know to bring it all together is The Voyage. Three months. Two sessions a month. Check-ins between.
Testimonials
“I suffered chronic pain for 7 years, seeking help from numerous specialists who offered the same advice: more pain meds and acceptance. Two sessions with Isai brought almost complete relief and a plan to tackle underlying health issues. Now, over a year later, my illness is under control, with little chronic pain.”
Marissa M
“Isai was easy to talk to and made the whole process very educational and specific to my needs. He listened to my concerns and goals and helped me make attainable changes while checking in with me weekly. Through our meetings, I learned about myself and how to incorporate Ayurvedic practices into my day-to-day life.”
Christina B
“I benefit greatly from Isai’s offerings. His knowledge of meditation and Ayurvedic lifestyle is exceptional. But beyond that, he helps you in a way that sticks with you. He is great at imparting wisdom in small bite-size chunks that you can take with you week-to-week and integrate into your life. With Isai, I finally found a teacher who makes the practice accessible!”
Cala Z
“In all the years I have been in the yoga and wellness industry, I have never met anyone like Isai Chaidez. In an industry that can be clouded with ego and attachment to aesthetic, Isai is an unbelievably refreshing gift. Consistent, kind, an incredible listener and intelligent, far beyond his years, Isai is a beautiful reminder of why the wellness industry should not only survive, but thrive.”
Anna D
“Isai is amazing! Once I made him a part of my health journey I noticed improvement. He is always happy to educate me on my health by answering my questions and I feel that really helps me stick to the plan he has laid out for me. Highly recommend!”
Andrew Y
Frequently asked questions
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- What does Arvoya mean?
- Arvoya is a play on the words "Our Voyage," honoring the idea that the journey to health is something we share. It reflects a collaborative approach to well-being and the reminder that you are not alone on this path.
- What should I expect from a session?
- Sessions run 60–90 minutes depending on where we are in the voyage. We talk about your body, your patterns, what’s shifting and what isn’t. I ask questions, listen deeply, and share observations grounded in Ayurvedic science, herbalism, and yogic wisdom. Some sessions involve hands-on practices we do together. Others are entirely conversation. The work is about awareness as much as action.
- Do I have to follow an Ayurvedic diet?
- No. Ayurveda is a way of understanding what your body is asking for right now, not a fixed set of rules. We start from where you are, what you actually eat, and what your digestion is telling us. The shifts are gradual, particular to you, and made with your life in mind.
- Do I need a yoga practice to work with you?
- No. Yoga shows up differently for each person. For someone with a strong asana background, we may go deeper into pranayama, meditation, or philosophy. For someone brand new, we might begin with five minutes of breath in the morning. The point is the practice meeting you where you are.
- Who are your teachers?
- These are some of the most influential and I hope this list will forever grow: Dr. Vasant Lad, Jiwan Shakti (Dr. Genceli), Dr. Dhaval Dhru, Dr. Kaleb Lund, Dr. Sheila Kingsbury, Dr. Eric Yarnell, Dancing Crow (Dr. Deborah Frances), Dr. Brigid Lunder, Dr. Bill Dean, Dr. Pranav Lad, Dr. Jenn Dazey, Dr. Robert Svoboda, Crystal Hamby, Keith Topar, Caitlin Gilson, Sneha Raichada, Rosemary Gladstar, Karren Abrams, Shannon Kelly, my mother, my father.