#84: Maya (@arsalendi)

"Instead of rebelling by staying out late, I rebelled by refusing to do an aura scan each morning."

Maya (@arsalendi) is an herbalist and scholar of beauty, nourishment, and esoterica. Her work draws from both Eastern and Western traditions, integrating herbal medicine, functional nutrition, and psycho-spiritual practices to treat the body as a deeply interconnected whole. You can learn more about her practice, and book a 1:1 session, here.

#84: Maya @arsalendi
Astrology: “Try to guess”
New York, NY/Amsterdam, NL

What does health, or being healthy, mean to you?

Ease and consistency in the little things.

Helping people with nutrition and esoterica has made me fairly non-consumerist about health. I don’t hate gadgets, supplements, or protocols. All of this can be useful; I just don’t think most people’s lives change because they one day found the perfect device or went on a luxe wellness retreat.

I am more invested in the microcosm of living and in arcane knowledge that has stood the test of time. Things as simple as walking under the sun, embracing slumber, feeding the senses and spirit…all of these are rituals and channels toward calmness. I think devotion to these little things creates the perfect substrate for vitality to sprout.

How would you describe your current lifestyle?

My life is a mix of deep research and creative indulgence. Some days I’m translating medieval medical charms and pharmacopoeias, or interviewing people about dreams and religious experiences. Other days I’m making beauty regimens or grocery lists for clients. All of this is rewarding, but also very screen-based and physically stagnating.

So, I dance. Salsa is my fixation right now. It is one of the most reliable ways I’ve found to re-enter my body and to melt away tension. A static body is a dead body, and I want to live.