A Lineage of Wisdom

About This Work:

Minerva Arias PhDc
Iya Oyaladé

Mother. Priestess. Griot.

All my life, I have been an empathic revolutionary spirit. Born and raised in “the Heights” in NYC to a Puerto Rican mother and a Dominican father, the crack era politicized me before I even understood the word “politics.” I am passionate about guiding my people to reconnect with their innate healing capabilities, to recognize joy, laughter, and love as forms of resistance, and to deeply embrace grief and death in all their forms. I have lived many lives within this one lifetime, and each one has been a branch that brought me back to my roots, reaffirming my purpose. 

Part of that purpose is walking proudly as Iya Oyalade, and creating what is now Sagrad@—a sacred space dedicated to embracing the divinely orchestrated chaos of life and death. Through Sagrad@, I offer an integrative approach that harmonizes with the creative process of life, teaching us to live fully, in the present, and in deep connection with Spirit. This work is not mine alone. I stand in the strength and love of my ancestors and spiritual court, lifting me up and guiding me. When you and I exchange words, time, and space, you are witnessing a long lineage of strong warriors—those who knew that freedom is only achieved together, mind, body, and spirit, with Spirit and all who walk with us across realms. 

Blending Spiritual & Psychosomatic Healing

Grief is both a deeply personal and profoundly universal experience. My approach to grief counseling honors this duality by blending evidence-based psychological tools with the wisdom of ancestral, somatic, and spiritual healing traditions. With formal training in trauma and stress studies, psychology, and mind-body practices—including Ayurveda, yoga, and meditation—I guide clients through grief in a way that is both grounded and expansive. As an Oya priestess, I work with the sacred forces of transformation, helping you navigate endings with clarity and resilience while creating space for renewal. Whether you are processing personal loss, navigating the weight of collective grief, or seeking support in your work as a healer or space holder, our sessions offer a holistic approach that bridges emotional integration, nervous system regulation, and spiritual connection. Together, we will create rituals, practices, and tangible tools that empower you to move through grief with agency, grace, and deep self-trust.

Let’s Begin the Conversation.

Whether you are navigating grief in any of its forms, nearing the end of life in your physical body, holding space for others in their healing, or seeking a deeper connection to ancestral wisdom, you don’t have to do it alone. I’m here—let’s begin.

Education

  • PhD Candidate, East-West Psychology,
    California Institute for Integral Studies

  • Traumatic Stress Studies,
    Trauma Research Foundation, 2025

  • Death Doula
    INELDA, 2022

  • Ayurveda Wellness Counselor,
    Kerala Institute, 2017

  • Masters Public Administration,
    New York University, 2010

  • Bachelors in Sociology,
    St. Lawrence University, 2003

Certifications

  • Laughing Lotus 550+ hours:
    200-hour YTT
    100-hour Ayurveda
    50-hour Bhakti Yoga
    50-hour Advanced Teacher
    50-hour Hands-on & Healing
    50-hour Super Sequencing
    25-hour Restorative Yoga
    25-hour Alignment & Anatomy

  • Pre & Postnatal Yoga Training
    Bliss Baby Yoga, 2022

Published Work & Research

(2023) Ancestor and Òrìṣà Shrines as Places of Deep Research. In C. Chalquist & G. Barnwell (Eds.), Terrapsychology: Further Inquiry into Self, Place and Planet. Routlege

Doctoral Research, California Institute for Integral Studies
The study attempts to bridge the gap in the experience and voice of practices from the African diaspora with Western psychology grief and bereavement models. The research is grounded in an Indigenous paradigm informed by relational ontology, relational epistemology, and relational axiology, using a Cyclical Postcolonial Indigenous research methodology (CPIM) with postcolonial Indigenous interview methods as the tool to gather information. This qualitative study has three phases in its effort to answer the research question, “How does the cyclical worldview of Ifá and Lucumí practitioners and their continued connection to ancestors impact their grief and bereavement journeys?

This work is a living conversation with Spirit, ancestors, and all who walk this path.

If you feel called, I invite you to step in—let’s begin this journey together.

Schedule a Free Discovery Call

Not sure where to begin? Let’s start with a conversation. Book a free 15-minute discovery call where we’ll explore your needs, discuss my approach, and see if working together feels aligned. Whether you’re navigating grief, seeking spiritual support, or exploring deeper healing, this is an opportunity to connect and create a healing path that feels both supportive and expansive.