Chasing Nirvana: From Ashram to Author

About This Episode

Priya Hutner grew up inside a spiritual ashram led by a charismatic guru from Brooklyn. She spent two decades in the community — meditating, cooking, rising through the ranks to become its CEO — before an awakening led her to walk away from everything she knew. She joins Mike to talk about her memoir, Chasing Nirvana, which traces her journey from devoted follower to independent woman rebuilding her life in Lake Tahoe.

Their conversation covers ashram life, the pain of leaving a belief system, the role of plant medicine in healing, and why writing is one of the most powerful tools we have for making sense of who we are.

Key Takeaways

1. Leaving a belief system is like a divorce. Priya describes her departure from the ashram as a series of heartbreaking separations — from the community, the teaching, and the identity she'd built over 20 years.
2. Reinvention takes time. It took Priya about four years after leaving to feel whole again. Healing isn't instant — it involves therapy, self-discovery, and a willingness to start over.
3. Writing is therapeutic. Putting pain on the page helps us process experiences we don't know what to do with. Stream-of-consciousness writing can unlock things our conscious mind won't touch.
4. Plant medicine played a role in healing. Ayahuasca journeys helped Priya excavate experiences she couldn't access through traditional means — though she emphasizes the importance of doing it with a trusted guide.
5. A memoir can read like a novel. Priya wanted Chasing Nirvana to be fun, harrowing, and deeply human — and early readers are confirming it hits all three.
6. Community finds you when you share your story. Since the book's release, people from her former community and beyond have reached out, creating new connections and friendships.
7. You wouldn't be who you are without the hard stuff. Despite the pain, Priya credits her years of meditation, practice, and even the trauma with shaping the person she is today.