Chasing Nirvana

For fans of Daniella Mestyanek Young’s Uncultured and Tara Westover’s Educated, one woman’s gripping firsthand account of falling into—and eventually escaping—a female guru–led cult as she seeks her own personal awakening.

Growing up under the sway of a Brooklyn housewife turned guru, Priya Hutner is drawn into a world shaped by bizarre rituals, spiritual promises, and oppressive beliefs. What begins as a quest for enlightenment unravels into a stifling reality as the boundaries between spiritual devotion and control blur—and as Priya becomes an integral part of the ashram community, sharing the guru’s teachings, she becomes further entangled in a web of spiritual control and manipulation.

In this deeply personal memoir, Priya shares her struggle to break free from her guru and the cult-like grip to which she falls prey. Priya’s traumatic escape from the community marks a profound turning point as she regains personal power, rediscovers herself, and achieves true liberation in the process. 

A spiritual adventure story and a cautionary tale, Chasing Nirvana is a story of love, heartbreak, and redemption that offers a powerful reflection on the perils of blind faith and the beauty of reclaiming one’s life on one’s own terms. Priya’s story is a testament to the human spirit’s capacity for resilience, self-discovery, and freedom from the bondage of belief.

About the Author :
Priya Hutner is a writer, teacher, and cofounder of the Tahoe Literary Festival. The owner of The Seasoned Sage catering company and the arts and culture editor for The Tahoe Guide, her writing has been featured in The Tahoe Guide, Moonshine Ink, and Muse Magazine. She also facilitates writing, breath meditation, and self-discovery workshops. When she is not writing, cooking, or teaching, Priya enjoys skiing, hiking, and biking in the Sierra Nevada. She lives in Truckee, California. Follow her at priyahutner.com and on Instagram @priyahutner.

Review :
“Priya is one of the most courageous people I know—the journey of a real seeker isn’t for the faint of heart. As Priya makes clear in her story, you have to have courage to go beyond the mundane comfort of the familiar, on a road that leads to places you’ve never been. She went there her way, and that’s what makes her journey an inspiration to others.”—Arlo Guthrie, musician and American singer-songwriter

“Bold and beautifully told, Chasing Nirvana beckons us inside an incense-filled ashram, to sit at the feet of “Ma”—a diet-obsessed guru in red plaid flannel shorts and gold bangles who is both evangelical pastor and charismatic MLM leader. After decades of sacrifice and secrets, Priya Hutner’s memoir tells tough truths about the ritual de lo habitual of life in a cult. Realizing Ma’s insatiable appetite for devotion is starving those around her of their own happiness, Priya finally chooses herself and chases her own Nirvana.”—Bridey Thelen-Heidel, author of Bright Eyes: Surviving Our Monsters and Learning to Live without Them—A Memoir

“In this unflinching account of growing up in a religious community dominated by a complicated leader, Priya Hutner deftly dances between her genuine love for her guru and a lucid portrayal of the dangers and dysfunctions of giving one’s power away to a charismatic and unstable teacher who demands blind loyalty.”—Mirabai Starr, author of Caravan of No Despair and Ordinary Mysticism

“Hutner reveals a depth of introspection rarely shared. In doing so, she eloquently presents a spiritual architecture for interdependence and reciprocation with the world.”—Obi Kaufmann, author of the California Field Atlas