Muni Natarajan - The Wisdom of a Monk Who Lived 37 Years in a Monastery
Table of Contents
Ready for another fascinating and wisdom filled episode on the Inner Picture Stories Podcast? Sure you are! In this interview, I chat with Muni Natarajan, an ex-monk who lived 37 years, yes 37 years, in a monastery.
Ever since I created this podcast and met Muni I was dying to do this episode, and now it’s finally done.
This was such a blast of an interview to do and it was fantastic to listen to the incredible story of Muni’s life, of how he went from being a professional jazz drummer at 15 years old, and living that lifestyle of being on the road, to leaving everything behind at 20 years old and joining the monastery, before finally leaving after 37 years and living a happily married live with his beautiful wife Mary Beth.

We discuss some really interesting topics in this interview including his journey to the monastery, the lessons he learned from his teachers and the wisdom he gained throughout all those years as a monk, and finally into becoming the person he is today.
It really is a fascinating discussion, with some incredible lessons along the way.

So please enjoy it and be sure to visit Muni’s website YogaWithMuni.com to find out more info about his workshops, yoga classes, books and music.
Thanks also to Muni for sending in the photos I asked from him, one as a monk, and one as he is today.
It’s quite a difference. His beard has got a little shorter, and his hair a little longer…
EP 006: Muni Natarajan – The Wisdom of a Monk Who Lived 37 Years in a Monastery

"Life is your teacher no matter what. You can't have an experience that doesn't teach you something."
- Muni Natarajan Tweet
Some of the Questions:
- How difficult was it the first few months adjusting to life in the monastery?
- If you misbehaved, what punishment would you receive?
- What struggles did you have adjusting to life outside of the monastery?
What You Will Learn from this Episode:
- What a regular day in the monastery looks like
- What is the purpose behind meditation
- The powerful effect fasting can have on you
“The deeper in you go the more unique you become.”
- Muni Natarajan Tweet
Resources Mentioned:

FOLLOW Muni Natarajan
You may also like these episodes:
- – EP 021 – How to Rewire Your Brain to Be Happy | Dr. Rick Hanson, Ph.D. | The Science of Happiness
- – EP 003 – Unleashing Creativity With Award-Winning Author – Debra Moffitt
- – EP 002 – Bruce Langford: Taking Control over The Mind and Living in The Moment
Question about this episode: What piece of wisdom or insight did you like the most in the interview?
I have been googling and found this.
Thanks Muni, for sharing your monastic experience in Kauai Monastery…. Inspiring
Hey Muthu, hope you are doing well. Great to hear the interview was of value to you. Muni is such a fascinating person with quite an incredible story. Hope you can find some more value and wisdom here at Inner Picture Stories :).