A man, who was paid to strip in front of big crowds, gave up on all the money to live in a monastery.
“I used to live a life most men dream of—fast-paced, wild, seductive. Now, I live a life rooted in service,” said the former adult entertainer turned spiritual seeker.
At the age of 22, Ashley Edelman left Australia for a new adventure, only to find himself entering the adult entertainment industry in the UK.
What began as a way to earn a living soon spiraled into a journey of self-discovery and a life-changing transformation.
A content creator spoke about his transformation from an adult entertainer to a spiritual seeker
Image credits: consciously_ash / Instagram
“When I was 22, I left Australia to travel. My parents told me to get a job in the U.K., so I found one in Cornwall in southwest England—as a str*pper,” he wrote in a piece for Newsweek.
Ashley revealed that he had joined the army in Australia at the age of 17.
He said he used to struggle with confidence and turned to alcohol to mask his social anxiety when he was young.
Image credits: consciously_ash / Instagram
When his parents asked him to find a job in the UK, he lied to them and said he was working in security when actually he was getting paid to strip.
“My secret didn’t stay hidden for long,” he said. “A photo from a show surfaced on Facebook, and my mom, who thought I was working in security, saw it. She said she was ‘not upset, just disappointed.’ That stung.”
Ashley lied to his parents when he was young and claimed he was working in security
Image credits: consciously_ash / Instagram
Eventually, his job as an adult entertainment did not “live up to what was promised.”
This pushed Ashley to start working backstage during the London shows, and that led to something “much bigger” for him.
“I became a performer for one of the U.K.’s largest touring strip shows. We had choreographed routines, group performances, and even a finale that included dancing in artificial rain on stage,” he recalled.
Image credits: consciously_ash / Instagram
One of the turning points was when his parents saw one of his shows in person and witnessed the theatricality and professionalism that went into the performance.
“It wasn’t the sleaze they feared; it was performance art. They left proud,” he said.
The influencer took up bodybuilding on the side before finally focusing on his personal development
Image credits: consciously_ash / Instagram
Meanwhile, Ashley also took up bodybuilding and got into a lifestyle of partying and using illicit substances.
“In 2018, I hit rock bottom and quit. I walked away from the adult industry and the chaos that came with it,” he said.
“When my marriage ended in 2022, I returned briefly, but something didn’t feel right,” he continued. “I felt like I was selling my soul. I don’t regret it—it served its purpose—but over time, I started pushing my own boundaries just for money.”
While at the low point, he felt his “began to shift.” He immersed himself into spirituality and personal development.
He tread down the path of spirituality and eventually found himself at the iMONASTERY in Chiang Mai, Thailand, in September 2024.
His life of partying and illicit substances finally led to a monastery in Thailand
Image credits: consciously_ash / Instagram
On his way to the monastery, he believed his time in adult entertainment was over. But his actual experience at the spiritual retreat gave him the reassurance he needed to end his decade-long career of being a decade.
For 30 days, he lived like a monk without a phone, without music, and with no distractions.
Image credits: consciously_ash / Instagram
“I woke at 4 a.m., chanted, meditated, did chores, and attended Dharma classes. I had profound spiritual experiences, including visions—or what I call ‘downloads’—that told me I was meant to move to Dubai and be a grounding presence for others,” he wrote.
A couple of days after leaving the Thai monastery, “I was told I had to vacate my home,” he said, reflecting on how everything “aligned effortlessly.”
He even stayed off of social media for six months until April, 2024.
The viral star first took up a 30-day program with no phones, music, or distractions at the iMONASTERY in Chiang Mai
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Ashley confirmed that he was ordained as a monk, according to the iMONASTERY website. Although he enjoyed the experience, he joked about struggling “with only eating twice a day.”
While talking about how he benefited from living the life of a monk, he said, “I’ve learnt a life long skill in meditation, its also given me the skills and the knowledge to share with the western world to help with the current energetic and spiritual shift that is happening.”
The fitness coach is currently based in the Middle East and continues to enjoy the benefits he reaped from the monastery.
He meditates for an hour everyday, coaches clients, hosts breath work sessions, and helps people overcome their anxiety-driven thoughts.
The former adult entertainer said he now lives in a state of “zero resistance,” feeling “calm, grounded, and self-aware” in a way he never thought was possible.
Ashley is now based in Dubai and helps clients with their own journey of personal development
Image credits: consciously_ash / Instagram
Over the last year, Ashley has been bits and pieces of his transformative journey on social media with the hope of inspiring more people.
“So many people suffer in silence. They think they’re alone,” he wrote for Newsweek. “But we all go through the same things in different ways, and transformation is possible.”
He firmly believes he is not meant to live in the Thai monastery full time but plans to return every year.
“My mission is not to serve myself, but to serve others,” he concluded. “Everything I went through—every show, every mistake, every revelation—led me here.”
Some fans praised him for sharing his journey, while others called him “an attention seeker”
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