Maitreya Larios was introduced to the Siddha Yoga path in 1989 by a family friend who invited him and his mother to attend a Siddha Yoga satsang in Cuernavaca, Mexico. In September 1990, Maitreya participated in his first Siddha Yoga Shaktipat Intensive in Mexico City. During summers from 1996 to 1998, he served on staff at Shree Muktananda Ashram. Currently, he offers seva as a writer and scholar.

Maitreya earned a PhD in classical Indology from Heidelberg University, Germany. He is a professor at the University of Vienna, where he heads the Modern South Asian Studies section. Maitreya resides in Vienna, Austria, with his wife and their young son and daughter.