1980: At age 20, Sharon, now going by her guru-given Sanskrit name Kumuda - which means the night lotus that opens up to the rays of the moon, and also one who gladdens the earth - moved into the Siddha Yoga Meditation monastic ashram in upstate New York, and stayed for ten years.

1981: Received a powerful initiation from Swami Muktananda, just one year before he left this world.

1980-1989: Kumuda lived a monastic life, while producing, scripting, and editing hundreds of videos about spiritual life that were viewed in the hundreds of meditation centers and ashrams of Muktananda and his successor, Gurumayi Chidvilasananda.

During this time, she studied powerful spiritual scriptures from all traditions, and personally experienced many of these teachings while performing hours of chanting, meditation, service, yoga, and other dedicated practices every day.