Gurumayi was born on December 13, 1977, in Winchester, Virginia, and spent most of her childhood in northern New Jersey. From an early age, she felt “out of place,” as if she didn’t quite belong anywhere, and was drawn to seek something she sensed she needed to find.

While in middle school, a history lesson on the Salem witch trials sparked her curiosity. Eager to learn more, she spent hours in the public library, immersing herself in every book she could find on the subject. This early fascination marked the first step on her journey into pagan practice, setting her on a path of exploration and discovery. During her youth, she was also exposed to traditional Judaism, learned some Jewish prayers, attended church with her family, and participated in her church’s youth group, though she didn’t feel “connected” to the tradition and sensed there was still something more to discover.

She was always physically active and excelled in several sports, particularly diving, softball, and swimming. From childhood, she was a competitive diver and coached her own diving team, winning many gold medals along the way. Yet for her, the most meaningful aspect was the special moments she experienced while diving—moments she now recognizes as meditative states.

She also had a deep love for creating and designing clothes. When she was young, her mom would sew her dresses, and she would pick out the fabric and describe exactly what she wanted them to look like. That early attraction eventually led her to study Fashion Design at Centenary University in New Jersey, where she earned a Bachelor of Science with a major in Fashion Design. While studying, she was involved in mentoring first-year students and participated in the university’s humanitarian projects. In everything she did—whether in her studies, social contributions, or sports—she was consistently recognized and appreciated for giving her very best. She has always felt, and still feels today, that she must give everything she has to every service she undertakes.

From her first meeting with Prabhuji on September 4, 2009, an intimate certainty took root within her: Prabhuji was her Master. That conviction became clearer during the retreat through a decisive experience remembered vividly in her own words: “After the second day at the retreat, I remember it so clearly. Prabhuji was giving a Satsang. He said something, and I thought, ‘Oh my God!’ He had just answered so many questions I had in my head. Then I thought, “I’m going to stay here and live with Prabhuji. I finally found what I was searching for.”

From that moment on, Gurumayi undertook an intense sādhana under Prabhuji’s personal guidance. She systematically studied every aspect of the Retroprogressive path until, in December and January 2025, her awakening finally occurred. Gurumayi received all her titles directly from Prabhuji, including that of Avadhuta. Officially, her full name is Her Divine Grace Avadhutika Bhaktivedanta Yogacharya Srimati Lilananda Mataji Maharani, known among Prabhuji’s disciples as Gurumayi. She is recognized as a fully enlightened Master whose presence radiates serene and constant joy. Devotion manifests in her as an unbroken purity: a transparent love for her Master and for God, without calculation or any trace of possessiveness. Sanctity appears not as a solemn pose, but as living simplicity—a humility that does not display itself and a strength that does not wound.

Her gaze welcomes without intruding. Her silence guides without imposing; her words comfort and bring light. Compassion is expressed in small yet decisive acts, able to relieve without humiliating and to support without binding. Wherever she goes, the heart finds calm, as if the world were to remember, for an instant, its own capacity for goodness. In her, surrender and lucidity walk together, and joy becomes a testimony—not a passing emotion, but a form of truth.