In November 1966, Govinda dasi was in her senior year as an art student at the University of Texas at Austin when she and her soon-to-be husband went to San Francisco in search of a spiritual teacher. In January 1967, they met His Divine Grace A.C. Bhaktivedanta Swami Prabhupada, Founder-Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness, in a newly opened storefront temple in the Haight-Ashbury district. They immediately recognized in him a towering intellect, a purity of purpose, and a sweet- ness of demeanor that was impossible to resist. Govinda dasi recalls feeling that "This was the center of the uni- verse. We had come home." They soon became initiated disciples and were married by the Swami.

From 1967 to 1969, Govinda dasi and her husband, Goursundar dasa, personally served and traveled with Srila Prabhupada, as he came to be known. Govinda dasi had the unique opportunity to be the only female disciple to serve as Srila Prabhupada's secretary and assistant. For almost a year and a half she cleaned his rooms, prepared his meals, read aloud his mail to him, took dictation, typed his letters, did his laundry, and walked him to the temple, where he gave lectures. Her husband served alongside her, taking Srila Prabhupada for his morning walks, giving him daily massage, debating philosophical points, and also studying and transliterating Sanskrit and Bengali text to assist in the publication of Srila Prabhupada's books. Govinda dasi's artistic talents were also employed to illustrate one of Srila Prabhupada's first books, Teachings of Lord Chaitanya, the Prablada slide show and children's book, and several Back to Godhead magazine covers.

In 1969, Srila Prabhupada sent the couple to open temples in Hawaii. He made many visits to the Islands, which he named "New Navadwip."

Govinda dasi is also the author and illustrator of numerous children's coloring books, including Gopal, Nimai, Jagannatha, Krishna, and Damodar. She resides in Louisiana and travels widely to speak about her time in the association of Srila Prabhupada in the early days, which she considers to be "the best years of my life."