Indian family friends introduced her to Indian culture at an early age and her academic career at Michigan gave an exposure to Asian arts that nudged her toward India.
Following her Bachelor's degree in Humanities, Fine Arts, Asian Studies and an M.A. in Education and Dance, Lowen arrived in India on a Fulbright scholarship in 1973 to continue Manipuri dance with Guru Singhajit Singh at Triveni Kala Sangam, New Delhi.