My study of eastern traditions was not merely intellectual but involved experimenting with yogic and meditational practices. I began practicing intense pranayama, mantra and meditation teachings in the summer of 1970. These mainly came from the Kriya Yoga tradition, which I contacted in several ways. I found that the techniques worked powerfully to create energy at a subtle level. 

I could feel the prana moving through the nadis, with some experiences of the chakras, and a general widening of consciousness beyond the ordinary sense of time and space. Mantra practices had a particularly powerful effect upon me. I felt that I had been some old Hindu yogi in a previous life, though in retrospect there was probably much fantasy in my approach.

Another benefit from the pranayama was that it almost eliminated the allergies that I had suffered from for years. It cleared and cleaned my nervous system. I learned that yogic practices can heal both body and mind.