In 1978 I met John Oliver Black, a yoga teacher and retired Detroit business man who was 85 years old at the time. As a result of this meeting, I became involved in spiritual pursuits, including yoga and meditation, and began taking control of my health issues. Mr. Black called himself a "self doctor." Through him and others like him, I found that researching, discovering and ultimately maintaining my own health is gratifying, do-able, and beneficial. One of the methods Mr. Black promoted was the salt water for overall health and longevity (see Homepage).

From Mr. Black I also learned the Kriya yoga technique for spiritual advancement. As a practitioner for 30 years, I can attest to the overall benefits and completely natural approach to life that the principles of yoga and meditation offer.

Read the whole story about meeting Yogacharya Oliver in the article "A Yogi for the West" by clicking on the link below.

Vocation

I’ve always had an interest in writing. I wrote quite a bit in high school and read many of the American and English authors.

When I went to the university, I majored in English. While I was a student, I began to edit the papers, theses, and dissertations of my fellows and became editor of the International Student Newsletter. During my college years I also produced, edited and wrote scripts for a National Public Radio spot called "Behind World Headlines" and one summer I worked as a copyeditor at Kalmbach publishing company.

After college, I took a position with Snap-on, Inc. as a copywriter in the Advertising Department. There I learned to create brochures, catalogs, and video presentations. Five years later, I resigned in order to venture out on my own. Since that time, I have produced corporate and industrial training materials, operating manuals and instruction booklets. I am also the author of a number of books, five of which are self-published, and four of which were published by Mason Crest Publishing. For more information about my business ventures see http://www.richardabowenwritingservices.com

Chanting

At the age of 14, I taught myself to play guitar. Since that time, I have learned many chants, hymns, songs and mantrams, which I use in devotional chanting. In leading the group, I emphasize how chanting, especially in groups, can lead to a deeper contact with Source Energy and our Divine Essence. Chants that I perform include Native American, Christian, East Indian, Tibetan, and American.