 Lenz wrote he first went into samadhi, or a state of spiritual absorption, at the age of 19.In his books "Surfing the Himalayas" and "Snowboarding to Nirvana" he stated that traveling to sacred locations heightened his experiences in meditation.Beginning in 1972, he became a student of Hindu guru Sri Chinmoy, who gave him the name "Atmananda" meaning "one who Bliss is in the Self".