The aim of this pilot study was to design a protocol that can investigate whether Sudarshan Kriya and related practices (SK&P) can lead to increased feelings of wellness in healthy volunteers. Participants were recruited in a small university city in Sweden and were instructed in a 6-day intensive programme of SK&P which they practised daily for 6 weeks. The control group was instructed to relax in an armchair each day during the same period. Subjects included a total of 103 adults, 55 in the intervention (SK&P) group and 48 in the control group. Various instruments were administered before and after the intervention. Hospital Anxiety Depression Scale measured the degree of anxiety and depression, Life Orientation Test measured dispositional optimism, Stress and Energy Test measured individual’s energy and stress experiences. Experienced Deviation from Normal State measured the experience of altered state of consciousness. There were no safety issues. Compliance was high (only one dropout in the SK&P group, and five in the control group). Outcome measures appeared to be appropriate for assessing the differences between the groups. Subjective reports generally correlated with the findings from the instruments. The data suggest that participants in the SK&P group, but not the control group, lowered their degree of anxiety, depression and stress, and also increased their degree of optimism. The participants in the yoga group experienced the practices as a positive event that induced beneficial effects.