15 June 2023
Semyon from Sochi is 24 years old. He has been engaged in self-development since 19. He started his study of spiritual knowledge by reading books. Semyon was introduced to Kriya and Master Imram by his father. He was struck by the strength and conviction of Master, who spoke about important and difficult things in a simple and understandable manner.
Semyon shared his impressions about Kriya practice with us. He highlighted the difficulties he faced at the initial stage.
“I found it difficult at first, but not because I don’t know the exercises. It was difficult to cope with the sense of changes that Master recommended to feel in yourself. Because in Kriya practice, the focus is on the changes that appear within, and we pay attention to them at the perception level. So the mind resisted that for a while.
These techniques (or practices) are suitable for everyone, because each person, deep down in their soul, thirsts for these changes. There’s just such a wonderful friend as the mind that keeps a man from moving forward, trapping him in stability and routine. When you practice Kriya for a while, you begin to notice that your body becomes more a manifestation of energy than matter. You feel an inner light coming out of you, there is a serenity in your words, and you become more convinced and convincing for others. All these changes have a strong impact on your environment When you practice, at some point you go into a mode of practice in the world. There are exercises and then there is awareness, which you carry around in you all the time. When you bring this awareness outwards, you constantly begin to notice the changes happening around you, the smallest changes inside and outside you. You become more sensitive, more manifested as something luminous.
For guys of my generation, I can recommend that they start engaging in self-development. There is no need to go straight into some kind of spiritual practice. First, examine your body, reconsider your diet. Think about why certain changes are happening, positive or negative, well, negative in particular.
I realise that every moment of life is always a new piece of joy. You have to be brave enough, be yourself. To immerse in yourself and start a spiritual practice, not even just for yourself, but for your environment. To help your environment to remove some diseases or to avoid some problems.
Kriya practice is the tool that helps one to come to himself very simply and easily. To understand what you want, where you want to go, what you need at the moment or, on the contrary, what you don’t need to achieve that. And distinguish between the false and the real.
As for my first retreat, it was my first conscious step towards my goal.”
5 December 2025
Spirituality and success are usually seen as separate, as if they belong to entirely different worlds, even in opposition. One is perceived as an inner path, the other as an outer pursuit. One is associated with giving up, the other with gaining. Yet, this division is false, merely superficial. Living a spiritual life is in itself a proof of your success.
A person may earn millions, own cars and houses, yet still remain inwardly unawakened. Their attention is absorbed in accumulation—money, property, production—but none of it brings true happiness. One can have everything and yet lack an inner core. Misunderstanding is the root of this.
Many fail to recognise that money itself is a form of energy. When used for selfish purposes, this energy loses its power and ceases to bring joy. Instead, money becomes a burden and a source of anxiety. Such a person lives in a state of perpetual tension—gripped by the fear of loss, endlessly comparing themselves to others, pouring their energy into the struggle of safeguarding what they possess. When the mind is tense, business will reflect that tension: endless anxiety spreads to employees, the atmosphere stifles creativity, and people stay only for their wages. Such a business cannot prosper.
Spirituality does not obstruct success; it refines and elevates it. Spirituality is the acquisition of spiritual energy, the accumulation of merit. Spirituality is a state in which a person no longer lives solely for themselves but for the well-being of others. This state always reminds us: money is not the goal, but a tool. It can sustain families, communities, and the world. With this understanding, business ceases to be a battlefield and becomes a path of service. When actions rest on care, integrity, and respect for people, the energy of money flows freely and effortlessly. Such success brings joy rather than exhaustion to the businessman, and unites the team in a lofty vision inspired by noble aims.
The word “righteousness” may sound like a religious term, yet in truth it is a very simple concept. It resolves into a choice: to help and to create, or to obstruct and to destroy. It aligns with the principles: do not steal, do not cause harm, and create conditions in which the people around you can grow and develop.
The word “righteousness” may sound like a religious term, yet in truth it is a very simple concept. It resolves into a choice: to help and to create, or to obstruct and to destroy. It aligns with the principles: do not steal, do not cause harm, and create conditions in which the people around you can grow and develop.
Such business becomes a form of spiritual practice. This is the essence of karma yoga—where one not only expresses oneself through their actions, but also serves the world. Righteousness reveals itself in daily actions: in the integrity of agreements, the respect shown to staff, and the transparency of decisions. When a person lives by these principles, they may not even need to perform specific or intense spiritual practices. They selflessly dedicate themselves in service of others.
Financial growth never occurs by accident. Opportunities appear when a person is ready to embrace them. This readiness is shaped not only by effort and labour, but also by one’s inner state. If greed, fear of loss, or desperate attachment dominate, the flow is blocked. It is as though one grips a coin tightly in the fist while asking for more. But how can more be placed in a closed hand? To grasp the greater, one must have the courage to release the lesser.
This does not mean reckless giving away, but the ability to let go, to remain open, to trust. When energy and attention no longer circle endlessly around one’s selfish interests, space is created for something new.
Attachment to money is the swiftest path to ruin. There are well-known cases of wealthy businesspeople who, upon losing only part of their fortune, ended their own lives. Such tragedies happen to those who lack an inner core. Money, once a creative force, turns into a drug. But spirituality teaches us to possess without attachment. There is nothing wrong with having a beautiful home, fine clothes, or a car. The problem does not lie in the things themselves, but in one’s attachment to them. True freedom is the ability to enjoy the blessings of the world while remaining inwardly unbound.
Every stage of financial growth carries responsibility. The more opportunities appear, the more careful one must be in their use. The universe not only provides resources, but also observes how they are employed. If the energy of money is channelled into destruction, it vanishes; if channelled into creation, it returns many times over.
Generosity and openness create a living flow of money. From this flow arise new opportunities, new ideas, new partnerships. Financial growth is not merely the fruit of toil. It is also a reflection of one’s inner state and one’s capacity to handle energy wisely—the energy that manifests as money.
When inner practice is combined with righteous action for the benefit of the world, business ceases to be a frantic race for success. It becomes a creative expression. Money then truly works as energy, fostering growth and joy.
In this union of spirit and matter, genuine success is born.
Imram
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