20 May 2023
Aleksei, Olga and their four children regularly attend Imram Kriya Retreats.
A couple shares how Kriya Yoga helps in raising children.
Aleksei: “Kriya Yoga is very helpful in bringing up children. We embrace it as a way of life. We can’t even picture life differently, without Kriya Yoga. There is awareness, there is acceptance. Every day with children is exciting and new in its own way. Awareness really helps us to raise the children, to guide them. Modern world offers lots of different areas to immerse, and children need to be taught something. In what direction should they be guided? What to teach them? Yoga helps us make that choice.
Olga: “The biggest change we have had is our daily routine. We started going to bed earlier and getting up earlier. For example, our eldest child gets up at 5am. She doesn’t do her homework in the evening, instead she gets up at 5am to complete it. Our diet has consequently changed. We eat cleaner, tastier and better food.
At the Retreat, the whole family gets transformed. We have all come together, and we are all transforming together. They have a great community here. Our kids here would do anything, on any terms, just to go to Sochi or to a Retreat anywhere else to meet friends, to meet their crowd. I mean, we don’t see the older children, only the younger ones, they are with us. They have all sorts of things to do, they come up with new ones, and they’re having a great time. Kind children come here. I don’t know how to put it any other way: they are different, they are open, joyful.”
Aleksei and Olga: “Our personal advice is to attend the Retreat. You won’t regret it. We truly believe you shouldn’t waste time and let this opportunity slip through your fingers. Use every moment, every chance you have, to talk to Master, to connect with like-minded people. It’s really quite awesome and very empowering.”
10 March 2025
In yoga, there exists a concept known as brahmacharya. It is regarded as a pivotal milestone on the spiritual path, essential for further progress. In its broader sense, brahmacharya represents the art of self-discipline, the ability to control one’s desires. More specifically, it pertains to celibacy and a commitment to a chaste life.
From the perspective of yoga of the high path, brahmacharya is not merely the act of abstaining from desire. Rather, it involves perceiving all social interactions and any attachments through the lens of spiritual transformation. This means resisting them internally—in thought, emotion, and action. A brahmachari is someone who does not yield to their desires—not only sexual ones, but all other forms of desire as well.
To illustrate this further, consider monasticism that is often misunderstood as a withdrawal from the world. But authentic monasticism is about inner discipline: this is a retreat not just from the external world, but also from internal attachments, all while remaining present in the world through service.
Brahmacharya entails mastery over the mind and emotions. It involves the conscious control of energy—including physical and creative (or sexual) energy—ensuring it is not squandered. This process is deeply personal. True brahmacharya means using all forms of energy with detachment, without falling under their influence. This is the deeper meaning of brahmacharya.
Many, however, misunderstand it as the repression of sexual energy, rather than its transformation—a mistake that can lead to health issues. That is why, in Kriya Yoga, this principle is approached with greater awareness. Brahmacharya is not a rigid prohibition against sexual relations. Rather, it requires knowledge—an understanding of how to express this energy harmoniously and righteously. If one is unable to transform this energy, it is wiser to embrace family life to avoid falling victim to it. Ideally, one should have a single partner, and the relationship should be rooted in love, with a certain degree of restraint and moderation—but not suppression.
Sexual energy is coarse in nature. Its primary function is procreation and the reinforcement of the ego. It’s an essential part of our existence. However, for those seeking to transcend the ego, this energy must be refined through specific techniques, such as those taught in Kriya Yoga. Kriya-kundalini-pranayama helps transmute this coarse energy into light accessible to higher centres.
Muladhara and Svadhisthana—the lower energy centres that operate at denser frequencies—are the domains where sexual energy resides and is experienced. The consciousness remains tethered to these centres. Yet, through transformative practices, we can elevate this energy through special channels, refining our consciousness in the process. This transformation is what turns sexual energy into creative and transcendent power.
Once this energy enters the body, it is first made coarse by our consciousness, and then, through inner work, it is purified again. This mirrors a natural cycle unfolding within our inner microcosm, governed by universal laws. The knowledge of how to do this is traditionally passed from teacher to disciple.
The transformation of sexual energy is essential not only for those who live in celibacy, but especially for those who live within the bonds of family life. It swiftly elevates people to a higher level of being. This transformation brings strength. Energy is often wasted through mental activities, egotistical behaviour, and unrestrained sensuality. Time and again, we come here through the cycles of birth and death to learn how to master these laws.
If you wish to extend your life and imbue it with creativity, the key lies in transforming sexual energy into a higher power.
Across the many religions, traditions, and spiritual paths—if we were to separate them—the theme of sexual energy transformation appears in various forms.You can explore it through tantric techniques, the “Tao of Love” approach, qigong, or certain schools of Buddhism—the choice is yours. In Kriya Yoga, Kriya pranayama practices help us channel sexual energy to the higher centres and elevate it. This is how this technique works.
Imram
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Controlling sexual energy
