Why We Pay: The Spiritual Physics of Money, Sacrifice & Reciprocity

When Spirituality Meets an Uncomfortable Question

In spiritual communities, conversations around money often feel awkward, defensive, or avoided altogether. There is a lingering belief that if something is sacred, divinely inspired, or spiritually transmitted, it should not involve money at all. Questions such as “If healing is a gift from God, why are you charging for it?” arise frequently, sometimes sincerely, sometimes accusatorily.

I understand this discomfort deeply, not as a theory, but as lived experience. For most of my life, I practiced exactly what many people idealize — service without fees, teaching without price tags, and healing without invoices. And it is precisely this long journey that has taught me why exchange matters, even in spiritual work.

My Path: Almost Three Decades of Service Without Fees (1996–2025)

I began consciously practicing energy work in 1996, offering both healing and teaching. For nearly three decades, I did not charge in the conventional sense. Instead, I asked for barter — not because I needed things, but because energy must move.

People gave what they could. Many brought clothes, dresses, handmade gifts, or small tokens of gratitude. Most of these were later donated. Some offered money, not as payment, but as respect. Whatever came my way was used only for learning and growth — buying crystals, books, or enrolling in courses that expanded my capacity to serve.

Across all these years, the total monetary value of what I received amounts to approximately ₹2 lakhs. That figure itself tells a story. I was working full-time as a Professor, financially stable, and not dependent on spiritual work for survival. Money was simply not the point.

Service was.

Choosing Time Over Income: A Conscious Turning Point

In 2020, I made a deliberate decision to retire, accepting 50% of my salary. This choice was not driven by burnout or dissatisfaction with academia, but by clarity. I wanted time — time for deeper spiritual practice, for learning, and for serving others with greater presence and responsibility.

Since retirement, I have invested heavily — financially and otherwise — in learning paths that help me hold space for others with integrity. These include Vajrayana Buddhism, multiple streams of Shamanism (from institutional, lineage-based, and tribal sources), and extensive formal training in psychology. This psychological training includes a PG Diploma, an MA, and Dialectical Behavior Therapy (DBT) training directly from its creator, Dr. Marsha M. Linehan.

Learning at this depth is not romantic. It requires money, often in dollars, and years of sustained effort. It also demands inner discipline, humility, and time — far more than most people realize.

Accessibility Without Compromise

Let me be very clear: this does not mean I believe spiritual work should be elitist or inaccessible.

At iMusingz, accessibility is a core value. We offer substantial discounts, and we have fellowships for those who genuinely cannot pay. No one is excluded because of financial limitations. Money, by itself, is not sacred. It is neutral.

What is sacred, however, is exchange.

The Missing Element: Sacrifice

A teaching that deeply resonated with me came from Shaman Jade Wah’oo Grigori, who shared wisdom passed down from his Grandfather. The elder explained that for healing to truly take root, the seeker must make a sacrifice. In ancient cultures, this sacrifice often took the form of fasting, isolation, physical discomfort, or prolonged effort. The sacrifice created a container — a readiness for spirit to enter.

We no longer live in a world where most people fast on mountains or sit alone for days seeking visions. Our lives are structured differently. Comfort is abundant. Convenience is constant.

So where does sacrifice show up now?

In the modern world, it often shows up through money.

Money as Modern-Day Spiritual Currency

Money represents condensed life energy. It is time spent working, skills developed, choices made, and security negotiated. When someone pays for a course, a mentorship, or a spiritual container, they are not merely purchasing information. They are declaring priority.

They are saying, consciously or unconsciously, “This transformation matters more than my habitual comforts.”

This might mean choosing inner work over daily coffees, impulsive spending, or convenience-driven consumption. The act of paying is not transactional in the spiritual sense. It is reciprocal.

Without reciprocity, spiritual energy stagnates. It becomes consumed rather than integrated.

Why Free Isn’t Always Sacred

Free offerings have their place, and I continue to offer them. Free meditations, reflections, and entry points keep the door open. But deep transformation requires participation, commitment, and accountability.

When someone seeks profound guidance for free while simultaneously spending freely on non-essential comforts, the issue is not money. It is alignment. Spiritual work cannot be consumed like content. It must be engaged with.

This is why structured, paid mentorships exist at iMusingz. Not to exclude, but to ensure that those who enter are ready to do the work required for real change.

The Spiritual Physics of Exchange

Money is not good or bad. It is simply energy with memory. Where we place it reveals our readiness, our values, and our willingness to transform. Used consciously, money does not corrupt spirituality. It grounds it, stabilizes it, and allows it to continue without depletion.

After nearly three decades of lived practice, I have learned this clearly:
Service without exchange leads to exhaustion.
Exchange without heart leads to exploitation.

True spiritual work exists in the balance between generosity and boundaries, devotion and responsibility. That balance is the foundation on which iMusingz stands.