by SS Bachitar Kaur Khalsa, Engen, Germany
2025 (First Quarter)
“Shuniya” is often described as a state of neutrality, emptiness, or zero-point. Sunn, a Punjabi form of the Sanskrit Sunya, is rooted in terms meaning “to swell,” “to expand,” or “to increase.” While Shuniya can imply “zero” or “nothing,” mathematically, zero amplifies any figure by tenfold. In the context of Siri Guru Granth Sahib, Shunyia represents a primordial, formless state of pure consciousness, the unmanifested reality from which all creation arises.
Guru Nanak refers in his conversation with the Sidh Yogis to ਸੁੰਨ (Sunn or Sunn(a)) as the Absolute Reality: “When the heart and the body did not exist, O hermit, then the mind resided in the Absolute Reality” (Ang 945). Shuniya is not simply the absence of thought or emotion but a state of being fully present and unaffected by life’s dualities—joy and sorrow, success and failure, light and dark.
I envision Shuniya as an experience of meeting God—a place where the ego dissolves, and one feels unity with the Divine.
Cultivating Shuniya in my Daily Life
To calibrate my mind to the Absolute Reality, Kundalini Yoga and Meditation serve as powerful tools. Whether through an extensive Sadhana, reciting Japji, or simply remembering “Sat Naam” with each breath, these practices bring me into presence. One practice that has become deeply meditative to me is Naad Yoga and playing Dilruba. Through the Shabads, their Raags, melodies, and rhythms my mind focuses solely on the Divine Word, drawing me profoundly into connection with sound and Guru.
Maintaining Neutrality in Chaotic Times
One of my core anchors in times of chaos is the Aquarian Age Sutra, “Understand through compassion or you will misunderstand the times,” given by the Siri Singh Sahib. It reminds me to stand under (understand), brings clarity and allows me to enter a more conscious relationship with the Divine. Also simple phrases like “Let go and let God” or “Do your best and let God do the rest” and the remembrance that everything is Hukum, guide me back from my head into my quiet heart. When I face uncertainty, anxiety and doubt, prayer and sitting with Guru remind me of the Divine Presence guiding me and I relax into God. Another great way for me to maintain neutrality is through Seva which helps me zoom out and step beyond my personal challenges by focusing on others with humility and presence.
Qualities that Support Shuniya
Cultivating Shuniya requires intention, discipline, commitment, and surrender. At its essence, it is about having the courage to live in the heart and awaken to love. Forgiveness is a vital practice—letting go of grudges against yourself, others, and God. A strong, compassionate heart is crucial, one that is not hardened by the world but strengthened by trust, love and compassion, with the capacity to hold and carry it all.
Challenges on the Path
The path to Shuniya is challenging in the face of Maya, the great seductionist. Maya is very good at letting us relate horizontally out into the world instead of vertically aligned with spirit and hence distorts our perception of reality. The untrained mind’s natural tendency is to label, categorize, and react. The constant stimuli of modern life can make it difficult to find stillness, and moments of stillness may initially feel uncomfortable or unproductive. Fear of emptiness or missing out (FOMO) can also act as obstacles, as letting go of attachments and ego-driven narratives can feel like losing one’s identity. In my experience, a significant challenge on the path to Shuniya is our mind—when trained it becomes our most powerful ally; when untrained our greatest adversary. Another obstacle is our forgetfulness of Divine Presence being everywhere, including within ourselves.
As Kabir reminds us “The one whom I search for is already in me, I am searching outside for that which is already inside” The journey to Shuniya calls us inward, to stillness, where we meet everything—the Divine. Shuniya is not only worth pursuing–it is the fulfillment of our deepest longing. The more we reduce ourselves to zero, the more we expand and become who we truly are.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
SS Bachitar Kaur Khalsa is a Kundalini Yoga trainer and Karam Kriya consultant, teaching internationally and serving as a lead trainer with the Aquarian Trainer Academy. She co-founded the international yoga school Cherdi Kala and developed the Divine Woman Program. She also founded Yoga House Prasaad near Lake Constance in South Germany, where she lives with her family enjoying nature, community building, and finding ways to bring Kundalini Yoga off the mat into everyday life as practical tools beyond the yoga room. Passionate about cultivating balance and joy in all aspects of life, she loves, studying music, dance, and traveling.
