by MSS Nirvair Singh Khalsa, Santa Rosa, California
2025 (First Quarter)
What is Shuniya? Here are few quotations from Yogi Bhajan.
“In science of yoga it is called pratyahar or it is the science of shuniya or best word in English is the science of zero.
Science of zero is anything which multiple zero becomes zero. When you know zero then there is nothing else to know. You know everything else and if zero is put on the right side is a plus. If zero is put on the left side it is minus but the power of zero is that neutral self through which the intuition can guide and you can learn to be you. Once you are you. Your every thought is valuable. Your existence will be pliable the entire nature will help you.” 11/15/94
“You have not dived deep into the vastness of your own infinity within the realms of your existence which is yourself. You have not learnt to make your mind your mind, your mind has made you his mind. Mind is yours, pratyahar. Pratyahar is when you can direct the mind to be zero. Write down once for all what is Pratyahar. When you can demand your mind to be zero and mind becomes zero.
Mental scale of life is based on one fundamental law-One who cannot put his mental scale at zero, he doesn’t know any figure in his life. Pratyahar is the most important beloved thing given to the human science. It is a cure of everything. Mental, physical, spiritual and beyond spirit. Mind is playing, it is playing, it is playing, it is playing a game. And I the ego says shut up and mind shuts up right there, that’s it, you have found everything. Because until you don’t bring the mental scale of thought to zero.” 9/30/74
“So the first principle of a teacher is, I am not. If you cannot practice shuniya, you cannot be a teacher of Kundalini Yoga. Shuniya means zero, moment you become zero, then all powers will prevail through you, it’s a bargain, it’s not something I cheat and you cheat and I am telling and you are listening or we are having or we are losing, no. But power of a teacher of a Kundalini Yoga is in his zero, in his shuniya, shuniya means you become zero, you reduce everything to nothing. I am nothing, everything is nothing, there is nothing to be nothing. Moment you become that, then everything spreads from you.” 7/23/96
Practicing Shuniya
I think the misconception about Shuniya is that you need to be an expert meditator to experience it. It just takes practice. With practice, it becomes more a state of being than something you do. I have a few practical suggestions for helping yourself to feel confident in the experience and integration of Shuniya; so that it becomes a smooth and easy life habit.
1.) Become friends with your Soul and your Mind by conversing with both on a daily basis. This will help you build an awareness of Self. Choose a nice quiet time, like before your day begins or at the end of the day. Just start by saying, ‘Oh my soul’ or ‘Oh my mind’ and share yourself, guide yourself, love yourself.
2.) Spend some time every day, even just a few minutes, slowing down your thoughts. Practice being in the moment by getting to a place where you sense everything in an undifferentiated way. You can do this, sitting at your desk, going for a walk in nature, waiting in a queue. Establish and practice your own routine of using the breath and your sensory system to slow down and bring yourself to a state of equilibrium.
3.) When you do sit and meditate, don’t just jump up or start planning or opening a linear thought process at the conclusion of the meditation. Just be very still physically, get to that zero point mentally, and hold it for as long as possible. Time really does not matter when you are in Shuniya. Your thoughts will eventually intrude, which is natural. Be patient with yourself; some days you can sustain it and be stable, other days, not so much. Yogi Bhajan, in different meditative kriyas, would command “have no thoughts.” You can mentally voice that command to yourself. The beauty of Kundalini Yoga meditations is that you are almost halfway there already. Your glandular and nervous system is tuned a balanced.
4.) Discover and practice, in the Yogi Bhajan Library of Teachings, the very specific meditations that Yogi Bhajan taught for experiencing Shuniya. Just search on the word “Shuniya” or “Zero” and you can see the videos where Yogi Bhajan is giving an instruction to go there as part of the meditative kriya.
ABOUT THE AUTHOR
MSS Nirvair Singh Khalsa began studying with Yogi Bhajan in 1971. He is a retired University Instructor at the University of Alaska Anchorage where he taught classes in Kundalini Yoga for 31 years. He is an author of many Kundalini Yoga books and videos, and posts content on this site. http://www.kundaliniyoga.us and You Tube. See all the videos here….Nirvair You Tube Channel
He is a KRI certified lead trainer, and has taught classes, workshops and trainings throughout the Americas, Europe and Asia. He lives with his wife of 53 years, Nirvair Kaur, in Santa Rosa California.
