This guided kirtan meditation teaches a three-stage progression for connecting with the divine through breath awareness and the shabad (sacred sound/mantra). Practitioners learn to anchor awareness in the breath while repeating the mantra, shift from outer to inner vocalization, turn attention inward to interrupt the mind's outward search, and finally release expectation itself. The teaching integrates practical barriers (mind wandering, distraction, expectation) with Sikh metaphysical concepts including the guru as sound and the retraining of consciousness toward its source.
Whatdoesitmeanto"findGodwithyourbreath"?
The meditation opens with a simple principle: breath as a constant, unfailing presence. Every moment, the body receives breath without asking for it or controlling it—a gift given continuously. The first stage of the practice asks the meditator to become aware of this breath and use it as an anchor for awareness. Rather than searching outward for a distant divine presence, the practice begins by noticing what is already present, already given.
The mantra—Saas Saas Simro Gobind (with every breath, remember God)—synchronizes vocal repetition with this natural rhythm. The instruction is not to force or manipulate the breath, but to notice its ongoing movement and keep awareness connected to it. This grounds the mind in the present moment, the only place the divine can actually be experienced. As the teacher explains, the mind habitually searches outward, looking for something to hold on to because "it has gone out to look for happiness." The breath practice redirects that search inward, toward what is already here.
Whatarethefirstbarriersinmeditationpractice?
The teaching identifies three principal obstacles that arise in sequence. The first emerges immediately: the mind starts to wander and question. When the meditator tries to focus on the breath, the mind interposes thoughts: "Why am I doing this? Is this right? Is this wrong?" Rather than suppress these thoughts or answer them, the practice asks for simple awareness. The key insight is recognizing that mind-chatter is what the mind does all the time—not a failure of meditation, but a normal pattern now made visible.
This first barrier requires a shift in relationship to thinking. Instead of fighting the mind or trying to silence it, the meditator becomes aware that thinking is happening. That awareness itself—the recognition that the mind is doing something—is the beginning of freedom from it. The practice continues to anchor in the breath and outer repetition of the mantra while this recognition is developing.
Howdoesinnervocalizationdeepenthemeditation?
Once the meditator stabilizes attention through outer chanting and breath awareness, the second stage introduces inner vocalization. The teacher explains that when first meditating, most practitioners notice they have "two voices": the voice from the mouth and the voice in the mind. At first, these are separate—the outer voice is audible and controlled, while the inner voice is unclear or absent.
The practice asks the meditator to sing with both voices simultaneously, listening intently to both the outer sound and the inner vibration. The shabad used—Man Antar Kee Utrai Chit (may the Divine settle into my inner being)—itself describes this inward descent of attention. As inner vocalization strengthens and becomes synchronized with outer sound, the meditator begins to hear the vibrational quality of the mantra rather than just its syllables. This auditory absorption creates a more stable, internalized state of focus.
Whydoesthemindwanttolookoutwardduringmeditation?
In the second stage proper, a new obstacle surfaces: even as the meditator brings attention inward through breath and sound, the mind still tries to go outward, still seeks something external to grasp. The teaching explains this is because the mind has been conditioned to find happiness outside itself—in objects, experiences, relationships, achievements. When the meditator sits to meditate, that same search impulse continues, now looking for spiritual experiences or visions of the divine.
The instruction is to turn the mind around: instead of allowing it to search externally, ask it to search inward. "Don't keep looking for something on the outside," the teacher advises. "Look for it with you." This is not suppression of the outward impulse but a redirection. The mantra Wahe Guru (Wonderful God/Infinite Teacher) becomes the vehicle for this turning inward. As the mind repeats and listens to this name internally, it gradually accepts that it is not waiting to encounter God as a separate other, but recognizing what is already present within.
Whatroledoesexpectationplayinmeditationobstacles?
The third stage addresses the deepest barrier: expectation itself. By this point, the meditator has quieted the constant mind-chatter, brought attention inward, and is experiencing genuine meditative states. But now another subtle pattern emerges: the expectation of further spiritual experience. The meditator thinks, "Where is my vision? When will I feel the divine presence? Why hasn't enlightenment come yet?"
The teaching clarifies that expectation is itself a wave of desire—a movement of the mind away from what is, reaching toward what should be or might come. The mantra Aas Anit Tyaag Tarang (Let go of desire, this wave is temporary) directly addresses this. The word tarang means wave, and the instruction is to recognize each wave of expectation—each desire, each "why hasn't this happened yet?"—as something passing, not worth following.
Enlightenment, in this framework, is not a future event to be earned through correct meditation technique. Rather, enlightenment is "sitting your desire"—releasing the movement of expectation that pulls consciousness away from its source. The shabad Man Antar Kee Utrai Chit returns here as a reminder: as the inner being (the mind, the center of identity) settles, the seeking itself falls away. This is not failure of meditation; it is the fruit of it.
The teaching references the axiom Shabad Guru, Surat Dhun Chela (The divine Word is the Guru, and the ear/attention is the disciple). This non-dual understanding positions the sacred sound itself as the teaching force. The meditator is not receiving instruction from an external teacher but learning through direct engagement with the vibration of divine names and shabads.
The guru principle is understood as sound, light, and ultimately the undivided reality itself. When the meditator practices breath awareness and mantra repetition, they are not venerating a distant deity but aligning with the principle of consciousness that is always teaching, always guiding. The inner descent the shabads describe—settling, connecting, turning inward—happens through the meditator's own recognition, triggered by repetition and listening.
Howdothesethreestagesbuildononeanother?
Stage One establishes the foundation: breath awareness and outer chanting anchor the mind in the present and begin to quiet the constant commentary. The meditator recognizes the mind's habit patterns without judgment.
Stage Two internalizes this focus: inner vocalization strengthens, the outward impulse of the mind is gently redirected toward internal search, and the meditator begins to experience sustained attention on the inner sound and presence. The distinction between outer and inner collapses as listening deepens.
Stage Three dissolves even the seeker: expectation—the subtle belief that something other than what is present must happen—is recognized and released. The meditator ceases to wait for enlightenment and discovers that waiting itself was the barrier. The mantra becomes not a technique but an expression of what is already true.
Each stage removes a layer of the mind's interference. The breath is always present; the mantra is always vibrating; the divine presence is never absent. What changes is not reality but the meditator's orientation to it, from outward searching, to inward listening, to simple recognition of what was never lost.
Wheretogofromhere
This guided meditation is designed to be practiced directly, ideally with sustained repetition over weeks and months. The shabads used—Saas Saas Simro Gobind, Man Antar Kee Utrai Chit, Aas Anit Tyaag Tarang, Wahe Guru—are traditional Sikh mantras whose power is both in their meaning and in their vibrational quality when chanted or heard. Consistent practice allows the meditator to move naturally through the stages as attention stabilizes and subtler layers of mental activity become visible.
For further engagement with Sikh meditation and mantra practices, explore the full video, which includes extended kirtan (call-and-response chanting) performed by Satpal Singh and Hajara Singh. The live recording captures the group energy of the Sikh Family Camp setting, which many practitioners find supportive for deepening practice. The Nanak Naam platform offers additional teachings on mantra-mindfulness and Sikh non-dual spirituality, as well as opportunities to learn directly from teachers practicing this lineage.
Nanak Naam is a UK charity, founded by SathPaal Singh in 2013, sharing Guru Nanak's teachings of Oneness through meditation, mindfulness, free courses, videos and music.
Begin by simply noticing your natural breath without forcing or controlling it. As you inhale and exhale, gently repeat the mantra silently or aloud—for example, 'Saas Saas Simro Gobind' with each breath. The mantra follows the breath's rhythm, not the other way around. Keep your awareness on both the breath sensation and the sound of the words, allowing them to move together.
Mind wandering is not a failure—it's the mind's natural habit made visible. When you notice your mind has drifted, simply become aware that thinking is happening. Don't try to answer the mind's questions or suppress the thoughts. Return your attention to the breath and mantra. This cycle of noticing distraction and returning is the practice itself.
The outer voice is the sound you produce audibly with your mouth. The inner voice is the mantra repeating in your mind. Initially these feel separate, but through sustained practice, they synchronize and eventually merge into a unified internal listening experience where you hear the vibrational quality of the mantra as one integrated sound.
Expectation is a subtle form of desire—a reaching toward a future state of enlightenment or divine experience. It pulls your consciousness away from what is present now. Releasing expectation doesn't mean losing intention to practice; it means accepting whatever arises without waiting for something else, which paradoxically allows deeper states to emerge.
Shabd Guru means the divine Word is the Teacher. Rather than seeking guidance from an external source, the sacred sound and mantra itself teach through direct resonance with your awareness. Your ear and attention become the disciple, learning through listening and repetition. The guru principle is the consciousness expressing itself through vibration.
Benefits can be noticed within days of consistent practice, though deeper transformation develops over weeks and months. Regular daily practice, even 15-20 minutes, is more effective than occasional long sessions. The shabads are designed to work cumulatively, with their vibration gradually settling deeper layers of the mind and returning awareness to its source.
Yes. While rooted in Sikh tradition, the practice of mantra-based breath meditation and inner sound is universal. The shabads work on the principle of divine sound and consciousness, not religious doctrine. The teaching emphasizes direct personal experience of spiritual bliss rather than belief systems, making it accessible to sincere practitioners from any background.
