This guided kirtan meditation centers on the mantra Saas Saas Simro Gobind, a practice designed to anchor consciousness in Divine awareness with each breath. Led by Satpal Singh with vocals by Bhai Hajara Singh, the meditation creates space for practitioners to release ego-attachment and access inner peace through the rhythmic repetition of sacred sound. The practice bridges Sikh spiritual tradition with contemporary meditation techniques, offering a structure for letting go and reconnecting with one's essential nature.
What is the Saas Saas Simro mantra and how does it work?
The mantra Saas Saas Simro Gobind translates to "with every breath, remember God." The phrase breaks into two layers: "Saas Saas" references the natural breath cycle—inhale and exhale—while "Simro" means to remember or invoke, and "Gobind" (or Govind) refers to God or Divine consciousness. This mantra is not abstract philosophy but a direct instruction tied to somatic experience. Rather than asking practitioners to believe something intellectually, the practice anchors spiritual remembrance in the breath itself, the most fundamental and continuous rhythm of life.
The mechanics work through a process called naam simran or name remembrance in Sikh tradition. By repeating the mantra with intention while observing the breath, practitioners create a feedback loop: each inhalation and exhalation becomes a cue to return attention to Divine presence. Over time, this repetition rewires neural pathways associated with mind-wandering and stress response, redirecting the nervous system toward a state of calm awareness. The kirtan format—melodic, emotionally resonant vocal performance—amplifies this effect by engaging not just the rational mind but the heart and emotional body.
How does kirtan differ from other forms of meditation?
Kirtan is congregational sacred singing or chanting, typically accompanied by instrumental music. Unlike silent meditation, which asks practitioners to observe thoughts without engagement, kirtan invites active participation through vocalization and listening. The Satpal Singh and Bhai Hajara Singh recording creates an immersive sonic environment where the practitioner is held within layers of melody and rhythm.
This format serves several functions. First, the human voice carries intention and emotion in ways that silent practice alone may not reach—the vulnerability and devotion in the singer's tone create resonance in the listener's emotional field. Second, the call-and-response structure common in kirtan (though the exact format here is guided meditation) gives the mind a focal point without the strain of forced concentration. Third, the rhythmic patterns in music engage the right hemisphere of the brain—the intuitive, non-linear side—while breath coordination with melody deepens the parasympathetic nervous system activation.
What is the role of letting go in this practice?
The guided meditation explicitly invites practitioners to "let go of yourself." This phrasing points to a specific spiritual mechanism: the temporary dissolution of ego-identification or the small-self sense of "I" that usually dominates awareness. In contemporary psychology, this might be called a shift in perspective or momentary self-transcendence. In contemplative traditions, this is understood as temporary ego death or fana (in Sufi language) or manata (ego dissolution in Sikh teaching).
The practice facilitates this through several means:
- Rhythm and melody override habitual thought patterns: When the mind is absorbed in a beautiful, repetitive sonic structure, its default mode network—the brain region responsible for self-referential thinking—quiets naturally.
- Mantra as an object of attention: Rather than trying to empty the mind (which often increases frustration), practitioners are given something to hold: the mantra and the breath. This paradoxically creates more space, because focused attention on one object leaves less room for anxious or obsessive thoughts.
- Surrender through vocalization: Singing or listening to sacred sound, especially in community or guided format, subtly signals to the nervous system that it is safe to release control. The body learns it can be held by something larger than individual effort.
How does Divine awareness emerge through this practice?
Divine awareness, in the context of Guru Nanak's spirituality (the philosophical foundation of Nanak Naam), refers not to an external deity but to the conscious intelligence that animates all existence. It is sometimes described as the Naam or the cosmic vibration underlying reality. The meditation approach treats this awareness not as something to attain but as something obscured—like the sun behind clouds—that can be revealed through clearing mental and emotional clutter.
As practitioners settle the breath and synchronize attention with the mantra, several shifts occur:
- Sensory clarity increases: With the nervous system calmed, the five senses become more acute and less reactive. Sound, breath, and bodily sensation are experienced with greater vividness rather than the usual automaticity.
- Witness consciousness emerges: There arises a capacity to observe thoughts, emotions, and sensations without immediately identifying with them. This observer quality is itself a glimpse of something constant and unchanging—a potential entry point to what is called Divine awareness.
- Connection replaces separation: As the individual ego-sense softens, practitioners often report a felt sense of continuity with the environment, with the music, and with the Divine. Boundaries between self and other become more permeable.
What is the role of the singer and the production in the guided meditation?
Bhai Hajara Singh's vocal performance and the production by djvixdholnbass create the container in which the meditation unfolds. In kirtan and mantra traditions, the quality of the singer's voice is not incidental. The voice carries the singer's own spiritual attainment or practice level. A vocalist who has spent years in meditation and devotional practice infuses their singing with a subtle frequency that the listener's nervous system can entrain to.
The instrumentation—described as combining traditional dholak (drum) with contemporary bass—bridges classical Sikh musical heritage with modern sensibilities. The steady beat provides a temporal anchor (similar to a metronome's function in stabilizing meditation), while the melodic elements engage the emotional and aesthetic dimensions of the practice. The production quality ensures that listeners on any device—headphones, speakers, or in group settings—can access the full spectrum of the sonic medicine being offered.
Can this practice be used for anxiety, grief, or other emotional states?
While the Nanak Naam description emphasizes Divine awareness and spiritual bliss, the mechanisms underlying kirtan meditation address neurophysiological and emotional wellbeing as well. The parasympathetic activation achieved through breath-synchronized chanting down-regulates the stress response system (the amygdala and sympathetic nervous system), making it useful for anxiety, insomnia, and hypervigilance.
For grief or emotional processing, kirtan can serve as a container. The devotional context and the sacred sound provide permission and support for emotions to surface and be witnessed rather than suppressed. Some practitioners experience cathartic release—tears, trembling, or deep sighing—as old held tension is metabolized within the safety of the guided space.
That said, this is a specific practice with a specific intention. It is not a substitute for clinical treatment of serious mental health conditions, but it can be a complementary practice within a broader wellness or healing approach.
How does one begin a regular practice with this meditation?
The full 35-minute recording is available on YouTube and on major podcast platforms (Spotify, Apple Podcasts, Google Podcasts), making it accessible for daily or regular use. For consistency, practitioners might:
- Choose a specific time of day (many find early morning or evening optimal).
- Create a designated space—clean, quiet, with minimal distractions.
- Sit upright in a comfortable posture, as this supports both breath flow and alertness.
- Listen with the intention to let go rather than to achieve or evaluate the experience.
- Repeat over multiple sessions; the benefits of mantra practice deepen with consistency over weeks and months.
Nanak Naam also offers a free online course on naam meditation and how to meditate more broadly through Living With Wisdom, which can provide additional framework and support for practitioners seeking deeper understanding of the philosophy and technique underlying kirtan meditation.
Where to go from here
This guided kirtan meditation is one entry point into a larger body of Sikh-rooted spiritual practice. Those drawn to this work might explore Guru Nanak's teachings more deeply through Nanak Naam's courses and resources, particularly the "Awaken the Guru Within" online masterclass and the structured "How to Meditate" course. The Nanak Naam YouTube meditation playlist offers additional guided practices at varying lengths and with different mantras, allowing practitioners to find practices that resonate with their temperament and schedule.
For those interested in the relationship between breathwork, nervous system science, and spiritual practice, supplementary resources on vagal tone, heart rate variability, and the physiology of meditation can deepen understanding of what occurs in the body and brain during kirtan. Finally, the fact that Nanak Naam is a nonprofit organization means that supporting their work through donation directly funds the creation of more accessible spiritual teachings and practices.
