Acharya Shunya: The Five Phases of the Vedic Afterlife Journey | Part 1

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September 2, 2025

Acharya Shunya: The Five Phases of the Vedic Afterlife Journey | Part 1

Acharya Shunya September 2, 2025

Acharya Shunya joins Tami Simon to explore Vedic perspectives on reincarnation, the journey of the soul, and the deeper meaning behind life, death, and rebirth.

Are you curious about what happens after we die? This week’s episode continues our series of talks on reincarnation. Here, Tami Simon joins Acharya Shunya, a trailblazing Vedic teacher and author, to explore ancient wisdom about the soul’s journey beyond this life, as well as her own direct insights gained in service of her own lineage’s evolution.

Acharya Shunya shares her step-by-step guide to what happens after death, revealing a compassionate, non-judgmental process focused on growth and remembrance—not punishment for the misconceived concept of “bad karma.” 

Note: This interview originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

Acharya Shunya is an internationally renowned mystic and a classically trained master of nondual Advaita, Ayurveda, and Yoga. The first female head of her 2,000-year-old Vedic-Hindu spiritual lineage from India, Shunya facilitates authenticity, self-remembrance, and divine feminine pathways to awakening.  She is founder of The Awakened Self Foundation with its international headquarters in California, and is the author of Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom, Sovereign Self, and Roar Like a Goddess.

Author photo © Sanjai Mathur

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Meet Your Host: Tami Simon

Founded Sounds True in 1985 as a multimedia publishing house with a mission to disseminate spiritual wisdom. She hosts a popular weekly podcast called Insights at the Edge, where she has interviewed many of today's leading teachers. Tami lives with her wife, Julie M. Kramer, and their two spoodles, Rasberry and Bula, in Boulder, Colorado.

Photo © Jason Elias

Also By Author

Acharya Shunya: The Five Phases of the Vedic Afterlife...

Acharya Shunya joins Tami Simon to explore Vedic perspectives on reincarnation, the journey of the soul, and the deeper meaning behind life, death, and rebirth.

Are you curious about what happens after we die? This week’s episode continues our series of talks on reincarnation. Here, Tami Simon joins Acharya Shunya, a trailblazing Vedic teacher and author, to explore ancient wisdom about the soul’s journey beyond this life, as well as her own direct insights gained in service of her own lineage’s evolution.

Acharya Shunya shares her step-by-step guide to what happens after death, revealing a compassionate, non-judgmental process focused on growth and remembrance—not punishment for the misconceived concept of “bad karma.” 

Note: This interview originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

Roar Like a Goddess

In this podcast we join Sounds True founder, Tami Simon, in conversation with Acharya Shunya, a master of Ayurveda and an internationally renowned spiritual teacher and scholar of Advaita (nondual wisdom). Give a listen to this informative dialogue to hear about Acharya Shunya’s book, Roar Like a Goddess, and her empowering insights into : Awakening the inner goddesses of the Vedic tradition; the progressive revelation of Durga, Lakshmi, and Saraswati; “ugly power” based on ignorance, and the devas (or light bearers) who cultivate power ethically; how symbolism helps you discover your power; healthy rage and “correctional, super-conscious anger”; the divine, ultimate truth of nonduality at the core of Vedic wisdom; the river of light that flows within all of us; and more.

Acharya Shunya: Sovereign Self

Acharya Shunya is a classically trained master of Ayurveda and an internationally renowned spiritual teacher and scholar of Advaita nondual wisdom. The first female leader of a 2,000-year-old Indian spiritual lineage, she has dedicated her life to the dissemination of Vedic knowledge for the spiritual uplifting of all beings. With Sounds True, Acharya Shunya has written a book titled Sovereign Self: Claim Your Inner Joy and Freedom with the Empowering Wisdom of the Vedas, Upanishads, and Bhagavad Gita. In this episode of Insights at the Edge, Tami Simon and Acharya Shunya explore our spiritual journey from feeling afraid to feeling powerful, from bondage to sovereignty. Offering unique perspectives that come from being both a woman and a householder, as well as the spiritual leader of her lineage, Acharya Shunya describes the boundless essence of spirit we all have within, the importance of breaking free from the cultural limitations that prevent us from remembering our true spiritual freedom, and how Vedic wisdom provides us with a timeless guided journey to spiritual sovereignty. 

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Acharya Shunya: The Five Phases of the Vedic Afterlife...

Acharya Shunya joins Tami Simon to explore Vedic perspectives on reincarnation, the journey of the soul, and the deeper meaning behind life, death, and rebirth.

Are you curious about what happens after we die? This week’s episode continues our series of talks on reincarnation. Here, Tami Simon joins Acharya Shunya, a trailblazing Vedic teacher and author, to explore ancient wisdom about the soul’s journey beyond this life, as well as her own direct insights gained in service of her own lineage’s evolution.

Acharya Shunya shares her step-by-step guide to what happens after death, revealing a compassionate, non-judgmental process focused on growth and remembrance—not punishment for the misconceived concept of “bad karma.” 

Note: This interview originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

Andrew Holecek: What Reincarnates? | Part 2

Join Tami Simon and Andrew Holecek for the second half of their exploration of reincarnation. Here, they delve deeper into Tibetan Buddhist perspectives on death, rebirth, and the power of “dark retreat” practice, revealing practical guidance for navigating everyday life.

What happens after we die? And what do habits have to do with the process? In this episode of Insights at the Edge, host Tami Simon welcomes Andrew Holecek, scholar, author, and teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and non-dual wisdom traditions. Together, they dive into the mysteries of reincarnation and the “gap between lives.” Drawing from Tibetan teachings on the bardos, dream yoga, and the art of dying, Andrew shares practical insights on how these ancient teachings are not just about what happens after death, but also about navigating the transitions and challenges we face here and now. 

Join them to explore: 

  • How our beliefs about death deeply inform how we live
  • The nature of awareness and the influence of habits
  • How cultivating lucidity transforms both our dreams and our waking lives, and more

Note: These interviews originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

Andrew Holecek: What Reincarnates? | Part 1

What happens after we die? And what do habits have to do with the process?

In this episode of Insights at the Edge, host Tami Simon welcomes Andrew Holecek, scholar, author, and teacher of Tibetan Buddhism and non-dual wisdom traditions. Together, they dive into the mysteries of reincarnation and the “gap between lives.” Drawing from Tibetan teachings on the bardos, dream yoga, and the art of dying, Andrew shares practical insights on how these ancient teachings are not just about what happens after death, but also about navigating the transitions and challenges we face here and now. 

Join them to explore: 

  • How our beliefs about death deeply inform how we live
  • The nature of awareness and the influence of habits
  • How cultivating lucidity transforms both our dreams and our waking lives

Whether you’re curious about what happens after we die or seeking wisdom to live more fully, this episode offers insights for inner explorers of all beliefs and backgrounds.

Note: This interview originally aired on Sounds True One, where these special episodes of Insights at the Edge are available to watch live on video and with exclusive access to Q&As with our guests. Learn more at join.soundstrue.com.

 

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