Acharya Shunya
Acharya Shunya is a teacher of Vedic wisdom for modern life, guiding those who wish to live fully in the world without losing inner clarity.
Rooted in the Vedic tradition and shaped by decades of lived study, she teaches Advaita Vedanta, spiritual Ayurveda, and the four classical yogic paths as living wisdom. Her work draws from Sanskrit source texts while remaining grounded in everyday human experience. She emphasizes discernment, steadiness of mind, and freedom from inner confusion.
She is the author of Sovereign Self, Roar Like a Goddess, and Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom, and teaches globally through Vedika Global and the Vedic Study Circle, offering wisdom not as doctrine to adopt, but as companionship on the path.
Teaching, Writing, and Public Presence
Acharya Shunya has published three widely read books: Sovereign Self, Ayurveda Lifestyle Wisdom, and Roar Like a Goddess. Each has been translated into multiple languages and is valued for its depth and practical relevance.
Through her podcast Shadow to Self, ranked amongst the top two percent podcasts globally, her teachings reach a broad and diverse audience.
Based in the San Francisco Bay Area, she shares her work at universities, retreat centers, and conferences worldwide, including UCSF, UCLA,
Stanford, Kripalu, Omega, the National Ayurvedic Medical Association, the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine, and the World Ayurveda Congress. Her teaching remains a steady invitation to live with clarity, dignity, and inner freedom.
Professional and Civic Recognition
Acharya Shunya’s work has been formally recognized by educational, professional, and civic institutions for her contributions to Vedic wisdom and Ayurveda.
In 2017, she received a Lifetime Contribution Award from the California Institute of Ayurveda Studies in recognition of her dedication to advancing Ayurveda education. She has also been honored by the American Association of Ayurvedic Practitioners of North America in 2010, and was named among the leading Yoga and Ayurveda teachers by Spirituality & Health magazine in 2016.
In 2024, the City of Emeryville, California, recognized her service through Vedika Global and her efforts to preserve and share classical Yoga and Ayurveda.
She served two terms as President of the California Association of Ayurvedic Medicine and has advised the Government of India on international Ayurveda and Yoga initiatives.
Internationally, she chaired the Education Consortium of the World Ayurveda Congress, representing collaboration across more than 120 countries and contributing to the strengthening of global Ayurveda education standard
Media and Cultural Recognition
Acharya Shunya’s work has been featured across mainstream, wellness, and contemplative media.
She appeared in Sounds True One, a documentary on contemporary mystics produced by Sounds True, alongside respected teachers including Jack Kornfield, Caroline Myss, Adyashanti, Damien Echols, and Lama Rod Owens.
She has appeared on the cover of OM Times and has been featured in the San Francisco Chronicle.
Her writing and teachings have also been highlighted in publications such as Spirituality & Health, Bustle, Buzzfeed, Healthline, Medium, Best Self, Jejune, Conscious Lifestyle magazine, and Authority Magazine.
Her work has been shared widely through platforms including MindBodyGreen, Yoga Journal, and Elephant Journal, Insight Timer and Substaack.
Vedic Lineage
Acharya Shunya stands in an unbroken Vedic lineage rooted in Ayodhya, known as the Sarayu Parampara, transmitted through generations of living teachers.
She was guided by her grandfather and Guru, Baba Ayodhya Nath, whose own Guru and father was Acharya Shanti Prakash. Their lives were dedicated to disciplined study, inner realization, and service. Through them, the teachings were not merely preserved, but lived.
Today, she serves as a steward of this lineage, continuing its transmission through lived practice and direct guidance, in continuity with those who came before her.