**1. Introduction**

This essay aimed to evaluate the inherent subjective nature and flexibility of autoethnography as a potential methodology in Sikh Studies, in particular, in researching the lived experiences of Sikhs across the globe. Autoethnography is a narrative form of writing and research that is self-reflective, introspective, and "places the self within the social context" (Reed-Danahay 1997) to convey familiarity and meaning to readers by connecting the "personal to the cultural and political" (Ellis 2004, p. 37) while confronting the authority and privilege of the author. Sikhi1, as opposed to the "colonial construct" of Sikhism the religion (Mandair 2013, p. 5), is a term used by Sikhs to describe a way of living that involves continuous learning and sense making. Sikhi uses deliberation (vichhar) of personal experience through the embodied wisdom of the Guru (gurmat) to gain a greater knowing ¯ and awareness of the self. The foregrounding of personal experience and use of reflexivity to unveil new understanding is common in autoethnography and Sikhi and would benefit further exploration.

The catalyst for this line of thought came during a period of self-reflection beginning on 11 March 2020 following the World Health Organisation (WHO) classification of COVID-19 as a pandemic, which resulted in a nationwide lockdown (World Health Organisation 2020). The private celebration of Vaisakhi, April 2020, was a stark contrast to the vibrant mass celebrations on the 550th birth anniversary of the first Sikh master Guru N¯ anak (1469–1539) held in 2019. ¯

<sup>1</sup> For detailed history of Sikhi and 'Sikhism' see A Singh Mandair's work in *Sikhism: A guide for the perplexed.* Bloomsbury Academic.

Being in the midst of a pandemic has shifted everyday norms for many, including how religion is practiced in the collective and public spaces. Faith communities all over the world are limited in the ways they can congregate to celebrate, meditate, and pray (Paras 2020). The restricted access to places of worship has raised the question for many that have relied heavily on traditional institutions for worship, on what a connection to their faith and community may look like going forward (Bentzen 2020). I, like many others, had to go through a sense-making process: What is my experience of this period? How do I adapt in these unprecedented times? It prompted a review of the way in which nurturing a connection with myself and the Sikh teachings di ffered pre-lockdown in my home and in shared community spaces. My thoughts during this period were recorded in my journal and are shown as an extract below2.
