![\"dancing](\"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2018\/05\/dancing-shiva-golden-900x600.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nIt is widely accepted that humans have both masculine and feminine aspects. Our challenge is to adopt the qualities of male and female energies in order to find peace of mind and bring more harmony into our lives.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In ancient symbolism, male and female energies are appointed to specific emotional and physical aspects of human nature. These are most distinctly portrayed in the four elements, earth, air, fire and water.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
We see the four elements symbolically expressed in the dancing Shiva. The statue could actually be called \u201cthe dance of Shiva and Shakti\u201d as it represents the reunion of Shiva and Shakti from Hindu mythology.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shiva is the male power representing consciousness together with the elements of fire and air. His consort, Shakti is the female quality and represents energy and the elements of earth and water.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The dance the Gods are performing is a form of hatha yoga. Ha means Sun, Tha is Moon and yoga means union. In ancient symbolism, the sun represents the power of fire in masculine energy and the moon represents the soothing waters of the female energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
On a deeper level, the sun and the moon represent life, or creation of life on earth cannot exist without the power of the sun, and all life is born from water. The gravitational pull of the moon keeps the Earth balanced and stable.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
In the \u201ccosmic dance\u201d of Shiva<\/a>, we find the concept of balancing male and female qualities. This is defined by sun and moon symbolism (fire and water) so that we are better equipped to create the things we want in life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The goal of hatha yoga is to bring balance to the physical, emotional and spiritual aspects of the self. It is a discipline of self-control, perseverance and strength. All these qualities are reflected in the dance of Shiva and Shakti.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Ancient sages knew that everything in the Universe has a polar opposite. Thus human emotions and traits of character have opposing ends of the scale. The ancients also understood that we need to find equilibrium within ourselves in order to find peace of mind and clarity of thought.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The ancient magi defined sets of emotions and personality traits that mostly resembled members of the opposite sex. You can check out a useful list on fromthestars.com<\/a>, but as a quick example, doing and being, analysing and intuition, aggression and surrender are all opposites that can be classified as mostly male or female traits.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The dance of Shiva and Shakti is sometimes called the \u2018Dance of Bliss\u2019 as its purpose is to bring both the masculine and feminine sides of your character together. And by doing so, you will find balance and harmony.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Essentially, the masculine energy requires courage, knowledge, passion and understanding and the feminine qualities require, love, patience and dedication to nurture consciousness into reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Whatever we do in life, and the manifestation thereof is powered by our male and female energies. Everything we do is consciousness \u2013 whether we are consciously aware of what we are doing or not. Energy is how much effort you put in and the rewards you get out.<\/p>\n\n\n\n You may have heard of the expressions (or something similar), \u201cwhat you give is what you get,\u201d or \u201cthe more you put in, the more you get out.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n This is the essence expressed in the dance of Shiva and Shakti. The combination of consciousness and energy ultimately manifests as reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We should also consider the triangle of manifestation at this point. To take an idea or desire (consciousness) and turn it into physical reality (manifestation) requires thought emotion and action. Thought, emotions and actions are all energy.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Therefore whatever energy you put into something, be it positive or negative (attitude\/thought), a little or a lot (will power\/action), love or hate (emotion) will determine the outcome of your physical reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Yoga Vashishtha ~ 5.23<\/strong>: \u201cUtterly fearless and uninhibited, it is this consciousness that brings into manifestation and sustains the infinite variety of beings\u2026\u201d<\/p><\/blockquote>\n\n\n\n Let\u2019s take a closer look at how this concept is reflected in the statue of the Dancing Shiva.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The cosmic dance of Shiva symbolizes the continuous cycle of destruction and creation. Thus Shiva is known as the destroyer of ego and can shatter delusion and bring in new visions of life.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In order to manifest new traits or qualities of character and attitudes towards life, you need clarity of thought to admit changes are necessary and the courage to change habitual attitudes and ways of living. You have to make sacrifices.<\/p>\n\n\n\n These are male energies symbolized in the personification of Shiva. His ability to destroy and recreate reflects ancient traditions of ritual sacrifice which were performed to demonstrate the Universal cycles of death and rebirth.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This same concept appears in the mythology of ancient cultures throughout the world. In Hindu myth, the story of Shiva and Shakti explains this is a somewhat convoluted way \u2013 unless you understand the underlying meaning in which case it makes perfect sense.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This idea is also reflected in statues of the Linga-Yoni which is commonly known to represent the male and female productive organs of Shiva and Shakti. Its esoteric meaning represents the union of physical energy with spiritual consciousness which then manifests as physical and spiritual reality.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Hindu myth, Shakti is the consort of Shiva but sacrifices her life by throwing herself in the fire of yagna after suffering humiliation. Unable to live without her, Shiva goes to live in the mountains and becomes a recluse.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When the Universe is terrorized by demons, the Gods appeal to Shiva for help, but Shiva is unable to act and refuses aid. An oracle informs the Gods that only a son of Shiva can defeat the demons so Shakti reincarnates herself as Parvati.<\/p>\n\n\n\n It takes Parvati some time to win over the affections of Shiva, but when she develops the same skills and qualities as the powerful God, Shiva accepts Parvati as his bride and they fall into perfect balance. It is on their wedding night that Shiva (consciousness) is reunited with Shakti (energy) and performs the dance of bliss.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the same myth, Shiva is consciousness \u2013 clarity, knowledge and wisdom. Shakti is energy. When you work towards achieving your goals, you generate positive energy. If you are lazy or unable to overcome the habitual mind, the energy you emit works against your goals.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Without energy, consciousness cannot come into being. Shakti, the mother goddess provides love, protection and warmth. She is a reminder that objectives require nurturing and thinks, feels and acts from the heart.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The esoteric meaning behind the Dance of Shiva is the process of dissolution and creation. By shattering the illusion of self in the real world and recognizing your true self, you can successfully work towards the goal of transformation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The symbolic gestures of Shiva in the statue reflect the five powers you require to master emotions and manifest conscious thoughts and actions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n When Shakti kills herself, Shiva rejects society and lives as an ascetic on Mount Kailash where he meditates to free his mind. In the dance of Shiva, his choice of lifestyle is reflected by his unkempt hair.<\/p>\n\n\n\n However, the deeper meaning reflects the need to understand that we have to make sacrifices before we can be reborn and to free our mind of inhibitions towards the change. Our habitual minds resist change and we tend to have internal conflicts.<\/p>\n\n\n\n To overcome such conflicts, we must invoke the aspects of our male and female energies that Shakti and Shiva personify. In the four elements, male energy is air which relates to mental attitudes and the acquiring of knowledge, and also fire which demands courage and perseverance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shakti, the female aspect of human nature, represents the element of earth which is symbolic for fertility, nurturing and the need to be grounded, and the element of water which represents emotions and the need to \u2018go with the flow.\u2019<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the statue of the dancing Shiva, the fiery ring of the outer edge features 29 burning flames. In Hindu myth, Shiva often uses fire from his trident or his third eye to destroy enemies.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In gematria, 29, 2+9=11. Eleven symbolises new beginnings having mastered an emotion or personal trait. In the four elements, fire represents courage and will-power, attributes required to burn away undesired attitudes.<\/p>\n\n\n\n This concept comes distinctly clear when you consider individual symbols of the Nataraja. The two upper arms alone signify the balance between the forces of destruction and creation.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the upper left hand, Shiva holds a flaming torch. Scholars tend to call this torch, \u201cthe flame of extinction,\u201d because of Shiva\u2019s ability to destroy ignorance and delusion with fire. However, we already see this concept expressed in the ring of 29 flames.<\/p>\n\n\n\n My view is that the torch denotes the gaining of wisdom. In other ancient traditions, \u201clight bringers\u201d such as Ishtar, Astarte and the Statue of Liberty are pictured holding flaming torches. It signifies the liberation of the mind after burning away the veil of illusion.<\/p>\n\n\n In this symbol, we see a reflection of Shiva\u2019s son, the elephant God Ganesha, the remover of obstacles and the God of knowledge and wisdom. Knowledge is the acquisition of new information, whilst wisdom is knowing to let go of the old.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In the upper right hand, Shiva holds a sacred drum in the shape of an hourglass. In Hindu symbolism, the drum represents the primordial sound of creation, the beginning of time<\/strong>. The hourglass represents the passing of time as one life cycle ends and another begins.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shiva\u2019s lower right hand is an open palm directed outwards and is a sign of assertion. Its literal meaning is \u201cfear nothing.\u201d By letting go of fear, you dissolve all negative emotions and feel only love.<\/p>\n\n\n\n A snake is draped over his left arm and slithers out towards the outer circle. Snakes represent wisdom<\/a> and the conscious mind whilst the circle represents the spiritual world. The \u201cspiritual word\u201d is where your soul resides, your true self.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In other words, when you become consciously aware of something you do in life that is not good for you and you change your ways, you change yourself on the physical world and become more like your true self in the spiritual world.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Shiva\u2019s left foot is planted on the back of a dwarf-like creature called Apasmara, a demon figure that signifies forgetfulness, ignorance and confusion. Here we see that Shiva has defeated the demons of bondage and illusion through the discovery of self-knowledge.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The combination of the lower left hand pointing towards the raised upper right foot is a reflection of the entire symbolic meaning. Shiva gestures towards the raised foot as though to say, \u201cSee.\u201d<\/p>\n\n\n\n As Aldous Huxley observes in his novel \u201cIsland\u201d, the lifted foot of the dancing Shiva is \u201cthe symbol of release, of moksha, of liberation.\u201d Essentially, once we free our minds from the bondage of fear, we begin to see the truth of light.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The Dance of Shiva is very rich in symbolism, but once the esoteric meaning is decoded, the mystery begins to make perfect sense. And now you know that you have to get in touch with masculine\/feminine emotions, putting thoughts into actions becomes that little bit easier.<\/p>\n\n\n\n The statue of the God, Shiva performing the cosmic dance, is one of the most iconic and enigmatic…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1453,"featured_media":12426,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"om_disable_all_campaigns":false,"_monsterinsights_skip_tracking":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_active":false,"_monsterinsights_sitenote_note":"","_monsterinsights_sitenote_category":0,"_uf_show_specific_survey":0,"_uf_disable_surveys":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[48],"tags":[194,196,115,195],"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12425"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1453"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=12425"}],"version-history":[{"count":4,"href":"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12425\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":18009,"href":"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/12425\/revisions\/18009"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/12426"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=12425"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=12425"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=12425"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}What Are Male and Female Energies?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shiva-and-shakti-scaled.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nThe Story of Shakti and Shiva in Hindu Mythology<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/shiva-lingam-scaled.jpg\")
<\/figure>\n\n\n\nShakti is the universal energy, the primordial source of life that brings consciousness into reality. Energy and consciousness must be bonded in union in order for you to take control of what you create.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
The Esoteric Significance of the Dance of Shiva<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Symbols of the Siva Nataraja<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
By destroying habitual ways of life that do not serve you, it is possible to create new views, attitudes and ways of feeling that give you more quality in life. This idea is symbolically painted in the idea of death and rebirth.<\/h3>\n\n\n\n
![\"\"](\"https:\/\/mastermindcontent.co.uk\/wp-content\/uploads\/2020\/04\/statue-of-liberty-340x510.jpg\")
<\/figure><\/div>\n\n\nDo you want to know how ancient symbolism can help you succeed in life?<\/h2>\n\n\n\n
Master Mind Content offers online symbolism courses. We have several in-depth guides that explain how symbolism relates to the body-mind-energy connection. Understanding symbolism can help you make important decisions, improve your quality of life and understand more about the world.<\/a><\/span><\/h3>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"