Shiva's Dance: Creation, Preservation & Destruction Cycles in Business
By Nicole, Founder of Mystic Ryst
He dances in a ring of fire, his matted hair flying, multiple arms moving in perfect rhythm. In one hand he holds the drum of creation, in another the flame of destruction. One foot crushes the demon of ignorance, the other is raised in blessing. He is Shiva Nataraja—the Lord of the Dance—and his cosmic dance represents the eternal cycles of creation, preservation, and destruction that govern all existence.
And your business.
In Hindu philosophy, Shiva is part of the Trimurti (trinity): Brahma creates, Vishnu preserves, Shiva destroys. But Shiva's destruction isn't an ending—it's transformation. He destroys so new creation can emerge. His dance is the eternal rhythm of the universe: birth, life, death, rebirth.
For spiritual entrepreneurs, understanding Shiva's dance means recognizing that your business moves through these same cycles. You create offers, preserve what works, destroy what doesn't, and create anew. Fighting these cycles creates suffering. Dancing with them creates flow.
Let's explore how to dance with Shiva through the eternal cycles of your business.
Understanding Shiva Nataraja
Who Is Shiva?
Shiva is one of the principal deities in Hinduism, the destroyer and transformer within the Trimurti. He represents:
- Destruction: Not as evil, but as necessary transformation
- Meditation: The yogi, the ascetic, the one who goes within
- Paradox: Destroyer and creator, ascetic and householder, fierce and gentle
- Transformation: Death that leads to rebirth
- The eternal dance: The rhythm of existence itself
The Nataraja: Symbolism of the Dance
The dance itself: The cosmic rhythm of creation and destruction
Ring of fire: The universe, the cycle of time, transformation
Drum (damaru): The sound of creation, the primordial vibration (Om)
Flame: Destruction, transformation, purification
Raised hand (abhaya mudra): "Fear not," protection, blessing
Pointing hand: Points to raised foot, the path to liberation
Crushed demon: Ignorance, ego, illusion destroyed
Raised foot: Liberation, freedom, transcendence
Matted hair: The Ganges river (flow of grace), ascetic power
Third eye: Wisdom, insight, seeing beyond illusion
Every element teaches something about the cycles of existence.
The Three Cycles: Brahma, Vishnu, Shiva
Brahma: Creation
The energy: Birth, beginning, innovation, new ideas
In business: Creating new offers, starting projects, launching, ideating
Characteristics:
- Excitement and possibility
- High energy and inspiration
- Everything feels new
- Rapid growth and expansion
The gift: Innovation, fresh starts, creative energy
The shadow: Creating without completing, shiny object syndrome
Vishnu: Preservation
The energy: Maintenance, sustaining, preserving, stability
In business: Delivering on offers, maintaining systems, serving clients, steady growth
Characteristics:
- Stability and routine
- Consistent energy
- Things are working
- Sustainable pace
The gift: Sustainability, reliability, steady success
The shadow: Stagnation, resistance to change, clinging to what was
Shiva: Destruction
The energy: Ending, releasing, destroying, transforming
In business: Ending offers, letting go of what doesn't work, pivoting, transformation
Characteristics:
- Discomfort and uncertainty
- Energy of release
- Things are falling apart
- Necessary endings
The gift: Transformation, space for new creation, liberation
The shadow: Destruction without purpose, burning it all down reactively
The Eternal Cycle in Business
The Pattern
- Creation (Brahma): You create a new offer/business/project
- Preservation (Vishnu): You deliver, maintain, sustain it
- Destruction (Shiva): It ends, you let it go, it transforms
- Void: The space between destruction and new creation
- Creation (Brahma): New creation emerges from the void
This cycle repeats eternally. Fighting it creates suffering. Dancing with it creates flow.
Examples in Business
Offer lifecycle:
- Create: Design new program
- Preserve: Deliver it multiple times, refine it
- Destroy: Retire it when it's no longer aligned
- Void: Space before the next offer emerges
- Create: New offer is born
Business evolution:
- Create: Start your business
- Preserve: Build and maintain it
- Destroy: Major pivot or complete transformation
- Void: The in-between, not knowing what's next
- Create: New version of your business emerges
Dancing with Each Phase
How to Dance with Creation (Brahma)
When you're in creation phase:
- Embrace the excitement
- Let ideas flow freely
- Don't edit while creating
- Ride the creative wave
- But don't get stuck here—move to preservation
Practices:
- Brainstorming sessions
- Creative flow time
- Saying yes to inspiration
- Rapid prototyping
Mantra: "I create with joy and freedom"
How to Dance with Preservation (Vishnu)
When you're in preservation phase:
- Honor the routine
- Maintain what's working
- Deliver with excellence
- Build sustainable systems
- But don't cling when it's time to let go
Practices:
- Systems and processes
- Consistent delivery
- Refinement and improvement
- Sustainable pace
Mantra: "I preserve what serves"
How to Dance with Destruction (Shiva)
When you're in destruction phase:
- Trust the ending
- Let go with grace
- Don't cling to what's dying
- Allow the transformation
- Honor what was while releasing it
Practices:
- Conscious completion rituals
- Releasing what no longer serves
- Grieving endings
- Trusting the void
Mantra: "I release with trust and grace"
How to Dance with the Void
The void is the space between destruction and creation:
- Nothing is happening (externally)
- Everything is happening (internally)
- The gestation period
- The dark before the dawn
When you're in the void:
- Don't force new creation
- Sit in the not-knowing
- Trust the process
- Rest and integrate
- Wait for the new to emerge organically
Practices:
- Meditation and stillness
- Integration time
- Trusting the darkness
- Patience
Mantra: "I trust the void"
Common Cycle Mistakes
Mistake 1: Staying Too Long in Creation
The pattern: Always creating new things, never preserving or completing
The result: Nothing gets sustained, shiny object syndrome, no stability
The fix: Move to preservation. Deliver what you've created.
Mistake 2: Clinging to Preservation
The pattern: Maintaining what's no longer working, resisting necessary endings
The result: Stagnation, energy drain, missed opportunities
The fix: Invoke Shiva. Let what needs to die, die.
Mistake 3: Destroying Too Quickly
The pattern: Burning things down before they've had time to develop
The result: Never building anything sustainable, constant chaos
The fix: Give things time to develop. Not everything needs immediate destruction.
Mistake 4: Fearing the Void
The pattern: Immediately creating something new to avoid the void
The result: Creating from depletion, not inspiration; repeating old patterns
The fix: Sit in the void. Let it do its work.
The Shiva Business Practices
The Cycle Awareness Practice
Regularly ask: Which cycle am I in?
- Creation: Am I birthing something new?
- Preservation: Am I maintaining what exists?
- Destruction: Am I releasing what's complete?
- Void: Am I in the space between?
Then dance with that cycle, don't fight it.
The Monday Shiva Meditation
Monday is sacred to Shiva. Use this day for cycle work:
- Sit in meditation
- Visualize Shiva dancing
- Ask: What needs to be created? Preserved? Destroyed?
- Listen for the answer
- Take aligned action
The Maha Shivaratri Business Ritual
Maha Shivaratri (February/March) is Shiva's main festival—the great night of Shiva. Use this for major transformation:
- Review the past year's cycles
- Identify what needs to end
- Consciously destroy what's complete
- Set intentions for new creation
- Stay awake through the night (traditional) or meditate deeply
The Shiva Mantra Practice
"Om Namah Shivaya"
(I bow to Shiva, the auspicious one)
Chant when you need to:
- Let go of what's ending
- Trust the destruction
- Navigate transformation
- Dance with the cycles
The Dance of Paradox
Shiva's Paradoxes
Shiva embodies paradox:
- Destroyer AND creator
- Ascetic AND householder
- Fierce AND gentle
- Meditating AND dancing
- Renunciate AND engaged
The teaching: You can hold opposites. You don't have to choose.
Business Paradoxes
Your business can be:
- Spiritual AND profitable
- Structured AND flowing
- Serious AND playful
- Ambitious AND surrendered
- Creating AND destroying
Dance with the paradox. Don't resolve it.
When to Invoke Each Deity
Invoke Brahma When:
- You need creative inspiration
- You're starting something new
- You need fresh ideas
- You're in creation phase
Invoke Vishnu When:
- You need stability and sustainability
- You're maintaining and delivering
- You need patience and endurance
- You're in preservation phase
Invoke Shiva When:
- You need to let something go
- You're facing necessary endings
- You need transformation
- You're in destruction phase
- You're in the void and need to trust
The Ultimate Teaching
Shiva's dance teaches us:
- Everything is temporary
- Cycles are natural and necessary
- Destruction is not the enemy
- The dance never stops
- You are not separate from the dance—you ARE the dance
The invitation: Stop trying to control the cycles. Dance with them.
The Promise of the Dance
When you dance with Shiva's cycles:
- You stop fighting what is
- You flow with natural rhythms
- You create, preserve, and destroy with wisdom
- You trust the void between cycles
- You build sustainable, evolving businesses
- You participate in the cosmic dance
This is the path of the spiritual entrepreneur: not building something static, but dancing with the eternal cycles of creation, preservation, and destruction.
The Final Invitation
Shiva invites you to dance. Not to control, not to cling, not to resist—but to dance.
Create when it's time to create.
Preserve when it's time to preserve.
Destroy when it's time to destroy.
Rest in the void when it's time to rest.
And trust that the dance never ends. After destruction comes creation. After creation comes preservation. After preservation comes destruction. And the cycle continues, eternally.
Your business is not a static thing to build and maintain forever. It's a living dance, moving through eternal cycles.
Dance with Shiva. Trust the rhythm. Let go of control.
And watch your business transform into something more beautiful than you could have planned.
May you dance with grace through all the cycles of your business.
Om Namah Shivaya
Which cycle is your business in right now? How are you dancing with it? I'd love to hear about your journey through the cycles.
