“Shivoham… I am Shiva.”
This declaration from the ancient Upanishads echoes the core of Advaita Vedanta, the philosophy of non-dualism. It says: you are not separate from the Divine you are That.
But what does this mean in the chaos of traffic, heartbreaks, 9-to-5 jobs, kitchen chores, and endless notifications?
Can we really see the dance of Shiva in all this?
Let’s explore.
1. Shiva: The Cosmic Dancer
In Hindu philosophy, Shiva is not just a god, He is the principle of pure consciousness, the witness behind all experience.
As Nataraja, the cosmic dancer, Shiva dances the Ananda Tandava, the dance of bliss, which creates, sustains, and destroys the universe in a seamless rhythm.
In his dance:
- His right hand beats the drum of creation (damaru),
- His left hand holds fire, symbolizing destruction,
- One leg lifts in liberation, while
- The other stamps the demon of ignorance.
Shiva’s dance is not somewhere “out there”, it’s happening right now, in your breath, thoughts, sensations, emotions, and even your heartbreaks.
2. What is Non-Dualism? (Advaita Vedanta 101)
Advaita means “not two”.
It’s not saying the world is an illusion (as often misunderstood), but that the separation we experience is illusory.
According to Advaita Vedanta, the truth of your being is Brahman, infinite, formless, and undivided consciousness.
Everything else names, forms, identities, events are waves on the surface of that infinite ocean. You are not the wave. You are the ocean.
The dancer and the dance are not two.
3. Everyday Illusions: Where We Forget the Dance
We wake up each morning and step into roles:
- The employee with deadlines
- The partner with expectations
- The body with aches
- The mind with anxiety
We forget.
We start believing:
“I am this job. I am this trauma. I am this relationship status. I am this thought.”
This is Avidya, ignorance the root cause of suffering in Vedanta.
But Shiva never stops dancing. We just forget to see it.
4. Where is the Dance Hiding in Your Daily Life?
Here’s how non-dualism isn’t just for sages in caves, but for you and me, right here:
Doing Dishes, Being Divine
Even in the most mundane act, there is no separation between:
- The doer (you),
- The doing (washing), and
- The done (clean dish).
Everything is a movement in one undivided field. Shiva is washing Shiva.
Loving Without Possessing
In relationships, we often seek to own, define, label. But pure love, non-dual love, means recognizing the other not as “someone separate,” but as an expression of the same Self.
You are not loving another. You are loving yourself in another form.
Suffering Without Identity
When pain arises, mental or emotional, we tend to say,
“I am sad. I am broken.”
But Advaita teaches:
“I am the awareness in which sadness is happening.”
You are not the pain, you are the space in which it appears.
This isn’t spiritual bypassing, it’s liberation.
5. The Shift: From Ego to Awareness
Most of us live from the ahamkara, the ego that says “I am this body, this story, this role.”
But Shiva lives from pure awareness.
And the moment you observe the ego instead of reacting from it, you’ve already begun dancing.
This shift doesn’t mean withdrawing from life. It means engaging fully, but from the space of non-attachment and inner stillness.
Like Shiva, who dances in the cremation ground, surrounded by chaos, and still smiles.
6. Non-Dualism is Not a Belief, It’s a Recognition
You don’t have to “believe” in non-duality.
You just need to observe.
- Observe your thoughts.
- Observe your emotions.
- Observe your roles, your reactions.
And notice: something in you remains unchanged. That still, witnessing awareness that’s Shiva.
You are not becoming that. You’ve always been that.
7. Practicing the Dance: Simple Ways to Live Non-Dualism
Here are a few everyday practices to live this philosophy:
Witness Meditation
Sit and observe your breath, sensations, and thoughts. Don’t engage. Just notice.
The more you witness, the more you recognize the Shiva within.
Pause Before You React
Someone annoys you. A thought stings.
Pause. Ask: “Who is getting hurt right now?”
Let awareness step in before ego takes over.
Do One Thing With Full Presence
Cook, write, walk, but do it with full attention. Let go of past and future. This dissolves the illusion of separation between doer, doing, and done.
8. The Final Truth: You Are the Dance
There’s nothing to reach. No God to find. No future enlightenment to achieve.
Just this:
This breath.
This moment.
This beat in your chest.
You are not separate from the cosmic dance.
You are the dancer.
You are the dance.
You are Shiva.
Closing Words
In the end, non-dualism is not about rejecting the world, but embracing it as sacred.
It’s about remembering that beneath every identity, experience, and emotion, there is One, undivided, infinite Being, playing, loving, grieving, and dancing, as you.
So the next time you’re overwhelmed or lost in your thoughts, just smile and whisper to yourself:
“This too is Shiva dancing.”
And dance along.
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