Sculpture of "Nataraja" Shiva cosmic dancer king of dance in bronze 27 cm

Nataraja, is the lord or king of the Shiva dance as a cosmic dancer. Nataraja is a symbolic synthesis of the most important aspects of Hinduism and the summary of the central principles of this Vedic religion. The term Nataraja means "King of the dancers" (in Sanskrit born = dance and raja = king).
This cosmic dance of Shiva is called Anandatandava, which means the dance of bliss, and it symbolizes the cosmic cycles of creation and destruction, as well as the daily rhythm of birth and death. The dance is therefore a pictorial allegory of the five main manifestations of eternal energy: creation, destruction, conservation, salvation and illusion.
The general character of the image is paradoxical, combining Shiva's inner tranquility and external activity.
Natarajasana is perhaps the position that most clearly expresses the connection between Hindu mythology and yoga practice, also offering the starting point for a reflection on the connections between Indian mythology and Western culture. This position is in fact dedicated to nothing less than Shiva, in his form of Lord of the dance, a central figure of Hinduism. The sacred image or statue of dancing Shiva stands out in many yoga schools, including Western ones.