← Dance-Fitness to Punjabi Music · Module 5 of 7 · 4 minutes
Two kinds of energy
Two kinds of energy: Shakti and Shiva
In Pungra we use two words from Indian tradition, Shakti and Shiva, to describe two different kinds of energy in movement.
- Shakti energy has a “look at me, look at me” vibe. It is flowy and seeks attention.
- Shiva energy is strong, focused and sturdy. It is more “get the job done together”.
Bhangra performing, and all performing arts, are by their nature a Shakti energy. A performance exists to be seen.
Pungra, and other fitness such as resistance training, can be Shiva energy. They stay that way only as long as they do not fall into the trap of seeking attention. When a workout becomes about being watched, it has slipped back towards Shakti.
Neither energy is bad. The point is to know which one you are choosing, and to choose Shiva when the goal is fitness and community.
The same idea in Chinese philosophy: Yin and Yang
You may know a similar pair of ideas from Chinese philosophy: yin and yang. Yin is the softer, receptive, flowing side, and is traditionally described as feminine. Yang is the active, firm, driving side, and is traditionally described as masculine. In Pungra’s way of talking, yin sits alongside Shakti, and yang sits alongside Shiva.
| Shakti and yin | Shiva and yang |
|---|---|
| Feminine, flowing, receptive | Masculine, strong, focused |
| “Look at me”: seeks attention | “Get the job done together” |
| Where performing lives | Where fitness and community live |
Two things are worth remembering. First, yin and yang are not opposites that fight. They complete each other, and each carries a little of the other inside it. A good class has both: the steady, strong effort of Shiva and yang, and the flow and joy of Shakti and yin. Second, these are energies, not people. A man can bring flow and a woman can bring strength. Use the words to describe the movement, never to decide who a movement is for.
Shiva and Shakti, and yin and yang, come from different traditions with long histories of their own. Here we use them as simple, shared pictures to help you choose the kind of energy you want in the room.
Sources and further reading
- Britannica: Shakti (Hindu concept): the traditional meaning of Shakti as the dynamic, creative energy of the divine.
- Britannica: Yinyang: yin and yang as complementary, interdependent forces.
Evidence notes: Pungra uses Shakti and Shiva as a simple picture, as the lesson says. The traditional meaning of Shakti is the dynamic, creative energy of the divine, which is much wider than 'look at me' energy, so this is Pungra's own metaphor and not a description of the tradition. Last checked 7 November 2026. Links open in a new tab, and some sites may ask you to accept cookies or sign in.